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Old 29th June 2021, 21:06   #1
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Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Sharing a trip which was done in 2019 Oct end from Bangalore to Mahabaleshwar and surrounding areas.



A ride had been pending for long for me and wifey. And Western Ghats was on the to-do list. Leaves were secured, bike was serviced..... and then Cyclone Kyarr stuck !! I was quite skeptical about heading out to Mahabaleshwar, but after talks with a few friends, decided to give it a go. The cyclone also moved away a day before I started the ride.

A teaser for the awesome week spent in and around Mahabaleshwar.

From arrow straight roads:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191028_114639.jpg

To inviting curves:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9076.jpg

To grand vistas:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9066.jpg

Last edited by DevilisH : 29th June 2021 at 21:47.
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Old 29th June 2021, 21:13   #2
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

A few days before this ride, I was looking at weather forecasts. Cyclone Kyarr was about to hit the coastal regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and another depression was headed towards Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram ! ( very depressing news this was ). I almost cancelled my plans for Mahabaleshwar and decided for Rameshwaram, but then with just one day left for the ride, decided for Mahabaleshwar. Rains or no rains, atleast I would be in the mountains !!

The trip dates were: 27th Oct, 2019 - 3rd Nov, 2019.

Day 1: Bangalore - Belgaum : 516 kms

We had decided to cover the distance in 2 days. Day 1 was till Belgaum. We had booked "Treebo Trend Elite Residency" for our night halt there. The hotel is right in the middle of the market, so a bit of traffic to be faced while getting in. But the hotel was good, with ample parking space. And being in the center of the market, lots of options for the foodies.

The road conditions till Belgaum were a mixed bag of emotions. Till Chitradurga, the roads were butter smooth and we hardly felt the distance. Right after Chitradurga, its as if an invisible line had been drawn which proclaimed "Thou shalt not have roads ". Every few hundred meters, there was a diversion ! Some of the diversions had their own diversion !! And when there was no diversion, the road was being prepared for a fresh coat of asphalt, so you are reminded of Bangalore. This condition prevailed till Hubli, after which it was again awesome roads.

Anyways, we reached our destination for the day after about 11 hours. Not much pics from day 1 :

Sunset near Belgaum:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191027_174403.jpg


Day 2: Belgaum to Mahabaleshwar : 294kms

Day 2 began bright and sunny. We started late, with no hurry to complete the 300 odd kms. The roads were a delight to ride on till Satara. Just as we reached Satara, google baba told us to take a left turn, leave the beautiful tarmac and enter the zone of off-roads, no-roads, what-road !!

The next 60 kms took us about 2.5 hours. Welcome to the Medha-Satara road. Now, my off-road loving friends would love this stretch. Dirt, gravel, potholes, diversions... you ask for it , this road has it !! I don't mind a bit of off-roading. But this road, with saddle bags, tank bag and pillion was testing my patience and riding skills !!

This also enlightened my mind: "Before the Ghat roads, thou shalt have Ghatiya roads".

We finally hit the ghats and were welcomed by nature. This almost took away the pain of the last 2 hours. Our stay in Mahabaleshwar was "Trend Treebo Hillway Inn". This was nearby the main market and all the places we were to visit later. Let the pics do some talking now.

Clear weather, blue sky:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_8992.jpg

The hills, finally:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191028_163639.jpg

Refreshing:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_8996.jpg

Some Panoramas:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191028_205008_s.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191028_163524_ss.jpg

Last edited by DevilisH : 29th June 2021 at 21:55.
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Old 29th June 2021, 22:54   #3
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Day 3: Morning

We woke up refreshed and ready to explore the hills. We had planned for Veena Lake viewpoint, Elphinstone Point and then Arthur Seat. These places were over crowded (as usual), so for getting a good frame, we either waited for a break in the crowd, or simply found a new viewpoint (this works almost all the time).

The Arthur Seat area (starting with Elphinstone Point, Marjorie Point, Savitri point and finally Arthur Seat) was open for public from 7.00 AM. And this is one of the best times to get some good pictures. Parking was filled with cabs and tempo travelers, and the rush increased as the day progressed. We threaded our bike through almost a km of parked / about to be parked cabs and parked our bike right at the entrance, in the shade of trees.

