The plan was in progress for some weeks already. Made it yesterday (13thApr2013) with my wife and other tamil colleague friends. Since maharashtra govt doesnt permit more than 6 passengers on even a SUV, we did find it difficult to get one but got it at the end.
Though the driver(Mr Pappu) delayed an hour to pick us all, but he made it very comfortable by working like a semi-guide. No one in our team knew any marathi literally, me and another person can try Hindi some extent and thats it. He took us to the very famous vada pav centre, Shri ram vada-pav at shirwal on the way for break fast. Couple of us in the gang had the vada-pav for the first time, butter milk after that actually made it a real good break fast. Pappu also made me try another gravy like dish to be taken with the pav that i cudnt remember the name.
when we were nearing the foot of the hills there were fig farms on the way and we stopped to buy fig on the road side. Pappu bargained with that old vendor to get a kg for Rs.50. i paid him Rs.10 more and the old man had such a genuine smile as a thank you that did give a great start for the day.
The first stop was for the view of Mastani lake from one of the top points on the way. This lake was built for a then Rani named Mastani for her bath it seems. The next point (dont remem the name) gave us the start of the real fun. The point actually had a view of a big valley(oh yeah thats what its all there) and since its not the right season, it was full of sun and no breeze or green around. But we took lots of instant photos jumping, standing on the border rock..etc. Price for the photos : Rs. 100 for 3 photos, Rs.50 a single. extra copies 30 each. The specialty was the click timing of the photographer who did capture amazing jumping shots without any retake. And fun continued with Camel ride. it was the first camel ride for all of us except one, so naturally was interesting. We did take videos too.
Then to a go karting center, where it had a few more fun options along with the go-karting like bungee-jumping, dashing-car, jumping-bull, ...etc. we all took dashing-car that was more enjoyable dashing on each other heavily. I dont remember if i had taken it earlier but this time with wife did give more entertainment. one bold friend did take the catapult-bungee-jumping. it was his long time wish to do that and was so satisfied on me doing a full video of it. Though i initially hesitated to spending time at go-kart especially at a hill station, i must agree i did enjoy. Thankfully none interested in spending Rs. 500 for the actual go-kart ride.
Next we continued to many points, while finishing our lunch at a small restaurant on the way. Food wasnt that great but i had the best of them all with chicken, popplet fry (a fish fry), garlic roti, fried rice...Infact me and pappu had to finish off all those that others couldnt. Then to other points, more than the site view, we enjoyed the fresh strawberries, kola (ice with sweetened color), corn, cut mango, butter milk....etc...etc. yes it was all different tastes that gave us fun.
We did not fail to take photos. Some spots that we visited i did only later identified their name by searching the images that we viewed. Needle point, Balakwadi Dam at Kate's point and one more that i dont know the name that was the bigger point and we ended the visit of points. All were tired of so much of walking in the sun.
We decided to end the trip with boating. It was nicely crowded at Venna lake for the boating. We took two paddle boats for an hr. since we reached after 4.00, half an hr rent wasnt given. Rowing boat was there as well, but we did enjoy paddling. Pappu accompanied the one that i took. we even tried racing, photoing...etc and got tired and ended the trip in 30 mins. Pappu was worried about us wasting the other 30 mins but we couldnt help :) :(
Heavily exhausted, all took the ginger tea at the tea stalls opp the lake. It was good and 3 of us took a second tea as well. There were this fresh strawberry, mulberry , carrot , corn and also a violet radish like fruit getting sold so colorfully all over. We did miss it to buy there near lake but later on the road side, all took atleast a box of strawberry each. Near the lake as well there were horse rides available though we dint try.
We started back home. No one wanted a dinner at all!
Its not that we covered everything of mahabaleshwar, like waterfall or the temple...and probably not the right season too.....etc But still it was indeed an amazing day with fun for myself. I had my moments of struggle to avoid my bachelor inside ;). I did feel my transition.
