Sneak Preview

Panchgani is a town in Maharashtra situated midst five hills. It is an eternally beautiful hill station, a favourite escape clause for the Mumbai-weary. Panchgani is perennially fresh and inviting; its bracing climate complements the verdant surroundings. Flanked by tableland and craggy cliffs, Panchgani is 1334 m; just 38 m lower than Mahabaleshwar. The drive up to the town winds past red roofed hamlets and a patchwork quilt of neatly laid out fields and orchards. As the road meanders uphill, the vegetation becomes greener and denser, the tree canopy widens and bird sounds are magnified.

And then finally, you arrive at a neat, colonial-style town, with a birds' eye view of emerald green coastal plains on one side and the River Krishna on the other. The fresh breeze is just one of the several ingredients that makes Panchgani laid-back and relaxing. A genteel hill resort, Panchgani doesn’t really pander to commercial tastes, as does Mahabaleshwar. In Panchgani, holiday pastimes include walking, riding or simply unwinding at home in the cool of the veranda or drinking tea on the lawns.

The best rose ice cream is available in Panchgani - so be sure to give it a try.

Historically Speaking

Panchgani is the archetypal British-in-India hill station, with imposing old bungalows and public buildings with the Raj stamped all over. In fact, Sir John Chason founded Panchgani in 1854 as a sanatorium town and to rest and recuperate away from the heat and dust of the Indian plains. Today, the little town is better known for its English style boarding schools and old Parsi houses that look out on to the forested tracts.