Welcome to my next post on monsoon getaways – a popular tourist destination you must have heard of in Maharashtra is Mahabaleshwar. It falls in the Satara district, on the mountainous Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats. It’s best known for its strawberries! I got an opportunity to visit Mahabaleshwar twice – once in peak monsoon in July 2021 and second time pre-monsoon in May 2024. I’ll share my experiences from both the trips.

To begin with, let’s talk about the drive and the weather. Mahabaleshwar is a 6-hour drive from Mumbai, with Pune being the midpoint. There are enough and more eating stops one can make on this route. I have to say, the drive in the monsoon season was simply superb – the Western Ghats look absolutely gorgeous – lush greenery, countless waterfalls, and the air so clean and cool. However, being a hill station, Mahabaleshwar receives a lot of rain which became a bit of a problem in peak monsoon because the heavy non-stop rains hampered our sight-seeing plans. Unfortunately, we couldn’t enjoy sunset views or any valley views as the clouds and mist made visibility very low. On the flip side, while our pre-monsoon drive in the month of May wasn’t as stellar, the weather in Mahabaleshwar was pleasant and we enjoyed stepping out.

2-3 nights is ideal for Mahabaleshwar. In terms of accommodation, there are plentiful options – across different budget ranges, in Panchgani as well as Mahabaleshwar. As for me, on my first trip, I stayed two nights at the Le Meridien and two nights at Ramsukh Resort & Spa. On my second trip, I stayed once again at Ramsukh. Let me provide you a quick overview of both:

The location of Le Meridien was great, close to most sight-seeing points like Venna Lake, Wilson Point, Lingmala Waterfall, main Mahabaleshwar market, etc. To top that, it is an absolutely gorgeous property; very spread out and beautifully done up. Rooms are comfortable and luxurious

On the other hand, Ramsukh Resort which is in Old Mahabaleshwar is a pure vegetarian hotel, suitable for families with many activities to enjoy like tambola, karaoke, yoga, etc. The biggest plus point of Ramsukh is the views it offers – of the hills and of the valley; just breath-taking. While its rooms are fairly basic, their outdoor areas are done up well and are great to hang out. However, please note that Ramsukh is situated on a hill, when I was there in peak monsoon, the heavy rain created havoc – to the extent of causing a landslide and blocking the way out for vehicles – which forced us to stay one more night at the property, till the time a JCB was called and the area cleaned out.

Very recently, two new hotels have opened in Mahabaleshwar, which you can consider for your stay:

• Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL – Taj) announced the opening of Fountain Mahabaleshwar
• Marriott opened a Courtyard Marriot, which is touted to be a great spot for sundowners

Next, let’s talk about places to visit, things to do and where to eat

• Some Nice Hangout Places
  1. Paradise The Heritage: A great place to stop in Panchgani, enroute to Mahabaleshwar. It’s a complex with many shops where one can buy cheese, honey, chocolates, and fragrances. There are also a couple of eateries for cakes, strawberry and cream, sandwiches, etc. 
  2. MaPro: A touristy spot in Panchgani, famous for its strawberry and cream. Ofcourse, a great spot for shopping too – syrups, jams, spreads, khakhras, snacks and chocolates. This is a place where I stopped to buy goodies for back home on both my trips
  3. Strawberry picking at a farm: Best suited months for this are Dec to Apr. MaPro also hosts a strawberry festival every year in April

• Food
  1. Enjoy a Gujarati Thaali: I believe there are multiple restaurants serving Gujarati thalis, we enjoyed ours at Hotel Dreamland. This was close to the Le Meridien
  2. Relish some great Parsi food: You need to call and pre-book a meal at Dina, a heritage hotel in Mahabaleshwar, best known for its 6-course set menu of Parsi delicacies
  3. Café Peter from Pune: A casual but popular place for coffee and quick bites

• Spots to Enjoy Nature
  1. Venna Lake: A great place for families to hang out together. On my first trip, I went to Venna Lake but unfortunately since it was peak monsoon time, the area was water logged so there was no boating. On the second trip, there was crazy traffic to get to Venna, since it was a Sunday, so I skipped it. Do keep in mind, Venna attracts a lot of tourists, it typically gets quite crowded on weekends, so plan for it
  2. A spot close to Le Meridien was Wilson Point, best known for sunrise views. On the other hand, a point close to Ramsukh was Arthur’s Seat for lovely views of the valley
  3. Lingmala Falls: I absolutely loved this place. It reminded me of Meghalaya. It’s an easy trek and the best spot to enjoy some un-touched un-explored natural beauty. Ofcourse to view the waterfalls, best time would be July to October
  4. Pratapgarh Fort: For the trekkers, hike upto this historical monument. Enjoy views from atop

Since I stayed at Ramsukh recently, I can’t but mention the following two highlights

1. Old Mahabaleshwar Temple: Situated very close to Ramsukh, this is an ancient Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. I enjoyed my visit there
2. Advait Valley: This is a short walk from Ramsukh. We sat (and lay) here for hours – on the grass and in the hammock. Infact, they also have a few tents put up, so for the adventurous folks, staying there for the night and waking up to a great sunrise view is certainly an option. The point offers stunning views of the Krishna river and you can spot the rock structure which looks like an elephant’s head, and hence thereby got its name

I hope you found this useful. To see some fun videos from these trips, do visit my YT channel and IG handle – destinationdialoguesbycharu. See you, until next time!