Out of no where, five of us grouped and thought we should be going on a long drive to a new place which we have not been before to. Googling started for weekend getaways from Hyderabad. (Though we know that we do not have any weekend getaways a bit near (< 300KM) around hyderabad :( ). We have finalized on panchgani in Maharashtra finally. Our aim is to enjoy the drive to and fro. Panchgani is some 570KM from where we are. Would take non-stop driving though the night to reach there by morning. Two out of us are drivers so we started. Nothing was planned except the name of the place. We purposefully kept the planning part out for pure excitement :). On Friday noon it's drizzling outside. Out of curiosity i've pulled up the weather report for panchgani, and it turned out to be rain with lightning all through the way till there. We thought let's do a trip in rain also! So we started on Friday night in i20 diesel. 5 young hearts in search of adventure and fun! (ahem.. there are multiple aberrations in that statement ;) and a bit of exaggerations).
Had a quick dinner at muthangi high-way hotel. The food is excellent that far off from the city and tea is also good. we made a note to go back there for a tea break some time later. Post that managed to reach karnataka border at zaheerabad around 12:30 and reached maharashtra border after basava kalyanam by 01:30. All the way its raining some places its just drizzle at some places it rained heavily. Over all through our journey its been following us without leaving us even for a second. Anyways, just when we are entering Maharashtra we got stopped by the first traffic jam. Excellent, that's what we need now, we are already going slow and now this. Came to know that the water on the right side of road from some lake is overflowing over the road at waist height. Can do nothing apart from waiting. Some bus driver tried to take chance got stuck and retreated. There we go, we have google maps, immediately searched for alternate route and it's adding almost 150km! i think i already mentioned that we are adventurous, so chalked out a new route through the sate highways across some villages. The new route is around 70KM or so. So we took u turn and started pursuing the new route. One of the guys who had a very good timing, started talking about decoits/thieves who generally rob during night times by blocking the road etc. In the new route, we could see nothing except the light from the car head lamps. so fitting. After couple of kilo meters, we came across the same scenario where in water is flowing over the road, but we took chance judging by the surroundings and crossed it very carefully and fearfully. We made it to the other side and there you go, our first kick of the journey!. So we went on, after couple of more kilometers, we saw light its some village. We are relived. We continued and noticed that we are going over some small hills, suddenly the road filled with large boulders and mud. Seems due to the rains, a mud slide took place and that too couple of hours back, We navigated through it and got to other side and continued. We continued through and crossed the village. May be some 10km from village we found one big auto parked on the side of the road horizontally facing the road. We thought it's funny and continued. That is when i observed a guy looking at us from some distance with torch in hand. Adrenaline rush! All five of us became alert and started peering in to the blackness around us. We continued ahead. After half kilometer or so, we suddenly noticed a pair of new head lights coming very fast behind us from some distance. Our minds and hearts started to race, first its the auto with its awkward parking, then there is this guy checking us out. We increased our speed to out run what ever is following us. As we went on, the car suddenly stopped, there's a log placed across the road. Damn the guy who spoke about road blocks and thieves. We all are so alert and tensed thinking any minute we will be confronted by thieves. We immediately started to turn the vehicle, but it took time as the road is too narrow. As soon as we started back, one guy had a brilliant thought. What if the vehicle which we noticed is parked across the road blocking us? We slowed down instantly. Pondering on what to do, how to tackle, should we attack back or submit everything if confronted. Any way we started and picked up speed again. We saw the vehicle parked on the road side ahead of us with light on. We increased the speed, thinking of zipping past them and we did. Then i noticed why the vehicle is parked, one of the guy in that vehicle is peeing!
All we pictured imagined is not what it really is. We laughed our butts off, due to the adrenaline rush. There it is our second kick!
We decided to get back on to the high way and wait it out along with the rest of the vehicles. Again went through the mud slide and came across the water flowing on the road. As we crossed it earlier easily, we crossed it again. But, something is amiss. We felt like this is not the same part of the road that we crossed while coming in. As we went a bit further, we stopped against another wide stretch of road submerged in water flowing across it with more speed. Then it dawned on us, by the time we returned the water speed and volume increased and it is crossing the road at two different places. But now the one before us is more deep and powerful. We had no choice, if we stay there itself, no guarantee that we will be safe. So we waded through the water slowly, the height increased and its sound of it can be heard against the doors!There it is, our third kick.
