Panchgani is often talked in the same breath as its popular neighbour Mahabaleshwar. This quiet and small hill station is a perfect place to lose yourself to nature. It provides us the feel of the good old days. Panchgani is dotted by charming old cottages. The soothing breeze rustling through ancient silver oaks is just one of the disparate ingredients that make this town laid back and very relaxing. Often referred to as ' Mecca Of Maharastra', Panchgani is a worth visit destination.

Refreshing Sights

Panchgani has a number of beautiful spots to offer to the travellers. Some of them are:

Sydney Point - This point is situated on a small hillock facing the Krishna Valley .From here one can have a clear picture of the glittering waters of the Dhom Dam.

Table Land - This flat large expanse of laterite rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia and is the crowning glory of Panchgani. Table land stretches far beyond what the eye can see and offers the most spectacular view of Panchgani's pretty, colourful rooftops against the hilly backdrop.

Parsi Point - This windy road situated on the way to Mahabaleshwar overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue mirror like waters of the Dhom Dam.

Rajapuri Caves - There are about four caves here. Of the four caves here, one has a temple of Lord Karthikeya, a son of Shiva.

Devil's Kitchen - The Devil's Kitchen situated to the south of tableland, is also a place of mythological interest. It is believed that the Pandavas stayed here for a while and used this place to cook their food.

Dhom Dam - This is a major attraction of Panchgani and offers a great scope of boating to the tourists. Here one can enjoy with Scooter boats and Speed boats. Sporting in Krishna river stream with the beautiful natural surrounding is a wonderful experience in itself.

The Lingmala Falls - The Lingmala Falls in Mahabaleshwar can be reached by road. It lies on the Mahabaleshwar-Poona road. The stream here precipitates over the face of steep cliff, unbroken when the torrent is swollen by rain but ordinarily divided by projecting rocks about one third of the way down into thin silver streaks and sprays often circled by rainbows. The forest bungalow of lingmala is also close by.

Adventure Hour

Panchgani offers loads and loads of adventurous activities to all the tourists. At the hill resort you may indulge in activities like boating, fishing, horse riding, trekking et al. One can also enjoy scooter boats and speed boats in Dhom Dam.Pony rides and toy train rides can also be enjoyed. Tourists can enjoy a network of nature walks through the woods, thickly canopied by lush trees and vegetation.

Shopping Time

The pulse of Panchgani is the bazaar,full of quaint shops that are certain to catch your fancy. The Buddha -Ka - Bazaar that happens every Wednesday offers local produce at rock bottom prices. Every thing from organically grown fruits and vegetables to pots and pans and even chicken can find its way in this market.

Stomach Teasers

There are no gourmet restaurants in Panchgani. But the real fun is to indulge in street cuisine and the very best rose ice-cream to be found anywhere. One can have the best patties and scones at the old fashioned Roach Bakery and keema pao and tea at New Lucky Moon. There are two tiny places that serve excellent pao bhaji, one such restaurant is Akbarally. There are several places where on can relish faithful old Gujarathi thali.

Accommodation

The hotel industry has cashed in on Panchgani as a prime holiday destination. There are some great accommodation options in Panchgani. These staying options cater to all the requirements of the travellers. To mention some of them -

• Cliff In resort
• Comfort Inn Dhanhills
• Blue Country Resort
• Hotel Millennium Park
• Prospect Hotel
• Il Palazzo Hotel
• The Ravine Hotel
• Lord's Panchgani
• Hotel Simla
• Hotel Five Hills

Climate's Hide & Seek

Panchgani has a salubrious, cool and comparitively dry climate. This hill resort does not experience major temperature variations. The annual rainfall hardly exceeds 70 inches. The average winter temperature hover at 16 degree C with mean temperatures of 30 degree C in summer.