While walking from one viewpoint to the other, there were lots of places to sit and relax and numerous stalls for food stuff.

Time for the bike to pose:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_8997.jpg

View from Elphinstone Point :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191029_121722.jpg

View of Savitri river down below :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191029_122119.jpg

Arthur Seat :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191029_134009.jpg

Let's create my own viewpoint :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_8998.jpg

And a few panoramas :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191029_122044_s.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191029_122916_s.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191029_130739_s.jpg

Day 3 : Evening

After Arthur Seat and nearby areas, our plan was to return to the hotel and then again go out in the evening. But by the time we got down to lunch, it was already 2.00 PM. So, we decided to have lunch and move to the other spots for the day. For lunch we stopped at "saba strawberry garden and tent camping" (https://goo.gl/maps/PFUDSwUiwUJ1zfcKA). The dishes here were tasty, and the strawberry crush is a must try.

After filling our tummy, we went on to visit Lingmala Waterfalls. The falls are at a height of about 600 feet and fall through different tiers. There's ample parking space, and a small entry fee. After entering and proceeding about 100m, the path forks towards left for the smaller fall, and right towards the greater fall. 700-800m on the right is the Lingmala waterfalls. The walk till there and then the view is simply rejuvenating !

Valley View:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191029_155801.jpg

Lingmala Waterfall:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191029_160705.jpg

Another pano:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191029_160625_s.jpg

A video of the places visited till now:


Last edited by DevilisH : 29th June 2021 at 23:31.
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Old 29th June 2021, 23:52   #4
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Day 4 : Morning

Today morning was dedicated to Old Mahabaleshwar. We visited 3 temples here: Shree Mahabaleshwar temple, Panchganga temple, Krishnabai temple of Lord Shiva. The Panchganga temple in Old Mahabaleshwar is said to be 4500 years old, though there are no evidences to confirm same. Its built at the convergence of five rivers Krishna, Venna, Savitri, Koyna and Gayatri .

The Krishna temple was a bit away from the other temples, and required a little walk. The view from there more than made up for it !

Shri Mahabaleshwar Temple :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9013.jpg

Krishnabai temple of Lord Shiva :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9018.jpg

Krishnabai temple - Front :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191030_135536.jpg

The views calling :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9021.jpg

The Valley View :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9019.jpg

Day 4: Evening

After the morning temples visit, we were back to the Saba restaurant which had become our favorite lunch spot After lunch, we started for Panchgani. The road from Mahabaleshwar to Panchgani was in pathetic condition, basically all-crater-no-road condition. We visited Parsi and Sydney Point. Parsi point overlooks the Krishna valley and the waters of the Dhom Dam. It was sooo damn crowded, that I was content to take in the view from outside.

Sydney point would make for an awesome sunset viewpoint. But the "terrific" road conditions persuaded us to return before evening.

View from Parsi Point :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9025.jpg

Sydney Point :

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9030.jpg

And a pano:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191030_164324_s.jpg
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Old 30th June 2021, 00:15   #5
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Day 5 : Pratapgad Fort

This day was reserved for the Pratapgad Fort. The fort is about 21 kms from Mahabaleshwar, and the roads were pretty good. With stops for photography, we covered the distance in about an hour. The fort was completed in 1656. There is a 17 feet high equestrian bronze statue of Shivaji, a park and temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and goddess Bhavani.

This fort is divided into the lower fort and upper fort. While going to the upper fort, there are many restaurants serving authentic maharashtrian food !

Views from Lower Fort:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9052.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9055.jpg

Views from restaurant:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9060.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191031_142002.jpg

Views from Upper Fort:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9065.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191031_150912.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191031_150553.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191031_133053_s.jpg

The visit to this fort involved quite a lot of walking around. We returned around evening and rested for the day. The next day was kept for Tapola !!

Last edited by DevilisH : 30th June 2021 at 00:17.
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Old 30th June 2021, 00:47   #6
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Day 6 : Tapola

Tapola is also called as the mini-Kashmir of India. Its about 30 kms from Mahabaleshwar, road condition was good and the views were stunning ! There were 2 boat clubs there, if one is inclined for some boating experience. Midway to Tapola is the Shivsagar view point, giving an awesome view of the meandering Koyna river. There was a restaurant also present at that spot. To get a good view of the river, we went to the right side of the restaurant and down a small pathway. It was way better than the official viewpoint !