Once on the main road, the traffic is gone. The road cleared and we also crossed into Maharashtra. I think the water which blocked us earlier on high way is the same that we came across on the state highways. By morning 4:30 reached solapur, got into a hotel and slept for 3 hours. Again got up at 7:00 had breakfast and started to Panchgani. Out next stop is Indapur. From there we went to Panchgani via baramati. The road is good except some minor rough stretches here and there. We went slow taking in all the beautiful and green vista. Reached panchgani by 13:30. It's hot and humid. We are sweating lightly.
Felt bad that the weather is like this. Any way we started searching for a good hotel for lunch. Ate it in some hotel where the hotels special is hyderabad murgh! Damn, i was fully prepared to taste the local delicacies and that is what we were presented with. Though the food is costly and less in quantity we ate it and set out in finding a lodge. Went around a couple of lodges and got in to Mountain view resort. For two rooms they charged us around 4k. We did checkin, had bath and got back into the car to have a look around.
Panchgani is a hill station over looking a huge green valleys. Almost 85% of strawberry that's produced in India are from here only. Also various berries are cultivated there. Jam/squash/fruit syrup/fruit pulp/jelly's are the main products there.One of every two shops sell that stuff. Its the place where big jam manufacturers like mapro, malala are. That's a short description about panchgani.
After learning about some sight seeing spots we went to a place called table land. Its literally a flat expanse of land atop a mountain. One of the attraction is horse riding there. Forgot to mention that, past 15:30 the climate changed abruptly. Its cool now and full of clouds everywhere. The clouds are on the land!. See for yourselves.
Driving through is another kick. Visibility is reduced to 5 feet! and our fog lamps are not working. Had to drive with head lights which are producing lot of reflection. Had lot of fun driving like that!
We retired for the day by having food from the lodge itself and chit chatting. Next day we went to Mahabaleswar for sight seeing. Its roughly 20KM from panchgani. Panchgani is totally covered in clouds from the morning itself! every thing is scenic, wonderful, and peaceful. Had a nice drive in the clouds to Mahabaleshwar. There are couple of points to see, but we chose Logwick point and Elephant point. We need to start our journey back by noon to reach hyderabad by morning. Below are the photos.
In our return, we did some shopping at Malalas factory outlet. There are a lot of varieties of sweets and chocolates. All the items are tasty. When returning back we stopped at Sydney point in Panchgani. When we left for mahabaleswar this point is fully covered, nope, filled with clouds. But when we returned, the clouds cleared off. Below are the photos of the beautiful valley.
With that we started back to Hyderabad. Reached by 12:00 in the night. We did it in 12 hours.
Man, this is a very long description. I missed lot of detail and fun we had. So moral of the trip. "Elaborate planning is not needed for a successful trip".
Had a quick dinner at muthangi high-way hotel. The food is excellent that far off from the city and tea is also good. we made a note to go back there for a tea break some time later. Post that managed to reach karnataka border at zaheerabad around 12:30 and reached maharashtra border after basava kalyanam by 01:30. All the way its raining some places its just drizzle at some places it rained heavily. Over all through our journey its been following us without leaving us even for a second. Anyways, just when we are entering Maharashtra we got stopped by the first traffic jam. Excellent, that's what we need now, we are already going slow and now this. Came to know that the water on the right side of road from some lake is overflowing over the road at waist height. Can do nothing apart from waiting. Some bus driver tried to take chance got stuck and retreated. There we go, we have google maps, immediately searched for alternate route and it's adding almost 150km! i think i already mentioned that we are adventurous, so chalked out a new route through the sate highways across some villages. The new route is around 70KM or so. So we took u turn and started pursuing the new route. One of the guys who had a very good timing, started talking about decoits/thieves who generally rob during night times by blocking the road etc. In the new route, we could see nothing except the light from the car head lamps. so fitting. After couple of kilo meters, we came across the same scenario where in water is flowing over the road, but we took chance judging by the surroundings and crossed it very carefully and fearfully. We made it to the other side and there you go, our first kick of the journey!. So we went on, after couple of more kilometers, we saw light its some village. We are relived. We continued and noticed that we are going over some small hills, suddenly the road filled with large boulders and mud. Seems due to the rains, a mud slide took place and that too couple of hours back, We navigated through it and got to other side and continued. We continued through and crossed the village. May be some 10km from village we found one big auto parked on the side of the road horizontally facing the road. We thought it's funny and continued. That is when i observed a guy looking at us from some distance with torch in hand. Adrenaline rush! All five of us became alert and started peering in to the blackness around us. We continued ahead. After half kilometer or so, we suddenly noticed a pair of new head lights coming very fast behind us from some distance. Our minds and hearts started to race, first its the auto with its awkward parking, then there is this guy checking us out. We increased our speed to out run what ever is following us. As we went on, the car suddenly stopped, there's a log placed across the road. Damn the guy who spoke about road blocks and thieves. We all are so alert and tensed thinking any minute we will be confronted by thieves. We immediately started to turn the vehicle, but it took time as the road is too narrow. As soon as we started back, one guy had a brilliant thought. What if the vehicle which we noticed is parked across the road blocking us? We slowed down instantly. Pondering on what to do, how to tackle, should we attack back or submit everything if confronted. Any way we started and picked up speed again. We saw the vehicle parked on the road side ahead of us with light on. We increased the speed, thinking of zipping past them and we did. Then i noticed why the vehicle is parked, one of the guy in that vehicle is peeing!
