So some of you just want to run away from the city once the lockdown is over and have already made plans and some of you think the most you can get away from Bombay ( if you stay in Bombay that is ) could be Lonavala? Or a trip chai session at Tiger Point and then sing your way back home and wrap up your cute road trip? Come on, a road trip is the only possible way to get out just after the lockdown because Air and Railways won'r really start so soon. And why even risk? Take safer way out and leave, isn't it? I, out of these people would always find a way to go to Matheran or Lonavala but would always crib about how far this beautiful place Panchgani is. Why? Why because I would be confused about where it actually is and for the record, I've been to Panchgani for a Red Cross camp back in 2008 and secondly, It takes freaking 6 hours by bus and it's not so convenient for a quick getaway because I'm scared of travelling in buses .
5 hours is a lot to reach someplace for a getaway right? I get that. I get that. It isn't an ideal time you want to devote just to get to a place for a quick getaway but when if I tell you that Panchgani is worth the travel, would you believe me?
Read this in less than five minutes to know what I do and here is what you should do for a short yet AAAAHMAAZING SHORT TRIP TO PANCHGANI!!
WHERE IS PANCHGANI
Deriving its name from the five hills surrounding it, Panchgani is a popular hill station near Mahabaleshwar, famous for its various sunset/sunrise points and scenic valley view.
Panchgani is a hill station in Maharashtra, known for it's cool breeze, fleeting rain and breath taking views. Five hills form the Sahyadri mountain ranges offer Panchgani its name. Locals help you if you speak in a familiar dialect but to be honest, they'll help you anyway. In the British era, the place was treated as a summer resort and hence many colonial period establishments can be seen here.
HOW TO REACH
I took the 5.45 am bus from the National Park stop at Borivali.
{Expense : AC semi sleeper bus costs around 400/- till the Zostel Bus Stop}
I had two whole days to spare and get away and I wanted to make the most of it. I don't have a personal vehicle at the moment so, I decided to take the early morning bus which reaches you to PANCHGANI by 11.30am. Pretty good for a 'not so cozy but decent' sleep in the bus and then you're almost so fresh when you see that viewwww.
The idea is to reach as early as possible to take advantage of all the time you have ( since it's a getaway). Redbus is a great app to book your tickets. They have about 27 bus listings for Panchgani starting from MSRTC buses to plush Neeta travels.
THINGS TO DO
PARSI POINT
A view you'd want to sit and stare at. Some shops serving eggs and Maggie and Kombucha ( yes, you heard that right ) at the entrance and some vendors near the valley railing with a telescope to show you some hidden points where several Bollywood movies have been shot for just Rs. 30 INR. If it's not raining much, you could also take a time-lapse here. The hills, the clouds and the valley is a perfect combination to stir your creative soul.
DEVRAI ART VILLAGE
Devrai Art Village is an art village located very close to Panchgani. It is a non-profit initiative to connect with nature and celebrate creativity. A core group of highly skilled Adivasi craftsmen and artists from the naxalite affected areas of Gadchiroli & Chhattisgarh find a livelihood and a safe refuge here in Panchgani.
The unique style of their product range comes out through combinations of different mediums such as iron, brass, stone, wood, bamboo and fabric. It's ten minutes walking from Parsi Point but you need to be sure of where you're heading because it's quite inside. The entire place is built in layers where the exhibition centre is on the top floor but the workers work down the hill. They're sweet enough to guide you to their workplace and you can see them work, ask questions and even purchase things if you like.
PANORAMA POINT
This is going to be on the top of my list. Our hostel arranged a small hike to this place called the 'Panorama Point' for sunset. We were taken to the starting point by cars and then had to walk for about twenty minutes to reach the top of the hill. Not a very difficult hike but, it was drizzling and the path was wet so be careful if you ever decide to go in the monsoons. You won't believe the view and the clouds did absolute justice to the place that day. Zostel offers these activities if you're more than two people. Not a lot of people in Panchgani know this place and it's advisable to go with the same guide who took us. Feel free to ask me the details!