Boats at Koyna River Backwaters:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191101_124911.jpg

View of Koyna river while going back:

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191101_145058.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-img_20191101_145231.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-pano_20191101_145120_s.jpg

A video of the places visited:



And that was the last day of our Maharashtra trip But, there's a bit more to this story. We had decided to start from Mahabaleshwar and ride till Hubli for the day. Then start from Hubli to Bangalore next day. We started pretty late from Mahabaleshwar, since we only had to reach till Hubli, some 390 kms away.

Had lunch after crossing Satara. Then wifey says, I quote "Bangalore is only 680 kms, let's go home". I stopped the bike, looked at her and said "Kindly repeat, I thought I heard something about reaching home !!". Wifey confirmed.

And so we aimed straight for Bangalore !! Total 800 kms, 16hrs later we reached our apartment at 6:00 AM. It was an amazing experience riding throughout the night, stopping for a coffee break and watching the sunshine on the road !!!

Cheers to more such rides !!

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-fnl_9088.jpg
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Old 30th June 2021, 06:44   #7
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re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 30th June 2021, 09:11   #8
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Man, your thread makes me crave a road-trip! Thanks for sharing! Just dropping a message on our family whatsapp group to plan Mahabaleshwar the minute rains are over. While the place is beautiful in the rains too, the heavy fog means you can't really enjoy the views from all the points.

Can't resist sharing some pictures

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-1.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-2.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-3.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-4.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-5.jpg

Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-1-6.jpg
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Old 30th June 2021, 12:12   #9
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Any trip to MH is not completed without 2 rituals...
1. Misal Pav
2. Sabudhana Vada

Did you enjoy those cuisines?

Next thing to do in MH is Monsoon!! This was I few years ago, shot by a friend of mine
Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield-rgmd.jpg
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Old 30th June 2021, 15:37   #10
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Quote of the thread - "Then wifey says, I quote "Bangalore is only 680 kms, let's go home".

Question / Confirmation of the thread - I stopped the bike, looked at her and said "Kindly repeat, I thought I heard something about reaching home !!"

Thanks for this thread and the above quote and confirmatory question are the star of this thread. Great spirit shown by you two.
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Old 30th June 2021, 16:02   #11
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Man, your thread makes me crave a road-trip! Thanks for sharing! Just dropping a message on our family whatsapp group to plan Mahabaleshwar the minute rains are over. While the place is beautiful in the rains too, the heavy fog means you can't really enjoy the views from all the points.
Thanks a lot for your kind words and putting this up on the homepage! What time of the year are these pics from?

Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
Any trip to MH is not completed without 2 rituals...
1. Misal Pav
2. Sabudhana Vada

Did you enjoy those cuisines?

Next thing to do in MH is Monsoon!!
Both cuisines tried and loved them! I do have plans to visit again, this time will try for Lavasa, Mulshi, Lonavla, Kamshet.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PraNeel View Post
Quote of the thread - "Then wifey says, I quote "Bangalore is only 680 kms, let's go home".

Question / Confirmation of the thread - I stopped the bike, looked at her and said "Kindly repeat, I thought I heard something about reaching home !!"

Thanks for this thread and the above quote and confirmatory question are the star of this thread. Great spirit shown by you two.
Thank you! Hats off to our pillion for being on the saddle for hours. Its not an easy task. I myself will spend hours riding, but may not manage more than an hour or 2 on the back seat.
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Old 1st December 2021, 19:07   #12
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Quote:
Originally Posted by DevilisH View Post
Our stay in Mahabaleshwar was "Trend Treebo Hillway Inn". This was nearby the main market and all the places we were to visit later
Hi DevilisH,
Nice pics there, can you please let me know how is this hotel Trend Treebo Hillway Inn, planning to go with family for 2 days..

Thanks
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Old 2nd December 2021, 07:44   #13
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Re: Western Ghats - Mahabaleshwar on my Royal Enfield

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsnaveen21 View Post
Hi DevilisH,
Nice pics there, can you please let me know how is this hotel Trend Treebo Hillway Inn, planning to go with family for 2 days..

Thanks
Thanks Naveen! The hotel staff are very helpful. Some of the rooms have dampness from rains, so do call them before booking and check on the condition.
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