On our Maharashtra Road Trip, Mahabaleshwar was our first destination. It is a hill station located in the Sahyadri Hills, close to Lonavala and Khandala. And also home to the highest peak of Maharashtra. While as a hill station, I could draw a lot of parallel to other hill stations of South and South West India when compared to Mahabaleshwar. For instance, the cloudy and foggy weather in Mahabaleshwar reminded me constantly of my trip to Kodaikanal and several trips to Ooty and even Yercaud. However, I discovered some unique experiences in Mahabaleshwar that were offered nowhere else in the rest of the hill stations. So, eager to share them with my readers –
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Strawberry picking – a very unique thing to do in Mahabaleshwar
A very unique experience to have in Mahabaleshwar is Strawberry picking in one of the many strawberry farms in Mahabaleshwar. I have detailed the whole strawberry picking in Mahabaleshwar experience along with timing, prices etc. Basically, if you are visiting Mahabaleshwar in the strawberry season from late October to January, you get to choose and pick your own ripe strawberries and buy them. The Strawberry picking is a fun and fulfilling activity for kids as well as adults. And a must try for everyone visiting in the strawberry season.
A visit to a cheese factory – one of the best of unique thing to do in Mahabaleshwar
The cheese factory in Mahabaleshwar reminded me of my visit to a cheese factory in Switzerland on my trip to Europe years back. They take you on a tour to cheese making process and also have a vast variety of cheese to taste and buy. You can also get organic honey, jams and a lot of locally made products along with cheese in the cheese factory. Definitely a very unique thing to do in Mahabaleshwar, across all places I have visited in India. And not seen it anywhere else.
I guess just like how Kerala is famous for it’s spices and provides curated spice garden tours in Kerala and Wayanad is famous for it’s pepper and garam masalas, Ooty for it’s chocolates. Similarly Mahabaleshwar is famous for it’s strawberries and cheese.
Shopping from the Mapro Garden Outlet – all organic
“Mapro” stands for Maharashtra Organic Products. It is an outlet in Mahabaleshwar that has strawberry farms as well as a lot of other products made from Strawberries and other organically grown produces. In fact, Mapro has developed its outlet into a whole “experience” place. With a large open air restaurant or cafetaria overlooking the valleys, delicious meals like sandwiches, pizza, burger etc. complimented with strawberry with cream, strawberry based drinks, other refreshments etc.
Apart from this, there is on campus garden, product outlet, candy store and a lot more to experience in this outlet. But, you must visit early in the day. As it gets all the more crowded as the day progresses.
Trying Strawberry based recipes fresh out of the farm – very unique thing to do in Mahabaleshwar
It’s a no brainer that when strawberries are the draw of the place, then strawberry based dishes will also abound. You should particularly not miss strawberry with vanilla or strawberry cream in Mahabaleshwar. It’s a special dish prepared by layering sliced strawberries and cream in a glass tumbler with multiple layers of both. Also, strawberry milkshake made with fresh strawberries, strawberry sandwich – once again made with strawberry and cream, and strawberry with ice-cream are other delicacies to try while in Mahabaleshwar. What do you think? I had one dessert sorted for each meal while I was in Mahabaleshwar 🙂 And, no prizes for guessing that the dessert was a strawberry recipe!!
See gravity defy itself at Arthur’s Seat – one of a kind thing to do in Mahabaleshwar
Arthur Seat is essentially a view point. But, there is a very unique phenomenon associated with this place. Particularly in summer. When the hot air fills the valley. If you throw a small light object down at this point, the object comes back up, defying gravity !! Now, this is something I have not heard of anywhere else in India. Want to solve the mystery of Arthur’s seat? Read my detailed guide on exploring on Arthur’s seat for more.
Visit the old Sri Krishna Temple and Krishna Valley in old Mahabaleshwar
Although the Mahabaleshwar Temple is the most famous temple, many don’t know that hardly 300 meters from this temple lies a very old Krishna Temple. Which has fine carvings and sculptures from centuries before. And right opposite this temple is a spectacular valley view – with lush green valleys surrounded by mountains and the beautiful river crossing through them, with blue-green mountains in the backdrop. A view it will be hard to tear your gaze from! Definitely one of the most unique things to do in Mahabaleshwar is a visit to the old Sri Krishna Temple and enjoying the views of the Krishna Valley in front of it.
