Nov 06, 2006 05:52 PM
7027 Views
Lot of reviews on mahabaleshwar here and about the points so will not bore you with one more :)
Had a chance of visting mahabaleshwar almost at the end of the "season"( end of Diwali vacation) and was exploited somehow. Also got a chance to catch a glimpse of the rain of mahabaleshwar it was amazing fog all over. Be xtra careful while driving.
Some points to keep in mind:
When you enter mahabaleshwar there will be lot of people offering you rooms at very cheap rates and good packages. You have to be very careful while dealing with them as they show you only those hotels which offer them commission. Also fix whether they will be charging any money to show you the hotels, it is not required to pay them anything but its better to clear so to avoid hassles later. When going with them for hotel search if you find any good place on the way please stop and check most of the times this guys will give you an explanation that it is expensive not good but follow your gut feeling.
Next step comes while negotiating with the hotel/resort people. Most of the times they will show you some room and give you a different room. Insist on showing the room which is available and which they will give you. Negotiate on the room rent and try to to also find out the package price including/excluding food. Be cautious while selecting the hotel with food package as some of them dont have guests with package and they give some crap in the name of food.
As far as possible avoid paying the entiore money upfront there might be some catch in case you want to cancel there is no refund allowed . Not very much possible in season as this guys demand the entire sum in advance.
While shopping in the market make sure you get the right price rather pay the right price. You need to test your bargaining skills. eg I got a kurti for my wife for 140 when the quoted price was 300
Discounts available on the crush/jams/ syrups are in the range of 10-20%. mapro you get 10% whereas for mala you get 20%. Avoid Butterscotch syrup of manama tastes yuck!!
Hotels in the market are tad expensive, if you are on your own vehicle the best thing is explore the outskirts for hotels. Lot of good places around.
HorseRiding : Again decide everthing initially as this horse guys say something and show something, when they say the distance is 3 kms it does not exceed 2 kms . lot of bargaining reqd again. Same goes with guide decide how many points and fix the rate accordingly.
Boating in venna lake:Please keep a check on the timing as even if you come after 32 minutes this guys charge you double amount .
Stalls on the venna lake serve you good corn items and good strawberry cream.
Be very careful when driving, local jeep and truck guys drive as if there is no tomorow.
I have tried to mention most of the points which I personally encountered in my many trips to mahabaleshwar will keep on adding
