This winter try some beautiful hill stations

Are you bored of going to the same hill stations again and again? Are you tired of choosing between the same options of Mahabaleshwar, Khandala and Matheran?

If you need more options, you need to have more knowledge about the other beautiful hill stations in India apart from these three.

Leaving aside the above mentioned hill stations, the Bhandardara hill station is also a very beautiful place to visit. It is a holiday resort village on the western ghat of India.

It is located somewhere among the Sahyadri Hills, where you can get to see some beautiful sky-high mountains, roaring waterfalls and lush greenery throughout the year. These are the reasons why this place manages to attract tourists throughout the year.

When it rains, and clouds appear to cover the earth and the sight is truly breathtaking. You can find serene, calm lake surrounded by hills, waterfalls, dam, forts, valley and much more in the Bhandardara hill station. The best time to visit this beautiful place is the mid-monsoon season, because in spite of being located in the hills, it is quite hot during the summer.

It is a small yet peaceful area. This hill station is popular amongst fun loving and picnic lovers. Some of the important destinations at Bhandarda that should not be missed out are the Radha Falls, a deep valley, a clean and large Arthur Lake which is very serene, a historical Ratangadh Fort for history lovers, an ancient temple - Amritheshwar Temple, a peaceful Agasti Rishi Ashram, Wilson Dam also known as Bhandardara Dam, and Viewpoints.

It also has a trekking destination - Mount Kalusubai. Here you will also get to witness the highest mountain peak in Maharashtra. By rail, the nearest station is Igatpuri which is about 45 kms from Bhandardara hill station.

Apart from this, another place to watch out for is the Chikhaldara hill station. It is located in the Amravati district of Maharashtra. This is the sole hill resort in the Vidarbha region, and is the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. Chikhaldara hill station offers you wildlife in abundance such as the panthers, sloth bears, sambar, wild boar and even the rarely seen wild dog. There is also a famous Melghat Tiger Project which has 82 tigers.

The scenic beauty of this place can be thoroughly enjoyed from Hurricane Point, Prospect Point, and Devi Point. This place is named after "Keechaka", because this is where Bheema killed the villainous Keechaka and threw him into the valley. It thus came to be known as "Keechakadara" - "Chikhaldara" is its corruption. Hence, this place is also mythological for the hindus.

Dhakana-Kolkaz National Park, Gavilgad and Narnala Fort, the Pandit Nehru Botanical Gardens, the Tribal Museum and the Semadoh Lake are also some of the places of interest. Chikhaldara Festival, held every year in December, showcases the best in culture, arts, and local arts and crafts. Adventure activities like paragliding and rock climbing, are also held as part of the festival. The temperature in Dec-Jan is below 10 degrees thus giving an amazing weather to winter lovers.

The two beautiful beaches of Alibaug

Alibaug is a small coastal town and a municipal council in Raigad District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. The main economy of this place comes through tourism. Alibaug is perfectly poised to offer an experience that is both, beautiful as well as unique. There are many ideal locations to visit in and around this wonderful city which must not be missed.

Alibaug is famous for many historic places and forts. Here, you will get to see a number of historic forts. Apart from these forts, there are several beaches here in Alibaug which are absolutely beautiful and worth visiting

Some of the best beaches here in Alibaug are the Kihim beach Alibaug and the Nagaon beach Alibaug. Kihim is a secluded place but not very far from Alibaug, just about at a distance of 12 km. The Kihim beach Alibaug is famous for dense cover of Coconut trees. These coconut trees enhance the beauty of this beach. It is also famous for woods and also for those rare butterflies, birds and flowers.

Kihim beach Alibaug is an intrinsic part of the socio-cultural landscape of this place and hence, offers an insightful peek into the interesting life, as it exists in Alibaug. The beach is very wide and is well known for its white sand and clear water. Here, you can find yourself relaxing in a pollution-free environment.

This beach is clean and here you can find different type of shells. The sunset from kihim beach is worth watching with your loved ones. Kihim Beach Alibaug is a good place for one day picnic as it is very nearby to Mumbai. One must definitely visit this beach for an awesome experience.

Apart from Kihim, another great beach located is the Nagaon beach Alibaug. This beach is around 7 km away from Alibaug. It is very famous for coconut and beetle nuts. The view here is simply breath-taking. The water is absolutely clean and pure. The visitors are attracted by the loving area of the tiding Arabian sea.

This beach is also famous for some Bollywood movies shoots. One of them is the famous song ‘Sagar Kinare Dil Ye Pukare’ from the film Sagar which was shot on this beach. The description of the song totally fits the beauty of the place. It is one of the cleanest beaches. The Nagaon beach Alibaug, lies between Alibag and Revdanda. It is situated about 10 km away from Alibaug. It is also popular for its water sports and for the most of the tourists coming to Alibaug stay near Nagaon beach.

Those who enjoy adventure will definitely love this beach as it has various kinds of water sports. These water sports are absolutely safe and can be tried easily. Nagaon beach alibaug is a secluded beach with fewer visitors and this place is also known to be very romantic. Nagaon is more attractive to those travelers who are looking to just relax and laze around away from the crowds of the cities. Hence this beach is definitely worth a visit and should not be missed.

The biggest and smallest hill stations in India

When vacations begin for children, the first question they ask their parents with great enthusiasm is the name of the hill station where they will be spending their holidays.

