At 4,500 ft. above mean sea level, Mahabaleshwar is at an altitude that is way lower than some of its more famous counterparts in the Himalayas and elsewhere in India. But its location in the evergreen forests of Western Ghats makes it amongst the most scenic and green hill stations that I have visited in India. But in a way, Mahabaleshwar is very unlike other famous hill stations of India.
Mahabaleshwar is often called the ‘queen of hill stations’ in Maharashtra but that probably does not mean much, as there are not too many hill stations in Maharashtra! But being known as the ‘strawberry capital’ of India is very apt – about 85% of India’s strawberries is produced here. Another discovery – river Krishna originates here.
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Is Mahabaleshwar worth visiting?
Getting to Mahabaleshwar
It is located about 80kms from a town called Satara which is also the nearest railway station. Pune is closest airport. I chose to drive from Bengaluru.
The drive from Bengaluru
The distance between Mahabaleshwar and Bengaluru is about 800kms, just about long enough to discourage trying to cover in one day. I was anyway in no hurry. I took a little over 15 hours over 2 days to cover this distance. Once the Bengaluru-Pune expressway is ready, day trip may just be possible.
Hubballi and Belagavi are 2 good options for overnight halt
Hubballi is just about midway between Bengaluru and Mahabaleshwar and with a few good hotels, an ideal place for an overnight halt. On the onward journey, I took ~7 hours to reach Hubballi. Belagavi is another 70 minutes away from here and from Mahabaleshwar, I took about 7 hours with one longish break. The hotel (Fairfield) at Belagavi was located close to a hill with few windmills visible from the room as well.
The Chitradurga – Hubballi belt was refreshingly green, and with numerous windmills dotting the hills, it made for a scenic drive. Other two sights that stood out were the ‘Suvarna Vidhana Soudha’ in Belagavi perched on a hill and Ghataprabha river bridge over Hidkal reservoir.
The Hubballi-Belagavi-Satara stretch was a bit painful because of numerous diversions and poor quality of service roads in a few sections. But the Satara- Mahabaleshwar road was in good condition and the surrounding lush greenery was lovely. The climb is not very steep and fairly easy with 2 lanes. There are few viewpoints on this stretch with fantastic views of the valleys and the hills, interspersed with occasional water bodies.
Restaurants on the way
The Bengaluru Pune highway can certainly do with more cafes. I am not sure if the maintenance work has had any impact but the fact is I was unable to find a decent looking outlet whenever I needed to stop for a coffee break.
Tumkuru and Sira have couple of restaurants on either side. Purohit Hotel just before Guilalu Toll Plaza, about 30kms before Chitradurga, also looked good.
Davangere is an ideal halt for lunch though the famous Davangere benne dosa may not generally be available during lunch time. I was lucky as the Apoorva resort (next to the highway but not pure veg) I stopped by was just closing the dosa counter when I arrived! Thanks to a get-together that was just unwinding. There is also a Kamat where I stopped for lunch on the return journey.
There were very limited options after crossing Belagavi. Hotel White House(pure veg but just about ok for coffee) and Amar Veg Only, 500 hundred meters away were the only ones that looked decent before crossing the border. Maharashtra was a bit of a let down.
The Vithal Kamat outlets did not look appealing.
The 2 good outlets
About 3.5 hours from Satara towards Hubballi and just after crossing Kolhapur and then Kognoli Toll Plaza, I stopped at Viraj Junction for a late lunch. There a food court here, couple of stand alone restaurants, amusement centre under construction and what not. Until Viraj Junction, there were hardly any good options for food. Belagavi was under 2 hours from here.
After departing from Belagavi, I stopped at the Big Mishra Peda outlet on the highway, just before Hubballi. Nice outlet for local sweets and savouries including Dharwad peda and Kunda. You can even watch live certain sweets, including Peda, being prepared. The restaurant here serves a variety of dishes and it seemed to be a popular place.
The above two outlets can also be accessed during the onward journey. Compared to Maharashtra, the same highway in Karnataka had more options.
What to see in Mahabaleshwar
The main attraction are the viewpoints providing spectacular views of the Sahayadri mountain ranges, the valleys and the rivers/backwaters. The views are amazingly beautiful during the rainy season, but a bit of luck is required. Else it can be a washout like my visit to Arthur’s seat. There are quite a few viewpoints but during the rainy season, only a few can be visited.