I hope my wife did enjoy and others as well.
Update on Nov-17: Visited again in Nov 2013, the blog is here
Though the driver(Mr Pappu) delayed an hour to pick us all, but he made it very comfortable by working like a semi-guide. No one in our team knew any marathi literally, me and another person can try Hindi some extent and thats it. He took us to the very famous vada pav centre, Shri ram vada-pav at shirwal on the way for break fast. Couple of us in the gang had the vada-pav for the first time, butter milk after that actually made it a real good break fast. Pappu also made me try another gravy like dish to be taken with the pav that i cudnt remember the name.
when we were nearing the foot of the hills there were fig farms on the way and we stopped to buy fig on the road side. Pappu bargained with that old vendor to get a kg for Rs.50. i paid him Rs.10 more and the old man had such a genuine smile as a thank you that did give a great start for the day.
The first stop was for the view of Mastani lake from one of the top points on the way. This lake was built for a then Rani named Mastani for her bath it seems. The next point (dont remem the name) gave us the start of the real fun. The point actually had a view of a big valley(oh yeah thats what its all there) and since its not the right season, it was full of sun and no breeze or green around. But we took lots of instant photos jumping, standing on the border rock..etc. Price for the photos : Rs. 100 for 3 photos, Rs.50 a single. extra copies 30 each. The specialty was the click timing of the photographer who did capture amazing jumping shots without any retake. And fun continued with Camel ride. it was the first camel ride for all of us except one, so naturally was interesting. We did take videos too.
Then to a go karting center, where it had a few more fun options along with the go-karting like bungee-jumping, dashing-car, jumping-bull, ...etc. we all took dashing-car that was more enjoyable dashing on each other heavily. I dont remember if i had taken it earlier but this time with wife did give more entertainment. one bold friend did take the catapult-bungee-jumping. it was his long time wish to do that and was so satisfied on me doing a full video of it. Though i initially hesitated to spending time at go-kart especially at a hill station, i must agree i did enjoy. Thankfully none interested in spending Rs. 500 for the actual go-kart ride.
Next we continued to many points, while finishing our lunch at a small restaurant on the way. Food wasnt that great but i had the best of them all with chicken, popplet fry (a fish fry), garlic roti, fried rice...Infact me and pappu had to finish off all those that others couldnt. Then to other points, more than the site view, we enjoyed the fresh strawberries, kola (ice with sweetened color), corn, cut mango, butter milk....etc...etc. yes it was all different tastes that gave us fun.
We did not fail to take photos. Some spots that we visited i did only later identified their name by searching the images that we viewed. Needle point, Balakwadi Dam at Kate's point and one more that i dont know the name that was the bigger point and we ended the visit of points. All were tired of so much of walking in the sun.
We decided to end the trip with boating. It was nicely crowded at Venna lake for the boating. We took two paddle boats for an hr. since we reached after 4.00, half an hr rent wasnt given. Rowing boat was there as well, but we did enjoy paddling. Pappu accompanied the one that i took. we even tried racing, photoing...etc and got tired and ended the trip in 30 mins. Pappu was worried about us wasting the other 30 mins but we couldnt help :) :(
Heavily exhausted, all took the ginger tea at the tea stalls opp the lake. It was good and 3 of us took a second tea as well. There were this fresh strawberry, mulberry , carrot , corn and also a violet radish like fruit getting sold so colorfully all over. We did miss it to buy there near lake but later on the road side, all took atleast a box of strawberry each. Near the lake as well there were horse rides available though we dint try.
We started back home. No one wanted a dinner at all!
Its not that we covered everything of mahabaleshwar, like waterfall or the temple...and probably not the right season too.....etc But still it was indeed an amazing day with fun for myself. I had my moments of struggle to avoid my bachelor inside ;). I did feel my transition.
I hope my wife did enjoy and others as well.
Update on Nov-17: Visited again in Nov 2013, the blog is here
