Being one of the most evergreen and most frequented hill stations in Maharashtra it was my choice for an ultimate weekend getaway with my bestie.
As me and my bestie don't get much time together, we decided to go away on a small vacation and Mahabaleshwar was chosen as it's quick and easy to travel and none of us had been there since we were kids.
It was a rather scenic bus ride to this gorgeous hill station , through the ghats surrounded by the rugged Sahayadri mountains.
We checked into our hotel ( Le Meridien Resort and Spa) at around 3 pm and decided to explore the property as it was surrounded by dense forests and was absolutely beautiful. We jumped into infinity pool of the hotel and enjoyed spectacular sunset from the temperature controlled pool. After the amazing swim we decided to get some dinner at the outdoor restaurant (The Woods) that served an amazing selection of barbecued veges and meats. As we were totally exhausted by then we called it a day.
After a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel we hired a cab for sightseeing and we reached at our first destination King's Chair point and Plato point. There was a small trek through the woods to reach these points ,but once you reach the point the view of the valley is breathtaking. It was a bit foggy but the view compensated for it all.
After that we headed to Lingmala Waterfalls and we climbed down about 250 steps to one of the two waterfalls at the destination and then after a small walk away there's another waterfall.
Then our cabbie took us to a an amazing strawberry farm and we could walk through the farm and pluck and taste strawberries. After a quick strawberry and cream snack at this destination we headed to Venna Lake.
The Venna Lake is a beautiful and clean lake which has a lot of boating options. We chose to go on the paddling boat (₹ 500/- / hr and ₹500/- deposit) and paddled through this spectacular lake lined with a few temples, some of which were almost under the water which could only be seen when there is low tide.
Later we headed to another set of points: Kate's point , Elphinstone point , Needle hole, Elephant Head Point and the Marjorie Point. These are all located at one spot where you have to follow the railing to view the different points. The Elephant Head Point is where the mountain is naturally shaped like an Elephants Head.
After the fabulous panoramic view of beautiful valleys we were headed to Old Mahabaleshwar. It's a quaint little village with narrow roads. We reached the Old Mahabaleshwar temple and it was absolutely exquisite. There was a cute a little wooden market where we could buy a variety of cute wooden items.
Now we were headed to the points in Old Mahabaleshwar. So there were a series of points (Arthur Seat Point, Tiger Spring Point, Echo point and Wilson Point) here too and we have to follow the railing to see all the points. We also have a view of the Pratapgarh Fort from here. Arthur Seat Point is considered to be the Queen of all Points and has a alluring view of the Savitri river.
On the way back, about a km away there's Monkey Point and Savitri Point with another beautiful view of the Savitri river.
By now we were absolutely tired and cancelled our visit to the Pratapgarh Fort and we headed back to our hotel but couldn't resist a last pitstop to the Mahabaleshwar Market where we bought our souvenirs and little knick-knacks.
After a few drinks and an elaborate dinner (Chingari) we called it a night.
To start the day we enjoyed a delectable breakfast and then checked out and said goodbye to the splendid hotel. On the way to Wathar station we bought some strawberries. Wathar station is the most ancient station I have ever seen but it's a sweet and quaint little station. From here we took a train back to Mumbai.
