Panchgani

Panchgani was discovered during the British Raj and was tagged as their summer capital. British superintendent, in the name of John Chesson, can be credited for the improvement and grooming of the hill station during the 1960s. He planted several plant species from the western world, including silver oak and poinsettia, to beautify the place. Initially, Mahabaleshwar was the summer capital of the British, but they could not retire there during the monsoon. Later, they decided on Panchgani for the same as the town remain pleasant throughout the year. History goes to say that John Chesson was assigned the task of finding a suitable spot for the summer vacation retreat. He finally settled on the scenic area between five villages- Dhandeghar, Godavli, Amral, Khingar, and Taighat. Post discovery of the beautiful region, John was made superintendent, and the place was named Panchgani. Chesson then, improvised the infrastructure and appointed tailors, butchers, dhobis etc. to inhabit the place and that’s how Panchgani came to be as a town. Other than the verdant green valleys, soothing environment; the red, juicy strawberries are a major attraction of Panchgani hills. Rightly known as the ‘strawberry garden of India’, the farms of Panchgani are full of enchanting views of luscious berries, especially during February and March. And we have nobody but the British to thank for bringing these beautiful berry plantations from Australia.

Panchgani does not really have a unique local cuisine but is famous for its strawberries. One must definitely try the fruit and maybe even take some home. Other than that, the area, true to the nature of the state, sustains a huge variety in the cuisines available here. One can choose from Gujrati, Parsi, Continental, Chinese, Moghlai, Punjabi, South Indian and Marashtrian menus along with countless options for desserts. Those interested in non-vegetarian delicacies will also find a lot to indulge in from a rich Biryani to various chicken and mutton preparations.
View Top Restaurants in Panchgani

Day 1- Arrive at airport or railway station in Pune. Travel to Panchgani from Pune in a cab in the evening. Check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 2- Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Tableland, which is the second longest mountain plateau in the whole of Asia. A vast plain land on the top of the hill is sprawled over an area of 95 acres. Then, visit the Sydney point, overlooking the Krishna valley and offering the astonishing views of the hills. Later visit the Kate Point and Parsi point, do not miss a view of a sunset from here.
Day 2- Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Rajpuri caves, the historic caves that provided shelter to Pandavas during their period in exile. Then, visit the nearby Devrai art village, which offers the beautiful artefacts of the preserved art. In the evening, enjoying paragliding above the hills of Panchgani.
Day 3- Breakfast at the hotel. Head to Mahabaleshwar and enjoy the various tourist destinations- Venna Lake, Mapro Gardens and Elephant’s head point.

Does not have its own airport and railway station.

Perfect place weekend trips from Mumbai and Pune. Can be visited by adventure enthusiasts and nature seekers.