Best panchgani tourist places

Panchgani view point

India is a country with one of the most diverse geographical features, an important part of which is the Western Ghats with a history of existence that precedes the mighty Himalayas. Due to the immense geographical significance of the formations of Western Ghats when the Indian plate drifted from Gondwana, the surface of the natural phenomena provides some unique landforms that attract numerous tourists and researchers all around the world.

Due to its proximity to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, the communication to the Panchgani hill stations of these mountains are excellent. This helps to boost tours to Panchgani throughout the year. The perfect time to visit Panchgani hill stations in the ancient mountains is when the monsoon arrives on the western ghats of India. Due to the drizzles and clouds changing with the patterns of sunlight and rainfall, the road trip on the highway along the Western Ghats provides numerous viewpoints with stunning views of the western valley. In this blog , readers will get to know about the best Panchgani tourist places.

TYPICAL GHAT ROAD ALONG THE WESTERN GHATS.

Apart from Lonavala, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani, there are two other major hill stations in the western ghats that become the prime spots for the tourists in the monsoons. Accordingly, the month of June was my choice for the Panchgani hill tour. This is because it is the period when the monsoon just arrives on the western coast. I started the road trip from Panvel to the center of Navi Mumbai. While driving along Mumbai Pune expressway, we crossed the twin hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala and took our first break for lunch in Pune. Throughout the journey of Western Ghats,  the just-arrived monsoons accompanied us with slight drizzles and the landscape through the windows of our car looked even more enchanting as the grasslands of the mountains got drenched with the raindrops.

ROAD TO PANCHGANI AFTER PUNE EXPRESSWAY.

After about 5 hours of drive through the Western Ghats, we took the diversion from the national highway towards Panchgani Mahabaleshwar state highway and crossed the town of Wai. Wai is a beautiful gateway from Navi Mumbai located in the Krishna river valley and its vicinity to reach the Dhoom dam,which is one of the best panchgani tourist places.

FIRST VIEW POINT OF TOWN WAI ALONG THE GHAT ROAD which leads to Panchgani.

Before the entrance into Panchgani is a parachute gliding point called Harrison’s folly beside the highway which is not only a relevant viewpoint but also a great spot for adventure lovers.Harrison's folly may be considered as the first point to visit among one of the best panchgani tourist places .The monsoon though may not offer a clear picture due to less visibility, the clouds loaded with moisture provide a unique experience that is suitable enough to capture a mystic moment with nature. The monsoon no doubt brings the best possible features of this unique geographical landmass and that is why a tourist must include this road trip to explore the best of Western Ghats of India.

MOIST CLOUDS COVERING THE HIGHWAY, on our way to Panchgani.

VIEW FROM HARRISON’S FOLLY.

The twin hill stations of Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are loaded with numerous resorts and homestays with some providing esteem luxury for the tourists. This pool of suitable accommodations thus makes the choice of the best location for the Panchgani hill tour to spend the vacation surrounded by the Western Ghats difficult. Homestays other than resorts or hotels are my preferred choice owing to their superior scenic locations. Fortunately, I found this homely resort tucked away in a hill, only 2 km from the famous Mapro garden in Panchgani hill. The resort is situated on top of a hill surrounded by lush greenery and grasslands, and creating a paradise for travelers seeking solitude amidst nature. The rooms are clean and the food served was relatively nice with sufficient options on the menu. The swimming pool and the park adds delicacy to the Grand backdrop of this resort, thus an ideal retreat for a family coming here for vacation. Though the 1 km muddy road from the highway to this hotel is a disadvantage, the scenery that the location of this resort provides coupled with the hospitality makes the stress comparatively minimal and worth it. Just in front of the resort is a huge strawberry plantation from whose local farmers tourists can get the idea of strawberry farming. The mixture of homestay and luxury, like a five-star resort, for which the resort is known therefore makes it an ideal retreat for accommodation in Panchgani or Mahabaleshwar.The resort is also close to the best Panchgani tourist places about which I have explained further in my blog.

IVY PARK HOTEL COMPLEX , Panchgani.

For bookings in Ivy park hotel refer to the link below:-

Booking.com

The first significant viewpoint of the Western Ghats valleys in the highway of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar is the Sydney point near the Panchgani hill town.Sydney point is one of the best Panchgani tourist places. It is a viewpoint from which a panoramic view of the Sahyadri range and the Krishna river flowing through the village Wai could be assessed. The beautiful village of Wai and the Dhoom reservoir built on the Krishna river can thus be seen from this majestic Sydney point of the Western Ghats. Visiting the Sydney point in monsoon can be a disadvantage as the clear distant views of the Krishna valley will be obstructed by the clouds. The mists and the clouds that characterizes the monsoon will, however, create a different experience in the natural ambience of this tourist spot. The grass starts to grow in plenty and the valley looks green providing a more soothing image rather than the dry brown grasses in the summer and winters. According to the preference of a tourist, Sydney point provides a memorable company with nature that provides unique outlooks for the different seasons.

VIEW FROM SYDNEY POINT.

The uniqueness in visiting the serene hill stations of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra is the combination of sun rays and the moisture-laden clouds that play hide and seek throughout the days in the months from June till the end of August. As a result of this, the color contrast of rain and sunlight can be captured perfectly from the numerous viewpoints in Panchgani hill. When I arrived at the Sydney point the moisture-laden clouds started to pour in the raindrops in the form of drizzle and the whole area became invisible due to the dense fog. But unlike Sydney's point Parsi point as shown in the picture, the sky got cleared from the dark clouds and the rays of sunlight created beautiful reflections of the valley.

PANORAMIC VIEWS FROM PARSI POINT.

