Panchgani - a dream

I have some of my best memories associated with Panchgani. Almost three years back I visited this place with my friends for some Rotaract Convention. It was a superb time spent there. Each and every moment from that trip is engraved in my memories. To relive those moments, I visited Panchgani again this weekend. Group was different but the spirits were the same.

We booked a Cab in Pune for the same. Panchgani is at a distance of 110 km from Pune. The drive is through some of the most beautiful regions of the Western Ghats. Road connecting Pune to Panchgani is no less than an expressway. The drive is refreshing and within no time you are in Panchgani.

On the way, just before Panchgani, comes village Vai. This village became popular with Shahrukh shooting his Swades here. Later many more Hindi films where shoot here.
Come Panchgani and you enter a new world. The Western Ghats have altogether different feel from Southern Ghats. This is area of dense forests and strawberries. You won’t see any pine or eucalyptus tree here.

Panchgani got its name from 'Panch Gadi' which basically means 'five hills'. All these hills are almost at the same height and surprisingly flat. One of them, which is also called Table Top point, is supposed to be the second biggest such flat hill, just next to Tibet.

Just before entering Panchgani, you reach the first hill where now exist a tourist point called Harrison Folly. It’s a large flat land from where you can have a view of rest of Panchgani, Vai and some other small villages. Close to this is the famous water tank of Swades (using which Mohan produces electricity. It still has that much mud) Very pleasant breeze makes this place a refreshing experience. There are no shops and hassle of other tourist spots. So you can just come here, lie down on the green grass, enjoy the birds and winds. When we were here, it rained a bit. And that made it more enjoyable. View from here for sunset/sunset should be very good. Alas we could not wait for that.

As you enter the town of Panchgani, you will see many schools. This place like Doon and Shimla is famous for its schools. Today it boasts of 36 odd schools, though only 5-6 are of good standards. There are many holiday resorts and good hotels in this town. As it is only 18 km from Mahabaleshwar, tourists prefer to stay here. It is cheaper place compared to Mahabaleshwar.

Next comes Sydney point. This is another point to have a good view of all the hills. Supposedly some Mr. Sydney used to come here to relax. On the top of a small hillock a beautiful garden is built. From here you can get a beautiful view of river Krishna. From here Mahabaleshwar is also visible. Some of the hills there look really amazing from here.

Enter Panchgani town and you can enjoy some of the best food you will get in this region. With so many tourists coming here throughout the year, there are many restaurants and eateries in this small town. I recommend Mix N Munch. The methi paratha there is out of this world. I never had so tasty methi paratha anywhere else. Rest of the parathas and pav bhaji is also very good. They serve gujrati thali also, though we could not have it.

Table Top point is one big ground on the top of a hill. My first impression after coming to this place was that we can build at least four football grounds here. Who will be able to play at this height, is another question. This is one famous tourist spot and it becomes apparent from numerous shops around this place. As you approach this place, you will see a platoon of guides coming to you and offer their services. Here you can enjoy Horse riding and Tonga. My suggestion, enjoy horse riding and tonga but don’t be fooled by guides. There is nothing interesting that they will tell you. So just explore the place on your own. You will have to walk a bit, but trust me; this walk is not at all tiring. There is a beautiful cave here. Who made it and what was the purpose, I don’t know. But its simply amazing. There is a smalltime restaurant here and they have made it very beautiful with stylish tables and interiors. Sometimes I wonder that they have screwed up the natural beauty but then I think of the beauty they have provided to this place. Really cool place to spend some time and have a nice hot tea.
Forgot to mention, you can have a really good walk from town to table top point.

Last famous tourist point in Panchgani is Parsi point. Again, I don’t have any clue about the origin of its name. From here you can get another view of the hilly terrain. Harrison Folly is visible from here so are some of the hills from Mahabaleshwar. There is beautiful garden, plus some small shops selling corn and cold drinks. For kids there are many small rides and slides. They will enjoy this place. Again, you can walk back from here to town. Evening this walk becomes very pleasant with darkness and silence surrounding you.

These are most common and famous tourist points in Panchgani. But actually like any other hill station, Panchgani is much more than this. You just have to put on your walking shoes and start walking in any direction. You will reach some beautiful place. Its peaceful everywhere. So its upto you to see how much time you want to spend here.

How to reach here: Panchgani is around 110 km from Pune. From pune you can take buses available at regular interval. You may also ride from Pune, the Ghats are safe. If you are trekking/ walking type then you can reach this place by bus and then explore it on feet. Else take a cab from Pune.
Where to stay: There are many small and big hotels. You may also stay in Vai and then drive to Panchgani. Its not a very expensive place, and you can spend as much as you want.

What is the best time to visit: December to Feb is winter time with lots of strawberries in offering. Even the rainy season should attract the adventures tourists. You can come here any time of year.

I shall upload photos soon here. For now you can enjoy them at my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_pritesh/