Mahabaleshwar-2

Mahabaleshwar is the largest hill station in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra state. It is situated at an altitude of 1372 m above seal level in the Satara district, about 115 km southwest of Pune.

Due to its high altitude, the town has a cool climate and offers many pleasant walks. There are several lookout points which offer spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. There is an old Shiva temple in the forest, which is the source of five rivers, including the Krishna river which is the second longest river of peninsular India.

Mahabaleshwar is visited by many thousands of tourists every year. It is well connected by bus with the important towns of the region. There are numerous hotels for every budget. The peak season is March-May; it rains very heavily from June to September.

Among the local delicacies, strawberry shakes and corn patties are well known. Ingredients for these are all grown locally.

Travel to Mahabaleshwar-2 - Visa Requirements

You can take a tourist bus (Volvo) from Mumbai, departing from Dadar East, Sion or Vashi. The ride will take you 6 hours and will cost around Rs 350. An ordinary AC bus will cost Rs 200. The Volvo bus from Pune is currently operated by two private companies (Neeta and Konduskar), and they charge approx Rs 200 each way. The Govt. Express bus from swargate starting 5.45AM and every hour with a moderate price of 110/- per individual.

Mahabaleshwar is also accessible by road from Mumbai, about 247 km. It takes about 4 to 5 hours by car if taking a route via Panvel through Mahad and Poladpur.

You can also reach Satara by train from Mumbai/Banglore. Mahabaleshwar is 47 km from Satara and takes little more than one hour from there.

Try to arrive here in the morning because most of the hotels have a check-in time of 9AM. If you arrive later you may have to wait until another room becomes vacant.

Tours and Getting around Mahabaleshwar-2

Mahabaleshwar is built on a plateau and getting around is quite easy. Taxis, autorickshaws and buses leave from the center of town near Irani's petrol pump opposite the Club. The main destinations are the "points", named after prominent British administrators who found these splendid locations with unbeatable views. The points are located at various edges of the plateau in different directions. Rental cars and taxis can get there quickly. For the more adventurous, horses are available in town and there are lovely shady bridle paths for delightful rides. The best way to get around is by bus which is provided by Govt. You can book ticket prior only.Cost is around 60/- to 70/- per individual. Govt. Bus has two tour one is Pratapgad darshan in morning 9.15AM and Mahabaleshwar darshan in noon 2.15PM. They are best.

Mahabaleshwar-2 tourist attractions and sightseeing

Although there are close to 25 'Points' in Mahabaleshwar, lots of these points would give you the same view (of mountains/valley) from a slightly different angle. The following are a must:

• Arthur's Seat
• Marjorie Point
• Kate's Point
• Bombay Point (Sunset Point)
• Elephant's head Point
• Lingamala Falls (best viewed from behind Surya Resort)
• Mapro Farm Visit the Mapro farm and try out an a wide range of strawberry shakes, fruit salads and ice creams. You can buy squashes, lemonades, fresh fruit juices that are prepared at the Mapro Farm. There are sign posts everywhere along the route and it won't be difficult to spot the farm.

Mahabaleshwar-2 city tours

There are many things to do in Mahableshwar. In your leisure time you can roam about the bazaar and do lots of shopping. You can also try your luck at the poker machines

• Tapola. About 50 KMs from Mahabaleshwar. Tourists can enjoy boating. Many scenic view points and strawberry farms on the way. 
• Lake Venna. Visit lake Venna for a ride on paddle/ or rowing boat. You may ride boat on your own or, alternatively, you can hire one. Beautiful and scenic lake. 

Mahabaleshwar-2 souvenirs and shopping

The Bazaar is located in the center of town and consists of a pedestrian-only street with shops selling everything from fancy locally-made walking sticks to snacks and the specialty of the region - roasted chickpea nuts. At the far end of the bazaar stands a Mahabaleshwar institution, Imperial Stores, owned and run by generations of the Irani family. Here you can get anything from videos to provisions to ice cream to beer.

Mahabaleshwar-2 Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

• Hotel Templeview - Vegetarian restaurant at old mahabaleshwar for excellent parathas Rajasthani favorites.Hotel Woodland is another good option.

Almost all the hotels here have their own restaurants. HOTEL RAJESH, Hotel DreamLand, Hotel Panaroma & Hotel Shreyas have a nice restaurant and good food, and all three are close to the State Bus stand.

• For early morning no fuss breakfast, do visit Hotel Rajmahal Palace on the market road. It's got a wooden roof and the menu is very simple with yummy upma, sheera & missal pav. Do try the gulab jamuns stored in a big glass jar at the counter.
• Mapro Garden. Mapro garden restaurant offers descent menu. Most of the tourist vehicles stop here, on their way to Mahabaleshwar. 
• Strawberries. Buy the 'sweet charlie' variety of strawberries from the main Mahabaleshwar Market. Alternatively, you can also venture out into interior parts to handpick your berry from the strawberry farms. 

Mahabaleshwar-2 nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Generally restaurants here do not serve liquor, but a few places close to the State Bus Stand, like Hotel Shreyas have it on menu. You can buy all the liquor you want from Imperial Stores.

Mahabaleshwar-2 cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• The Dina Hotel, Lake Road(Overlooking Lake), ☎ (02168) 260246 / 261246 website:, [1]. A family-run heritage hotel with excellent and well furnished rooms with en-suite bathrooms & TV. Enjoy the panoramic view of the lake on the balcony as you sip your tea. Veg & Non Veg dining .Contact Mr Naval Jal or Hormuzd 6th & 7th generation owners for a relaxing break/stay. UK Contact: rohinjal@hotmail.comRs 900-500(starting off-season rate negotiable.).  

• Hotel Rajesh, e mail: hotelrajesh@vsnl.com, [2]. Centrally located pure vegetarian hotel with 70 centrally air conditioned rooms and 20 non airconditioned rooms. Parking, pool with waterfall, gym, childrens' play park with mini train.

• Hotel Templeview, (in Old Mahabaleshwar), ☎ (02168) 60025 / 60050, [3]. checkin: 24 hours. A family-run hotel with excellent and well furnished rooms and a big balcony to relax. They also have a dorm. Run by Mister Pradeep Jhaveri.Rs250-500(starting off-season; negotiable).  

• MTDC resort, New Mahabaleshwar(2 KM from the main market). checkin: 9.00AM; checkout: 9.00AM. Surrounded by the jungle, gives a true feeling of wilderness. Rooms are just about ok. Food is fine. Some parts of resort building are about 125 years old. Need advance booking in the season.Room rate starts from 700 for economy class.anyone been there pls post your reviews MTDC: Room Review: I visited there in the monsoon of 2007, and the experience with the room / staff / food was above average. We stayed in a cottage, it had three large sized rooms and the Bathroom & dressing area was also large with respect to the prize we paid. The food and service were good, no reason to complain about that. Most of all the location of the resort is the best value addition. IN one sentence i would describe it as "Best Value for money". All i paid for the room was Rs. 500 per night. 

• Ramsukh, Old Mahabaleshwar, 7 KM away. Nice 3 star place 

• [4].

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This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Rohin Jal, Nitin Mittal and Nick Roux, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license