HILL STATIONS

Panchgani

Panchgani derives its name from the five hills around it. At an altitudes of 1334m. it is just 38m. below Mahabaleshwar. These 38m translate themselves into a breathtraking 18 km. approach, that swoops around bends with abandon, offering heart-stopping views of the River Krishna on one side and the coastal plains on the the other. Panchagani is the quintessential residential hill-station, with the Raj stamped indelibly all over it.

It can be seen in the architecture of the old British buildings, the Parsi houses and the boarding schools that have been around for a century or more. For glimpses of a vanished era, special visit to some of the old British and Parsi houses is also important. Amble along the walkways, thoisckly canopied by lush trees and vegetation and deleight is the secrets you come upon. The Krishna, snaking through tiny hamlets, farms and ravines, hundreds of meters below. (Visit Table Land, a flat mountain peak and feast your eyes on the coastal pplains, looking like miniature water colours.) .