“Poetry is the work of Nature.” – Mark Twain
Iam sure that when Mark Twain had thought of the
above line, he must have been visiting Panchgani. I have
had the rare fortune of staying at Panchgani for 3
years during my school life. (Std. 8 to Std. 10, St.
Peter’s Boarding School).
The place is exactly what all poets write about – “flush
green valleys with gushing waterfalls (in the monsoons)
”, “High mountains with their peaks engulfed in misty
fog” and small roads “with towering trees on either
sides”.
I think it is indeed the best possible location for a
cool family holiday!
Since I have showered praises for the little town of
Panchgani I think it would only be fair to give a
description of the town in detail. Well let me go about
this in typical tourist location listing format.
<1> Getting There!
Well getting to Panchgani is a joy ride,especially
if you are traveling from Mumbai or Poona. From Mumbai it
is 300 kilometers away and just 120 kilometers away from
Poona. If you start of from Mumbai it is better that you
take your own car along but you could also hire a car or
even travel by the state/tourist buses. The tourist buses
normally start from Dadar. If you are going by your own
car then be sure that you can handle driving on the ghats,
on which one need to be very careful. You will meet your
first pleasure on the way – “The Express Highway”.
It’s a driver’s Paradise. You not only will enjoy driving
on this track but will also cover a huge amount of
distance in a very less time. When you are nearing Poona
you will be guided by the road sign as to which road leads
you to Panchgani. From there it will take you just another
3 to 4 hours to reach Panchgani.
<2> Staying There!
Once you reach the little town you will be shocked
by the number of hotels that are built there. But you
should choose only from the good ones, like Ravine, Blue
Country Resort, Rahil, or Lords. Most hotels offer pretty
cheap prices and a good standard of service as well as
food. My favourite though is Ravine (but it’s a bit
heavy on the pocket).
< 3> Things To Do?
Once you have settled in your hotel within few
minutes you will feel the beauty of Panchgani tempting you
to just leave your room and visit the various sites and
points that add to the magical climate of Panchi (as we
boarders called it!).
You should make it a point to visit the old fort,
table land, mapro gardens, Arthur seat,
KrishnaRiver, Sidney point among various
other beautiful sites. Though you can just wander around
the town on your own (if you are the adventurous sort)
or you could also hire a guide (which many people
prefer).
<4> Best Season to Visit!
<bThough you can visit Panchgani in any season it is
much more fun when visited during the monsoons (Mid
June to August) or the winters (November ending to
February beginning).
<5> How Much Cash needed?
Visiting Panchi is not an expensive affair at all.
The whole family can have a good time in Panchi for about
a week in about 10 to 15 thousand (all prices included).
So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and go on an
exotic holiday!
It was only after visiting panchgani I realised that Heaven exists!
