Being a Punekar, if I tell you this was my first-time visit to Mahabaleshwar, will you be shocked? Yes! I have never been to Mahabaleshwar before, although I had got few opportunities during my school and college time, I never went.

Thankfully, a relative visit at home made us plan a trip to Mahabaleshwar. It was I who suggested visiting this hilltop hamlet covered in evergreen forests in the heart of Sahyadri Hills. Also, it’s our first trip after moving to Pune from Delhi.

‘Mahabaleshwar’ is derived from Sanskrit words that mean ‘God of Great Power”. This mystical hill town is indeed beautiful and bountiful filled with waterfalls, lakes, viewpoints, mountains, and strawberries.

We started our journey on Saturday morning from Pune and reached Mahabaleshwar within 3-4hours. We stayed overnight and left the next day.

I was expecting some cold weather, but it was hot (the climate crisis is serious). When we were en route to Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar, we were expecting some breathtaking views on the way, but nothing was alluring and my family felt the same. They said if we hadn’t booked the hotel, we could have returned the same day.

I was a tad disappointed because it was my suggestion to visit Mahabaleshwar. However, after visiting a few points, they were satisfied with this trip.

Below are the few places we visited during our trip to Mahabaleshwar. Some of the spots were recommended by my friend. Do read to know about our experience.

1. Walk through Mapro Garden

Timings: 8 am – 7 pm

My friend and Mr.Google suggested ‘Mapro Garden’ a must-visit tourist attraction in Mahabaleshwar.  I was expecting to see lush strawberry farms but it was not open to tourists.

It is a market strategy place run by Mapro to sell their products to visitors. There were several counters selling different Mapro products, few were available for tasting.  Every tourist like us at least buys a few products before leaving the place. So isn’t it an excellent marketing approach?

You can also find a restaurant inside and have a meal. We had strawberry ice cream.

There is a small nursery and garden where we clicked some photos.

2. Enjoy Sahyadri Hill viewpoints- Lodwick Point, Parsi Point & Elephant’s Head Point

Mahabaleshwar is nestled in the picturesque Sahyadri mountain range of Maharashtra and therefore you can see numerous enchanting hill views.

We visited a few of them such as Lodwick point- This vantage point is 4067 feet above sea level and treat our eyes with unrivaled vistas of Pratapgarh Fort and Elephant’s point.

The Elephant’s Head point is just located 400m from Lodwick point. So you can cover both points at one time.

Parsi point is on the way to Mahabaleshwar, so you can visit it while coming or going. I loved this point as it offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Krishna valley and the sparkling water of Dhom Dam. This point has my heart as it tucks your soul in tranquility and serenity.

• Tickets: Free
• Timings: 7 am-7pm

3. A boat ride at Venna Lake

Venna Lake is a man-made lake in Mahabaleshwar that offers both rowboats and paddleboats rides to tourists.  We opted for a rowboat and enjoyed the sunset view.

This is the most crowded tourist spot and we had to wait for almost an hour to get the tickets on the weekend.

You can also go for horse riding here.

• Ticket: 600 INR per rowboat
• Timings: 8 am to 7 pm (On weekends)

4. Get mesmerized by Lingmala Waterfall

At Lingmala Waterfall, you need to walk almost 150-200 steps and I was hesitating to go. But my family wanted to visit here and thanks to them, I didn’t miss out on this breathtaking waterfall.

It is a must-visit and I loved this tourist place the most out of the entire Mahabaleshwar trip.

Lingmala Waterfall is a mesmerizing waterfall that provides a view of the awe-inspiring Dhobi Waterfall and Chinaman’s Waterfall.

You can see two waterfalls at this place, one is a mini waterfall where tourists can swim, take a dip in the water and enjoy. It is just a few steps from the entrance, so people esp old age who doesn’t want to walk much, can at least visit here and enjoy.

The second is the main waterfall which falls from a height of 500 feet. The view from above is magnificent and gorgeous. To reach here, you need to walk for almost half an hour from the mini waterfall. But it’s indeed worth the visit.

• Ticket: 30 INR per person
• Timings: 8 am to 5:30 pm

So these were the few tourist places we visited in Mahabaleshwar in our one day trip. It was a memorable vacation and would like to visit here again. Hope I get cold weather next time.

Insider Tips:

You need to buy a Mahabaleshwar pass to see places around this hill station.  While passing through Mahabaleshwar, govt. employees check whether you have a pass or not, if not, then you need to buy the pass per person and per vehicle.

Pass: 50 INR per person & vehicle

The pass is valid for 7 days. Make sure you do not lose this pass otherwise you have to buy it again. Secondly, you can show this pass at Lingmala Waterfall and you won’t need to buy tickets.