With Team at Panchgani- Well, they told me I couldn't work by myself :)

I had my inhibitions around travel to Panchgani. My previous trip to this place didn't hold any pleasant memories. But I couldn't miss this trip because it was going to be my last trip with my current colleagues and Manager. Hence I decided to join the jamboree. The latter term was coined by the 'white man' I know. He was right in that. We aren't a very mannered and quiet group. Ahem...the spirits were high in each of us, in every sense of the term. LOL! I won't go into details. But here's a pic to indicate the same!!! N I am drinking Orange juice. Ahem..okie..I admit, it did have some vodka in it. But the quantity is not worth oohing and aahing about. LOL!

A little about Panchgani

John Chesson

Scenic Panchgani was discovered by the British during the British Raj as a summer resort, and a superintendent named John Chesson was placed in charge of the hill station in the 1863. Sir Bartle Freere declared it as a Hill Sanatorium for the Europeans in the year 1863.Actually Mahabaleshwar was the summer resort of choice for the British, but it was uninhabitable during the monsoons. Panchgani was developed as a retirement place for the Britishers because it remained pleasant throughout the year.

Panchgani is christened based on ‘Panch” as it is surrounded by five hills of sahyadri, and “Gani” meaning settlement. Panchgani is nestled in the middle of five hills in the Sahyādri mountain ranges. The Krishnā River flows nearby which has made the lake of Dhom dam on the Krishna, 9 K.M. from Wai. The five hills surrounding Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau, which is the second highest in Asia after the Tibetan plateau. These plateaus, alternatively known as "table lands", are a part of the Deccan Plateau.Panchgani is at an elevation of 4300 feet above sea level & 200 feet below Mahabaleshwar which is 19 kms west of it. The Difference between the coldest & hottest seasons of the year in Panchgani is not much. Thus the climate is pleasant throughout the year.

This trip was planned by the Pune team. As usual, plans were made at the last moment. Around 15 of us travelled from Mumbai and Pune respectively. Mumbai team can never sacrifice any meals. So 4 of us decided to take a detour and entered Pune to eat breakfast at Orchid Hotel. Orchid offers a decent fare. On that day, the menu was great. There were sausages, grilled fish, the healthy breakfast items like fruits, oats, cereals etc, flavoured youghurts, baked beans, different varieties of breads and cakes, fresh juice, buttermilk and strawberry milkshake, an entire section of Indian breakfast items. Freshly made omelette and eggs- as you want it made, toast and dosas were available as well. Now you know why we were forced to skip lunch on that day. We couldn't miss this fare. Once done, we began our journey to Panchgani. Roads were decent. There were no untoward incidents. But I did nag my colleagues about the speed at which they were driving. But my glares didn't do any good. Sigh! Luck favored. We reached in one piece!!! LOL!  
 


Tree Nest

 

The Pune team had found this quaint  little resort called 'Wonderwoods' at Panchgani. Wonder Woods Resort - Panchgani is a pre-independence bungalow built in a rustic European style set in a sprawling lush green campus, carefully manicured to emulate the feel of the woods.It was a very beautiful place with lovely cottages and scenic locales. To reach Wonder Woods Resort - Panchgani from Mumbai you could either take the Goa Highway route or take the route via Pune.The route via Pune would be safer and faster, thanks to better roads. The distance to Wonder Woods Resort - Panchgani, from Mumbai via Pune is about 255 Kms.Pune to Panchgani distance is 100 Kms

The team decided that two of us would be staying at the tree house. It's actually a small cottage attached to a tree. The snap should give you an idea of how it looks. The tree nest had a quaint looking bedroom, a small washroom, a balcony, cooler cum heater, TV, Telephone, lovely shades etc within it. For a small place, it had quite a bit to offer. They have a Tarzan hanging from the trees. LOL! My friends did tease me about Tarzan coming alive at night and spooking me. Well..I'd have company then. LOL!

I found the staff very friendly and welcoming. They enquired about our well being, offered to get us food whenever we wanted the same and were very courteous.  I'd recommend this resort to one and all for this reason.



Friends teasing me!

You can find more information about this resort on this link-http://www.wonderwoodspanchgani.com/index.html

The only drawback is the food. It's very oily. The health freaks may die of shock when they see the egg burgi floating in oil or the chicken pieces lying  in a sea of oil. But the taste is fine. The bread, butter and jam taste good. So a good alternative in the morning. The sabudhana khichdi is great.

In the evening, we went to Tabletop. We clicked a lot of snaps at this scenic location. Eating corn from the roadside vendor, clicking snaps, ice cream on the way back etc were some of the highlights. The view from this place is fantastic. Night time was spent around the camp fire. Alcohol was flowing. Food and snacks kept coming. There was major dancing sessions which I wasn't a part of. I have two left feet when it comes to dance. LOL! But I did enjoy the dances that others indulged in. I went to bed at 1.45 am. Whew!!! It was a fantastic night for all of us. Lot of laughs were shared. I am hoping to be part of such an awesome team in the future as well.

We spend next day at Mapro Gardens. You get awesome syrups, squashes, jams, spices for your tea, honey etc at this place. We shopped for all of these and then settled for an early brunch. The pizzas and sandwiches at this place are awesome. You get awesome milkshakes as well. I polished an entire custard apple milkshake with yummy icecream. The rest of them indulged in chocolate brownies.

Once done, it was time to get back home. After the good bye session, the Mumbai team were on their way back home. To sum up, I had a great time. It was a momentary relief from the stress laced life.

view from our room in the morning

DD in a pensive mood next to the corn seller

Girls and me share a gigle

Badminton time

Boss in a thoughtful mood with Hemant

The ADM team- All smiles

You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don’t seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together.

- Henry Ford