On Day 1, I covered Kates viewpoint and Tapola. On Day 2, Mahabaleshwar temple, Arthur’s seat and Panchgani.
Kates viewpoint
On day 1, my first stop was a cluster of viewpoints around Kates viewpoint that provided panoramic views of the Krishna valley, Elephant’s head point where the rock formation resembles the head and trunk of an elephant which is visible from Needles Hole Viewpoint, a short walk away. Fantastic views though low hanging clouds played hide and seek.
Boating at Tapola
I then proceeded to Tapola for boating in the backwaters of Koyna river. Took about 2 hours with a brief halt at Garden Green House Strawberry Farm for some delicious strawberry and mulberry with cream and at a viewpoint that provided amazing views of the Koyna backwaters, as also the cable stayed bridge under construction. The speed boat ride to Triveni Sangam lasted about an hour and a quarter with some lovely views of the surrounding mountains and 2 bridges under construction, including the cable stayed bridge. Cost little under INR 2k but there was no proper pier to board or alight from the boat.
Another viewpoint with stunning views of Koyna backwaters on the way back to Mahabaleshwar completed what was a very satisfactory 7-8 hour outing. Tapola is often referred to as mini Kashmir of Maharashtra for its scenic beauty.
Mahabaleshwar temple
On day 2, I first visited the Mahabaleshwar temple that was built in the 16th century CE and whose architecture is unlike traditional Indian temples. Like the Jyotirlingas, the linga here in the shape of Rudraksha is believed to be Swayambhu(self originated). It was raining fairly heavily and one of the worst things to do in that weather is take off ones’s shoes! Nice temple though, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shops here sell everything that is needed for the rainy season, including ponchos, jackets, umbrellas and even shoes. There are 2-3 ancient temples in the vicinity, including Panchganga Mandir which is said to be located at the confluence of 5 rivers and Krishnai temple. I decided to skip partly because of the weather and partly because of lack of interest
Arthur’s seat
From the temple, I drove to Arthur’s seat that has a cluster of 6 viewpoints(Echo point, Malcolm point, Arthur’s seat point etc.) within a short walking distance. It was raining again but I enjoyed it as I had both the poncho and the shoes on! There are fair bit of steps to climb up and down. The valley below Arthur’s seat point was blanketed by clouds. This point is also known as the suicide point. There is a source for fresh spring water nearby that flows directly from the hills above. My guide swore drinking this water regularly can keep several diseases at bay. I too had a fill and I must admit it tasted good.
The main road to Arthur’s seat was blocked due to landslides. The guide was aware and directed me to a deviation that was quite steep initially and passed through forest and local villages before re-joining the same road. Very scenic route but certain sections were very narrow and I was lucky I did not encounter any bigger vehicles such as buses in these sections.
Mapro garden
The next halt was Mapro Garden, near Panchgani. It is famous for its strawberry plantations and chocolate factory. There is a restaurant as well as a shop selling a variety of eatables. One can make a cake(on payment basis) and watch making of the khakhra(free).
Mala’s too is equally famous and they have few outlets/factory in and around Panchgani.
Sydney point
From Mapro Garden I drove through Panchagani market and onto Sydney Point that provides panoramic views of the Dhom lake. The road to the top is quite narrow and parking is limited. Here also, the cloud cover played hide and seek due to the light rain but did provide glimpses of what should have been amazingly beautiful locale in clear weather. Parsi point provides similar views from a different angle.
On the return journey, stopped by at Bhilar waterfall viewpoint after crossing Panchgani. Reached Venna lake at around 4pm but it was raining and too windy to try boating. Given the number of shops in the vicinity of the lake, it is definitely a popular spot.
Other attractions
There are lot more viewpoints, temples, Wax Museum, amusement park, Lingmala waterfalls and Pratapgad fort which is now in the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’.
They are few small outlets and restaurants on the way and at the tourist spots but our guide generally advised caution.
In hindsight….
I could have skipped Sydney point. Views are great but not too different from Tapola viewpoints. I guess it might make sense to go to couple of viewpoints rather than all or most of them. But for the rain, I would have probably opted to go Pratapgad fort.
When it comes to temples, it is a personal choice but for others, best to go to Mahabaleshwar Temple and those nearby. There are few temples near the market area as well so double check what you search on google maps.The town of Wai also has few temples.
