Panchgani, a hill station developed by the British, is located just 38m below Mahableshwar and is about 265 km from Mumbai, derives its name from the five hills around it. The road curves along the ghats, and offers breathtaking views of the valley and the river on one side. The British influence is highly visible in the architecture and style of the old buildings around the town. The boarding schools are also nearly a 100 years old. It was discovered by a superintendent called John Chesson in 1860s.
Over the years, the commercialization and tourism have soured in this town and it does seem a bit crowded, but that still doesn’t take the charm of the hill station away. One can walk around the main bazaar, visit table land, go horse riding and spend quality time nestled amidst the hills.
Various tourist spots to visit are Sydney Point – This spot is situated on a small hillock facing the Krishna Valley. Table Land - Situated around 60m high, this flat expanse of laterite rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. Lots of activities for tourists can be found on this table land. Parsi Point – This road overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue mirror like waters of the Dhom Dam. Devil's Kitchen - Situated to the south of tableland, this is believed to be the place where the Pandavas stayed here for a while. Dhom Dam – Is a spot for boating located around 21 km away. An excursion that you can plan would be the Lingmala Falls on the Mahabaleshwar-Poona road.