A look from Parsi point brings to visible view the town of Wai, the reservoir of the Dhoom dam and the Krishna river. Parsi point is one of the best among the many panchgani tourist places to visit .From the viewpoints, we get to see the Sahyadri range and its valley created on the banks of the Krishna river. Local guides have set up telescopes at the Parsi point from which the geographic details of the different points in the valley could be gotten. The Parsi point was the favorite spot for the Parsis in ancient times and a narrative from which its name was derived. The Sydney point on its own part was named after Sir Sydney Beckwarth who was the governor of Mumbai in 1830. These two viewpoints form the major tourist spots to visit in the Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar road and the best time to get the perfect views is during the sunset.

One of the most important and scenic destinations and the best of the many panchgani tourist places is the Table land which is considered Asia’s second-longest mountain plateau which is at a height of 4500 feet. The spot is the highest point in Panchgani and home to several interesting viewpoints. Table land, according to me ,ranks first in the list of best Panchgani tourist places.There are horse carts available with which tourists can take a complete tour of this volcanic plateau in 1.5 hours for just RS 500.

THE VAST TABLE LAND.

Among the best Panchgani tourist places in Table land is the shooting point; the Pandava caves and the footprints of pandava are the prime spots. Mythical stories had it that the legendary pandavas lived there during exile from their kingdom and the cave there was the kitchen from which they used to cook their food. The two opposite sides of the table land; the new Panchgani and old Panchgani towns are visible and an important aspect can be seen from this plateau which shows the five flat mountains of the Sahyadri range meeting at a point from which the name Panchgani was given to the hill station. “Panch” means five and “gani” means settlement. From the shooting point, the Table lake is visible which along with the scenic views of the shooting point has always been a prime location for numerous Bollywood films over the years.

ONE OF THE FIVE HILLS THAT SURROUND PANCHGANI, in the Western Ghats.

VIEW OF NEW PANCHGANI TOWN FROM TABLE LAND.

Rajapuri caves was another of the relatively historical and mystical place that I discovered on a signboard while going towards the Table lake. Finding the route to this cave is a bit tricky as the road leading to the spot goes mainly through the rural villages of Panchgani and there are no clear signboards. With a little help and direction from the locals through a narrow road, I finally reached the entrance to the cave marked by an architectural designed gate. Through the concrete footsteps, I reached down a cliff and to my surprise, I saw structures and idols that resemble an age-long civilization, the mystery of which is still unknown to many and hidden away in a jungle but not far from a famous hill station.

ON THE WAY TO RAJAPURI CAVES.PANORAMIC VIEW OF NEW PANCHGANI TOWN.

ENTRANCE GATE TO RAJAPURI CAVES.

Perhaps people undertaking the Panchgani tour get so much engulfed in the entertainment, organic foods, and viewpoints of the Western Ghats that they have forgotten about this significant historical spot which is also divine for the local residents living there. I went inside the cave to see the rock-cut structures of the idols of Hindu gods. In one of the cave, water comes out from the nose of a bull that falls in a sacred well below. The water is perennial through the year. No one knows the source of the water but the locals believe it comes from Ganga and thus a very sacred place for the Hindus.I would say that this place is one of the best Panchgani tourist places especially for religious tourists.

STONE IDOLS INSIDE RAJAPURI CAVES.NOTE THE PERENNIAL STREAM COMING OUT FROM THE MOUTH OF A BULL.

Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani stand out as one of the most famous hill stations of the Western Ghats because of the huge amount of entertaining activities that it provides for the tourists who are visiting with their families.

Panchgani tour is not only about the panoramic viewpoints of the Krishna river valley but also the delightful strawberry farms which are world-famous for its organic products. Managed by MAPRO (Maharashtra Agro Products), the Mapro Garden and its outlets are one of the most frequently visited tourist spots in these hill station due to the unique local organic products made by the local farmers. The products range from syrups, beverages, sauce, chocolates, jams etc which are unique in their variety and taste. The restaurants managed by MAPRO offer numerous options for breakfast and supper from locally made cheese, fruit shakes and spices. Visiting the Mapro Garden and collecting the juice jam bottles is a must-do activity to keep the memories of this enchanting hill station.This Mapro Garden is one of the best Panchgani tourist places .

People in India mostly travel to the hill stations to enjoy the serene mountains and the soothing weather of the mountain valleys. Panchgani provides an ideal getaway for imbibing the healthy climate of the Western Ghats along with its numerous adventure parks, mapro gardens and the wax museum. The newly constructed Hollywood wax museum is a delight for tourists of all ages as it provides a different experience of entertainment for the tourists visiting here for vacation. Undoudtedly this is a must visit place for the tourists among the many best panchgani tourist places.By paying Rs 300 per head a tourist can see the numerous statues of famous celebrities and also a 9 D movie. The statues are quite similar with the actual faces and characters of our television and social personalities and thus attracts numerous tourists for capturing a different experience other than the mountains. The 9D movie is really exhilarating, providing a perfect virtual experience unless the person watching the features of a multidimensional movie is not faint-hearted. The 20 minute of thrilling experience is a must-do activity in Panchgani as the wax museum and the 9D movie is first of its kind in any hill stations in India. The statues are mostly of actors belonging to Hollywood movies and that is why perhaps this wax museum is known is Hollywood museum.

The museum is located near Panchgani town on the highway of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar highway which is quite significant as tourists visiting this part of the Western Ghats mainly travel to the famous viewpoints towards Mahabaleshwar on the highway. So while returning from Mahabaleshwar towards our hotel in Panchgani, I visited this place which concluded my trip in the most fascinating way.

I hope after reading this blog, tourists planning to visit Panchgani , will get some idea about the best Panchgani tourist places .

It is important to carry umbrellas and flip ons if you are visiting Panchgani during monsoons.

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