(From top): a strawberry farm in Mahabaleshwar; with its lush vegetation, Mahabaleshwar is dubbed Maharashtra’s Garden of Eden; the long walkways and beautiful weather make the town a hit with honeymooners; the Sri Panchganga Mandir lies in the heart of the marketplace

What’s so special about Mahabaleshwar that makes visitors come back for more? That’s not difficult to figure out as you wander through this quaint little hill station in Maharashtra, which offers something for everyone. For Bollywood filmmakers, it’s an ideal place for outdoor shoots and it was the movie world’s favourite destination long before they headed off to more exotic locales abroad.

Most holidaymakers love its craggy, weather-beaten ghats and its rolling fields are a scenic delight. And, of course, for lovey-dovey honeymoon couples, Mahabaleshwar is the ideal getaway.

But for me ? it’s the luscious strawberries growing in rows that will make me visit Mahabaleshwar once again. I even gave up on my diet and abandoned myself to sinful delights made from strawberries and mulberries.

But my Strawberry Fields Forever moment came when I stood in a strawberry farm in the heart of Mahabaleshwar with rows of strawberry plants as far as I could see. The strawberry season is between October to March. So, the strawberries weren’t ready for picking when we got there, but the farm owner allowed me to sample a few of his delicious offerings.

An unexpected summer break took me to Mahabaleshwar and the climate was just perfect ? pleasant during the day and slightly cold at night. Dubbed Maharashtra’s Garden of Eden because of its lush vegetation, this one-time summer capital of the Bombay Presidency remains one of western India’s most popular hill stations.

Once you are comfortably settled in a hotel, the first thing to do is to explore the surrounding streets. The town centre is dotted with hotels and shops that have been catering to tourists for decades. In fact, if you’re a shopaholic, you must visit the market area where there are rows of shops and restaurants. A visit to Mahabaleshwar, we were told would not be complete without sampling the local delicacy, the strawberry shake ? with layers of cream, vanilla ice cream and strawberries. Trust me, it’s divine! That’s not all, you can also try mulberry juice and strawberry crush.

The best way to kick-start the sightseeing is to hire a local guide who’ll take you to different points (like every hill-station Mahabaleshwar has innumerable elevated points from where you can get a great view). Start your day by watching sunrise from Wilson Point 4,710ft above sea level. Close by is Marjorie Point, from where you can see Shivaji’s three forts ? Pratapgad, Tornagad and Makrandgad ? in the distance. Arthur’s Seat, called the prince of all points, offers awesome views of canyons and cliffs and an enchanting view of the Savitri River running through the deep and barren Konkan valley. There are also several waterfalls in Mahabaleshwar and although not very big, they come alive during the rains.

Our next stop was Kate’s Point, named after the daughter of Sir John Malcolm, a former governor of the Bombay Presidency, which offers exotic views of Dhom Dam and the Krishna River winding through green fields. Just a little further is Needle Hole Point, a huge ledge of rock about 100ft high. Other notable points include Hunter’s Point, Elphinstone Point, Lodwick Point, Babbington Point, Rosamund Rock and so on. There’s also the Venna Lake, where you can go boating.

The ancient Mahabaleshwar temple in old Mahabaleshwar should also be on your itinerary. The architecture of this temple resembles the ancient South Indian temples and Lord Shiva is its deity. Adjacent to it is the Panchganga Mandir, which is built at the confluence of five holy rivers: Krishna, Koyna, Venna, Savitri and Gayatri. These five rivers join in one channel leading to the Goumukhi spout.

It’s not a bad idea to visit Shivaji’s Pratapgad fort, 24km from Mahabaleshwar if you have an adventurous streak. The difficulty here is that it’s at the hilltop, so you must be prepared to climb some uneven steps. The fort was built in the 17th century and it was the place where the famous encounter between Shivaji and Afzal Khan took place. Inside, there’s the temple of Bhavanimata, which draws huge crowds.

Not far from Mahabaleshwar is Panchgani (15km away), which has many residential English-medium schools. Recently, it hit the headlines as the place where actor Aamir Khan got married for a second time. Panchgani, once again, is idyllic ? with hills, valleys and the Krishna flowing through little farms and hamlets.

The most interesting place here is Tableland, a vast plateau that’s said to be the second largest in Asia spanning across 4.5km (the biggest being Lhasa in Tibet). It’s impossible to walk the entire length and breadth of Tableland, so it’s advisable to take a pony ride. But one has to be careful as the locals can take you for a ride. A buggy ride around Tableland will cost around Rs 130.

Panchgani has also been a great shooting locale. We were told of how Aamir Khan wooed Karisma Kapoor in the film Raja Hindustani here.

The town ? which was established in the 1850s by John Chesson ? is surrounded by the five hills from which it gets its name. Panchgani is a small town and it’s much quieter than Mahabaleshwar. There’s nothing much to do here except to soak in the sights and sounds of the place. Checking out the well-maintained and picturesque convent schools situated in here is a pastime by itself.

No trip to Panchgani however is complete without a visit to the strawberry gardens, especially the Maple, Mapro and Manama farms. In fact, you can buy bottles of strawberry crush and jams from the Mapro orchard, where tourists are taken on a tour of the strawberry fields. They can later unwind at the open-air cafeteria that serves homemade ice cream. On your way back to Mahabaleshwar, catch the sunset at Parsi Point from where you can get a breathtaking view of the Krishna River below. A little ahead of Panchgani (about 12km) is the temple-town of Wai. Built in the 18th century, Wai is famous for its stone temples.

Our final day in Mahabaleshwar was spent shopping at its market. The perfect way to end a trip to Mahabaleshwar is to take a stroll up and down the main Mall. The memory of its hospitable people and, of course, the smell of fresh strawberries are bound to linger.

Photographs by the author

Fact file

Getting there

• By road: From Mumbai via Pune, Mahabaleshwar is 290km. Via Mahad, it is 247km.
• By rail: Pune is the most convenient railhead.

Accommodation

• MTDC Holiday Resort: (ph: 022-22024482) Main reservation office: (ph: 2026713/7762)
• Brightland Holiday Village— 022-22872590
• Strawberry Country — 022-26007281