I think Tapola is a better place for boating than Venna lake. But Tapola requires a bit of a drive and Venna lake is close to Mahabaleshwar.
Is a guide useful?
In rainy season, definitely yes for first time visitors. I had initially planned to go around on my own, relying on google maps. I chanced upon the guide at a junction while I was trying to figure out how to get to the Mahabaleshwar temple. Actually, it was the guide who figured out my confusion and approached me! The guide knew the spots to visit during the rainy season, the order in which to visit them so as to avoid needless travel and the outlets to stop by for snacks/beverages.
The guide asked for less than INR 2k for 2 days and travelled in my car.
When to visit Mahabaleshwar?
Mahabaleshwar is stated to be year long destination. The average temperatures range between 20°C to 25°C throughout the year, with the minimum at under 15°C and maximum at 35°C. But it is unlikely the lush greenery of monsoon season will stay till summer. Rainy season(July to September) is a great time if one can put up with minor inconveniences. Else, winter time, coinciding with the strawberry season is probably the best time. But it is also the peak season and hence, likely to be crowded with hotels being more expensive.
I travelled in the second fortnight of July, the rainiest month.
Where to stay in Mahabaleshwar
I stayed at Fountain, part of Taj group. It is quite close to the Mahabaleshwar market but not exactly walking distance. It cost over INR 20k per night for triple occupancy but the property is lovely and overlooks a valley. Afternoon tea/coffee with light snacks was complementary. Very enjoyable when it was pouring or foggy outside. Other branded hotels include Le Meridian and Courtyard by Marriott but both will cost above INR 15k per night. There are plenty of other decent choices where the per night cost is under INR 10k per night.
There are few standalone restaurants scattered all over but breakfast and dinner is best had at the hotel itself. Even then, staying near the market may have a slight edge as many of the restaurants are located within a small radius.
How many days?
3 nights is the minimum, but 4 nights is ideal as over 3 full days, one can plan a trip to Pratapgad fort.
What to expect during rainy season
Lush green cover, low hanging clouds and misty atmosphere with occasional heavy rain. The valleys will be covered but the clouds do part once in a way that makes the unfolding scenery even more magical.
Some of the roads will have plenty of potholes but mainly restricted to Mahabaleshwar and close by areas. The road to Tapola after a point was excellent and the one to Panchgani was not so bad. Road closures are possible due to landslides.
Most of the walking areas at the viewpoints are tiled and hence there will not be a need to walk on slushy ground. Raincoat is a must, umbrella won’t do.
While the feet remained largely devoid of slush, the same cannot be said of the car. It was just as well that at Fountain, I could get my car cleaned every evening. On payment.
What to buy
Mahabaleshwar is famous for its strawberries and mulberries(fresh produce available during season only), Jams etc. made from them, roasted channa that are crisp yet very soft, chikis(as per my guide, Lonvala chikis has ceded ground to Mahabaleshwar chikis) and ultra thin baked khakras. Mapro and Mala’s are the two famous names but there are many other strawberry farms and outlets selling the above items.
What else?
Limited parking
Parking at the viewpoints is limited and not generally organised. During busy season, be prepared for long walks and wait to take out the car if somebody else was not considerate enough when parking!
Public toilets not available everywhere
Toilets were generally available at the viewpoints I visited though upkeep could be better. At the Tapola boat house, I did not notice any public toilets.
Preserve entry fee receipts
While entering Mahabaleshwar and once on way to Kates point, I had to make small payments at the check-posts. One was to the municipality (INR 150 for 3 persons and vehicle) and the other environment related(INR 25 per person). Receipt is given and valid for 5 days. Preserve the receipts, as they were checked couple of times later.
Try local specialities
Strawberry with cream, Chikis, roasted chana with variety of flavous. Maharashtra specialities such as Misal Pav.
Is Mahabaleshwar worth visiting?
Absolutely. Try monsoon season for a different experience. Choose a hotel that offers activities or amenities such as a spa etc. as one will likely spend more time at the hotel than just overnight sleep. Mahabaleshwar is not a place where one can be out for 12 hours at a stretch, especially during rainy season. The essence of Mahabaleshwar is in its viewpoints-so don’t expect any beautiful promenades with quaint looking shops and restaurants where one can stroll in the evenings.
For more information
https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/nature/mahabaleshwar
https://mahabaleshwartourism.in/places-to-visit-in-mahabaleshwar