All we pictured imagined is not what it really is. We laughed our butts off, due to the adrenaline rush. There it is our second kick!
We decided to get back on to the high way and wait it out along with the rest of the vehicles. Again went through the mud slide and came across the water flowing on the road. As we crossed it earlier easily, we crossed it again. But, something is amiss. We felt like this is not the same part of the road that we crossed while coming in. As we went a bit further, we stopped against another wide stretch of road submerged in water flowing across it with more speed. Then it dawned on us, by the time we returned the water speed and volume increased and it is crossing the road at two different places. But now the one before us is more deep and powerful. We had no choice, if we stay there itself, no guarantee that we will be safe. So we waded through the water slowly, the height increased and its sound of it can be heard against the doors!There it is, our third kick.
Once on the main road, the traffic is gone. The road cleared and we also crossed into Maharashtra. I think the water which blocked us earlier on high way is the same that we came across on the state highways. By morning 4:30 reached solapur, got into a hotel and slept for 3 hours. Again got up at 7:00 had breakfast and started to Panchgani. Out next stop is Indapur. From there we went to Panchgani via baramati. The road is good except some minor rough stretches here and there. We went slow taking in all the beautiful and green vista. Reached panchgani by 13:30. It's hot and humid. We are sweating lightly.
Felt bad that the weather is like this. Any way we started searching for a good hotel for lunch. Ate it in some hotel where the hotels special is hyderabad murgh! Damn, i was fully prepared to taste the local delicacies and that is what we were presented with. Though the food is costly and less in quantity we ate it and set out in finding a lodge. Went around a couple of lodges and got in to Mountain view resort. For two rooms they charged us around 4k. We did checkin, had bath and got back into the car to have a look around.
Panchgani is a hill station over looking a huge green valleys. Almost 85% of strawberry that's produced in India are from here only. Also various berries are cultivated there. Jam/squash/fruit syrup/fruit pulp/jelly's are the main products there.One of every two shops sell that stuff. Its the place where big jam manufacturers like mapro, malala are. That's a short description about panchgani.
After learning about some sight seeing spots we went to a place called table land. Its literally a flat expanse of land atop a mountain. One of the attraction is horse riding there. Forgot to mention that, past 15:30 the climate changed abruptly. Its cool now and full of clouds everywhere. The clouds are on the land!. See for yourselves.
Driving through is another kick. Visibility is reduced to 5 feet! and our fog lamps are not working. Had to drive with head lights which are producing lot of reflection. Had lot of fun driving like that!
We retired for the day by having food from the lodge itself and chit chatting. Next day we went to Mahabaleswar for sight seeing. Its roughly 20KM from panchgani. Panchgani is totally covered in clouds from the morning itself! every thing is scenic, wonderful, and peaceful. Had a nice drive in the clouds to Mahabaleshwar. There are couple of points to see, but we chose Logwick point and Elephant point. We need to start our journey back by noon to reach hyderabad by morning. Below are the photos.
With that we started back to Hyderabad. Reached by 12:00 in the night. We did it in 12 hours.
Man, this is a very long description. I missed lot of detail and fun we had. So moral of the trip. "Elaborate planning is not needed for a successful trip".
