Panchgani|Mahabaleshwar —Perfect Weekend Getaway from Mumbai in Winters
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Brief about Panchgani
Panchgani is closeted from all sides by 5, hence Panch (Five)-gani (Hills). It was developed by the British during the British Raj as a summer resort. Panchgani weather ranges from 20°C-38°C in Summers and 8°C-30°C in Winters.
Brief Itinerary(that we followed)
Left Mumbai on Friday night around 11pm. Reached Panchgani at 6:30am morning. Had breakfast at the Zostel. Took a cab and explored Panchgani and a little bit of Mahabaleshwar. Back to the Zostel at 7pm. Had Dinner at Zostel. Loud music was played in common area till midnight. There was an option for short 3 hours night trek as well(Start time : 9pm). After midnight you still have option to play Board games, Cards or just enjoy watching the starry night sky with the cool breeze and good view of Zostel overlooking other parts of the city. Board games and cards can be borrowed for free from Zostel. Checked out on Sunday morning after breakfast. You can explore Mahabaleshwar throughout the day and leave for Mumbai by bus at night.
Best weather to visit
Summer temperature : 20°C-38°C
Winter temperature : 8°C-30°C
If you enjoy strawberries, December-March would be the best time to visit. During winters, views from the tourist points would be a primarily barren land. Still, you will see strawberry farms everywhere in town.
Suppose you enjoy seeing lush green mountains and pleasant cloudy weather, you can visit during June-September. But you won’t find fresh strawberries in the rainy season.
The easiest way to reach Panchgani(from Mumbai)
You can book a bus through any travel booking apps like Makemytrip, Redbus etc. Bus with good ratings would cost between Rs 900–1200 on weekends. Personally had an excellent experience with Neeta tours and travel(Picture shared below). On weekdays the same bus would cost you around Rs 600–900. It takes 7–8 hrs to reach Panchgani. If you have booked Zostel, the bus will drop you in front of Zostel.
Stay in Panchgani
Zostel Panchgani has comfortable container dorms with a pretty view, incredible vibes and a delicious buffet breakfast. Swiggy and Zomato don’t operate in Panchgani. Dorms and Restrooms were clean. Towels were charged extra. Zostel has A la carte menu for lunch and dinner. For free, many board games and books are available to borrow from the reception. In the day, Zostel had chill vibes. At night, it turned into more like a rooftop club with a bonfire on chilly nights(loud music allowed till midnight). The price for dorms varies from Rs 999 to Rs 1399, depending on the day of the week or season. The price for private rooms varies from Rs 3500 to Rs 4500.
Commute options in Panchgani
You can rent Bike/Scooty or commute through local taxis. We took a taxi for 4 people for a day, covered around 10 places from Panchgani to the outskirts of Mahabaleshwar, which cost Rs 1600. Ola/Uber doesn’t operate currently in Panchgani. Taxies have a standard rate card for each place, but it’s negotiable.
Places to visit
Highlights of the day were Mapro Garden, Strawberry farms, a small hike in front of Mapro garden, and the city’s night view from Zostel.
Other than this, there are many viewpoints in Panchgani as well as in Mahabaleshwar, a few temples in Mahabaleshwar and Waterfalls ( can be found in the rainy season). View from all the view points like Sydney point, Echo Point, Parsi looks nearly the same.
Budget( 2night-2 days : ~Rs 5000) :
Travel : Rs 1800( Mumbai to and fro bus) + Rs 400 (taxi)
Accommodation : Rs 1400 per day (Dorm)
Food : Rs 800 per day
Misc. : Rs 600
Summary
Panchgani is a perfect weekend getaway option from Mumbai. If you want to have fresh strawberries and visit strawberry farms, visit during winter. On the other hand, visit during the monsoon to enjoy waterfalls, lush green forests, mountains, and pleasant cloudy weather.
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