Mahabaleshwar is Maharashtra’s coolest hill station. It is the largest hill station in Maharashtra and is 1372 meters above sea level. It is well-known for its strawberry farms and number of boarding schools. This place was founded by Sir John ‘Boy’ Malcolm (Britisher) in 1828 and has European style bungalows to add to its charm. It was considered as the summer capital of the Governer of Bombay. Tourists from Mumbai and Pune visit Mahabaleshwar frequently due to its cool climate all year round.
Mahabaleshwar has a plesant climate throughout the year. The range of temperature in summer is between 25 °C to 15 °C. In winters (October to February), the temperature can drop up to 5o°C. the best time to visit would be in summer before the start of the rainy season as the monsoon is very heavy in Mahabaleshwar. Light woolen clothing is recommended.
Only a few good hotels in Mahabaleshwar accept international credit cards. There are very few ATMs nearby so it is best to carry cash to this place.
No permit is required to travel to Mahabaleshwar. Just a visa to India is all what is needed.
The nearest airport is the Pune airport which is around 120 km. from there one can take a bus or a private taxi to reach Mahabaleshwar in around 4 hours. If you land at the Mumbai airport then travel to Mahabaleshwar by road which is around 290 km via Pune and 247 km via Wai.
Various points which give a panoramic view of the valleys below. These include Lodwick Point, Kate’s point, Arthur’s seat, Tiger’s spring etc.
Catholic church
Mount Malcolm which is a famous British era building
Nearby excursion from Mahabaleshwar include:
Panchgani, 19 km from Mahabaleshwar is also a hill station. It has a plateau area called Table Land from where one can see the scenic view of the plains below.
Pratapgarh fort built by Shivaji in 1656 is 24 km from the main city
Mahabaleshwar is famous for roasted black chana. You can see vendors selling them on the roadside in the market. Strawberries are in ample here. Also available are strawberry jam, syrup and ice cream. Chikki which is a sweet prepared from sugar/jaggery and groundnuts is also a delicacy. Other snacks include a variety of corn delicacies near the Venna Lake. Mahabaleshwar does not have a great non vegetarian restaurant but vegetarian hotels like Rajesh Hotel and Hotel Dreamland serve Gujrati thalis.
There are a lot of hotels near the market but for a peaceful stay, hotels far from the market are advisable. Anarkali hotel is a heritage hotel located away from the market. Sherwood Resort and Brightland Resort are also good options.
