panchgani

Panchgani is a hill station town in the west Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located to the southeast of Mumbai, the capital city of the state. It’s known for the Table Land, which is a huge volcanic plateau near the town.

Panchgani has many ecological as well as historical attractions, including forts, museums, waterfalls, lakes and viewpoints. Here are some lovely places to check out in Panchgani:

• Sydney Point – A top view point offering beautiful aerial views of the town.
• Parsi Point – Another viewpoint, with stunning top views of lakes and forts in the city.
• Dhom Dam Lake – The largest and most popular lake in 2the town.
• Table Land – A beautiful plateau (1387 meter above sea level) surrounded by hills; Activities like paragliding are done here.
• Kate’s Point – A view point named after the (then) British governor Sir John Malcolm's daughter; this place also offers mesmerising views of the town and especially Dhom Dam Lake.
• Mapro Garden – A popular garden which is also the base for the Mapro brand that sells fruit-based products like jams, syrups, etc made here; the garden also consists of a chocolate factory, a small nursery, a restaurant, a children’s play area and a retail outlet which sells Mapro products.
• Lingmala Falls – A beautiful, picturesque waterfall surrounded by hilly greenery. (and other equally beautiful waterfalls such as Chinaman’s waterfalls, Bhilar falls).
• Kaas Plateau – Also known as Valley of Flowers; a stunning valley filled with blooms; looks mesmerising in Spring and monsoon seasons; also, a popular place for hiking and trekking.
• Kamalgad Fort – A historic fort that was used as a prison by the British in the early 19th century, during their rule in India.
• Pratapgad Fort – Another historic fort; the great battle of Pratapgad was fought here.

Some of the best museums to visit in the city are:

• Panchgani Art Gallery
• Bhavani Wax Museum

Panchgani has some interesting shopping spots that you can check out, such as:

• Mapro Garden – for Mapro products (fruit syrups, jams and juices)
• Panchgani Market – For clothes, fruits and vegetables (fresh and locally grown), footwear, accessories, etc
 
• Sandeep strawberry – Finest strawberries in the area
• Thopte’s Beer Shoppy – Alcohol
• Dhananjay’s – Chana Chikki, Fudges (bars made with peanuts, Chana (Bengal Gram), jaggery, etc.)

• Araam Shopping Center

Here are some of the best restaurants in Panchgani to check out and dine at:

• Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar
• Hotel Namaste
• Rustom’s Strawberry Inn
• Hotel Rainforest
• Meher Cafe (an Iranian cuisine restaurant)
• Akbarally Paratha House
• Vithal Kamat’s Original Family Restaurant

Panchgani has many good hotels for a comfortable stay. Some of the best hotels to stay at in Panchgani include:

• Hotel Malas
• Ravine Hotel
• SaffronStays Verandah by the Valley
• Hotel Ambassador
• Hill View Panchgani
• Hotel Millennium Park
• Basilica Resort

Panchgani does not have an active nightlife scene, but it does have one popular nightclub/bar with good food and drinks:

• Beyond 2000 Discotheque (this also includes a disco bar)

Panchgani city STD Code – 02168 (to be used before dialling numbers from a number that is not locally registered).

Common emergency numbers:

• Police: 100,
• Fire: 101
• Ambulance: 102, 108
• Railway Helpline: 1512, 139
• Blood bank Information: 1910

Marathi is the main language of Panchgani.

Marathi:

• Welcome - Tumcha svagat aso
• How are you? - Tu kas ahes
• What's your name? - Tujha nav kay ahe
• Where are you from? - Apaṇ kothale ahat?
• Good morning - Su-prabhat
• Have a nice day - Sukhi raha