Other things to do in Mahabaleshwar and places to see in Mahabaleshwar
While the above is a list of unique things to do in Mahabaleshwar – based on my experience visiting Mahabaleshwar. There are many other things to do and places to see in Mahabaleshwar. That you will easily find if searched for. Summarising the same for you below
- Visit Vienna Lake
- Offer your prayers at the Mahabaleshwar Temple
- Trek to Elephant’s head point which gives 360 views of the surrounding lush green mountains and valleys
- If visiting post monsoons, don’t miss the massive waterfall called Chinaman’s falls. Dhobhi Waterfall and Lingmala Waterfalls are some other waterfalls in Maharashtra worth visiting. I guess after my trip to several waterfalls in Meghalaya, Maharashtra is the next state where I saw so many waterfalls close by.
- Trek to the highest view point of Mahabaleshwar – Wilson Point.
- Drive to Tapola – a valley famous as “mini Kashmir” due to it’s green meadows and surrounding valleys that will remind you of the beautiful valleys of Kashmir like valleys of Pahalgam or Doodhpathri Valley.
- Visit the Pratapgarh Fort – one of the numerous forts built along the western coast of India. That will remind you of forts like the Bekal Fort , Chapora Fort or Fort Aguada.
- Take a trip to Morarji Castle. It is very similar to the Coorg Palace that I visited on my trip to Coorg.
- Visit the nearby town of Panchghani for it’s strawberry farms and green surroundings. But don’t confuse it with Pachmarhi – a hill station that you get to visit on a trip to Madhya Pradesh.
- View numerous view points like Lodwick Point, Bombay Point, Hellen Point and Elphinston Point to name a few.
General Information on visiting Mahabaleshwar
How to reach Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is well connected through road to Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and all other major cities of the region. The roads are very good. But in peak tourist season like year end or during holidays or long weekends you can expect traffic jams. We were doing a complete Maharashtra Road Trip. As a part of which, we drove from Bangalore to Kolhapur. Took a night halt in Kolhapur. And then visited from Kolhapur to Mahabaleshwar. The drive from Kolhapur to Mahabaleshwar was just a 4 hours pleasant drive.
When is the best time to visit Mahabaleshwar
Except for peak summer months of March – June, Mahabaleshwar can be visited anytime of the year. Winter months are best to visit Mahabaleshwar. While monsoons are also nice for a quick weekend getaway from Mumbai or even a weekend getaway from Pune or Bangalore. In winters also, days temperature can be as high as 28-30 degrees while as evening approaches, temperature drops. And at night, can dip to as low as 14 – 13 degrees.
Where to stay in Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar has some very luxurious resorts like Le Meridian and Courtyard by Marriott as well as some very budget accommodation like Zostle. We stayed at Mountain Breeze Resort in Mahabaleshwar. And had a pleasant stay. If you opt for Mountain Breeze Resort , don’t go for the 2 BHK suite. The ground floor rooms have a verandah that open in the hotel lawn. And I felt they were the best to sit and enjoy the views. While the first floor rooms have balconies. All rooms face towards the valley. So, views are really nice.
You can browse this complete list of accommodation in Mahabaleshwar to choose one suitable to your budget and needs.
I recommend staying a little farther from the main town, on the outskirts. Or, in a hotel with great valley views.
What to pack for a trip to Mahabaleshwar
- Mahabaleshwar has a hot climate in summer and pleasant to cold climate in winter. When visiting in summer, you will comfortable cotton cloths. While in winter, you will require a light jacket towards the evening. Nights can be colder in winters.
- For trekking around comfortably, wear good walking or trekking shoes since the terrains are hilly
- Pack an umbrella with you when visiting in winter or rainy season
- Carry sunglasses, sunscreen lotion for the sunny days
- You should pack your general medication with you. As Mahabaleshwar is a small town and you might not get the exact brand of medicine you need.
- Other than the above, pack your general essentials that you would pack for anywhere else.
- You don’t need to pack any food or snacks for your trip to Mahabaleshwar. As there is no shortage of restaurants, snack shops and food items across Mahabaleshwar. You will also get plenty of fresh fruits and seasonal fruits to snack on.