THINGS I MISSED
MAPRO GARDEN
Although I did go to the Mapro Gardens, the strawberry season is in the winters and hence, it was a bummer. The Garden has a shopping plaza, a food court where you get fresh strawberry sundaes and faloodas ( only in winters though ) and the I've heard that the vineyard looks beautiful in winter season. You can book an appointment to go pick fresh strawberries and eat all the fresh produce there.
The beautiful Mapro surrounding the vineyard is a beautiful spot.
SYDNEY POINT AND TABLELAND
The view points are all the same, trust me. Trust your instinct and go visit just one of them and then just relax. Choose a spot and stop wandering.
WHERE I STAYED
I'm sure you are here because you follow me on Instagram and you know how I keep posting beautiful hostel pictures from every travel. The reason is that I LOVE STAYING IN HOSTELS SO MUCH that there would be a point one day where I'd be offered a luxurious stay and I'll still opt for a cozy hostel nearby.
(Expense : 500/- per night for a single bunk bed in a mix dorm. }
Your needs are met, the staff is so efficient and quick, the people who come here just another set of people wanting to take in the beautiful view and most of them that you'd meet ( in my opinion ) are like minded. I'm going to cover this in my next blog so so so I don't have to go on and on here about hostels because that's how much i love staying in them.
HERE IS HOW ZOSTEL LOOKS LIKE
TIPS :
#I made the biggest mistake of assuming that it won't be cold up there in PANCHGANI (yes, up because first it's the hills and second because it's literally HEAVEENNNNNN) but it was the monsoon season but I think that irrespective of any season, you need to carry thick JACKETS for yourself understanding that the hilly station is on a higher altitude.
#Zostel provides excellent affordable snacks and main course throughout the day but you should eat local too. Eat local? Yes. Misal Paav and Vada Paav is the best here. a lot of Kathiyawadi restaurants too but I'll stick to the staple.
#IT'S A DORM OR IT'S A ROOM BUT DO NOT STAY INDOORS. Panchgani has so much to offer, even if it's just sitting at the edge of the valley time-lapsing or it could be you taking a walk down the hill for the sunset. Just don't stay in, go out and take it in. Take your jacket, tie your laces, carry your speakers and off you go!
#Private cabs are available to get to all the points mentioned above and it's best if you have a personal vehicle but I'd urge you to take local transport. It's raw, it's fun, it's cheap. I,for sure got a lot of looks on my way to the Mapro Garden because of my hairstyle and my constant shouting ( from sheer happiness ).
Ride local with the MSRTC buses. Saves time, saves money.
#EAT LOCAL!!
The hills are a great place to hike especially in this season, it's green, it's luscious, it's real beauty but what you can also see it heaps and heaps of garbage lying in nooks and corners. The cleaners take great amount of pain to clean out and make these heaps but it would be great if you stop it from the roots right? Avoid throwing the smallest of things like even your cigarette buds or a chocolate wrappers on the land and leave like you came.
The road to PANCHGANI is beautiful, it passes the outskirts or Pune and then pass Wai to reach PANCHGANI and if you go ahead, you find it's twin, Mahabaleshwar NH48 . The Expressway ends in a very sharp, 90 degrees right turn and as you can think, they are many hilly sections ( ghats ) before you reach Surur. It's beat to carry medicines for motion sickness and if you know you're going to be sick for sure, lay off caffeine, butter, heavy meals, alcohol before your trip. Drink lots of water and stay alert.
The whole point of the title of this blog is that I actually felt that. Panchgani really makes you walk bare feet in grass without caring an ounce. Even if you're at Zostel's private valley or you're exploring echo points in the town, this place is a real stress buster. Not a lot of people come here thinking its like any other hill station and I've haven't been to many but this place, this place will make you fall in love with drizzles and cold breezes. I hope you get the time to visit Panchgani and feel the feeling of 'dauwtrappen'.
I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD READ AND I'M HAPPY YOU ARE HERE.