In India, there are many famous and beautiful places to visit throughout the year. But not every time do families get the time from their busy schedules to plan and work out a long trip which requires a lot of travelling.

If you want to visit a beautiful hill station where you wish not to travel much, then the best place is the Mahabaleshwar hill station. It is the biggest hill station in India and certainly one of the most beautiful ones.

 Mahabaleshwar hill station is a very popular holiday and honeymoon spot in India. There is a famous Mahabaleshwar temple here, hence it is also a pilgrimage place for the hindus. Here, you can get all types of hotels and resorts right up to 3 stars, depending on your budget.

It is only a five-hour drive from Mumbai. Mahabaleshwar is also known for the honey and strawberries produced here. One must visit strawberry farms to enjoy the real flavor of the fruit. It is a must for every tourist to have the "Strawberries with Cream" and "Mulberries with Cream" (season: April–May) as it is the most famous dish here. Even the sweet corns are grown here and are available both in boiled and roasted form.

Mahabaleshwar is also known for its famous bazaar where you can get a variety of local made honey. You can also buy jelly sweets, blankets, kolhapuri chappals, shoes and sandals and also jute bags.

For sight-seeing, there are many beautiful points in Mahabaleshwar hill station like Arthur’s seat, Kate’s point, Needle Hole point, Wilson point, Monkey point, Mapro garden, Babington Point, Pratapgad etc. there is also a beautiful Venna Lake, where one can go boating, fishing, and pony riding or enjoy the food and game stalls. Near the lake are the beautiful strawberry fields.

Along with Mahabaleshwar, another hill station which is famous in India is the Matheran hill station. It is the municipal council in the Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Contrary to Mahabaleshwar, Matheran hill station is the smallest hill station in India.

The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points. On each trip through the main bazaar you can purchase some of its attractions - care and leather articles, hats, chappals and the chikki.

Temperatures vary from 16° C in winter to 32° C in summer. It is a place to visit round the year, monsoons included. It is truly spectacular post monsoon due to the lush greenery, waterfalls and the lake full with water.

Cars are not allowed within Matheran. However you can drive up and park your car at Dasturi car point. From Dasturi you must take a 40 minute horseback or man-pulled rickshaw ride to Matheran. Horse riding is also great fun here. You must visit the beautiful points like Panorama point, monkey point, heart point, honeymoon hill echo point, charlotte late etc.

The beautiful beaches in Alibaug

Alibaug is a coastal town in Raigad District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is located about 300 km south of Mumbai.

The area is given the name Alibaug because there were gardens of Ali who is rich man. And “baug” in Urdu language means garden. Tourism is the main highlight of this small town.

There are many historic forts here to be seen, such as Kulaba fort, Hirakot, Khanderi, Underi, Sagargadh , Kasa (Padmadurga) Fort, Janjira Fort, Tomb Of Kalnhoji Angre, Magnetic Observatory, etc. But the highlights of this place are the Alibaug beaches.

All the Alibaug beaches are beautiful and one of a kind. They are not very far from each other and are definitely worth having a look at.

One of the best beaches here are the Mandwa beach Alibaug.  The beach is approximately 19 Km from Alibaug S.T. Depot. The beach is also famous with the name of "Picnic Point", since people come here often for picnics. Bungalows and Farmhouses of rich popular people and celebrities are attraction of this beach.

Mandwa beach Alibaug is also very famous because a lot of Bollywood cinema like Insaaf, Agneepath, Sagar, etc. and television serials have been shot at this beach. Hence this beach has a popularity of its own.

The catamaran/ferry services are available from Mumbai to the Mandawa jetty, as this is a convenient mode of transport to get to this beach.

Apart from the Mandwa beach, there are many more beautiful Alibaug beaches such as:

• Alibaug Beach: The Alibaug beach is just one kilometer away from state transport bus station. It is the main beach of the town. From this beach, you can easily the famous Kolaba Fort. It is decently clean and not very crowded during weekdays.

• Varsoli Beach: Varsoli beach is just 2 Km from Alibag S.T. stand. What makes this beach beautiful are the gardens of cypress, coconut and palm trees. This place is most recommended to those who are tired of their exhausting work schedules and looking to relax their body and mind, because this is a very quiet and calm place. The water of this beach is cleaner and sparkling white with pollution-free environment.

• Saswane Beach: Saswane beach is approximately 20 Km from Alibag S.T. Depot. The best part about this place is its quietness and peace. Nothing can beat this kind of calm atmosphere when you want to simply relax your body and soul. Another attraction of this place is the bungalow of famous sculptor Late Mr. Karmarkar, where his originals are on display.

• Nagoan Beach: The beach is also known as Satad beach.  The major attractions of this beach are the cypress groves. The best season to visit this beach is October to May. There are a lot of facilities of eatables and lodging provided by the locals.

• Murud Beach: it is surrounded on three sides by mountains. The water here is clear blue and clean. The sunset from this beach is breath-taking.  The beach is best and safe for sea bath.  The cypress grove, Palace of Nawab, Buildings of Nawab’s on beach is the main tourist attractions.

One of the best beaches in Maharashtra

The Juhu beach and the marine drive Chowpatti beach are the two most famous and well known beaches in Maharashtra.

People often talk about it and re-visit these places again and again not only because of its beauty and but also because sadly people don’t have much knowledge about the other less-famous yet beautiful beaches in Maharashtra.

One of those beautiful beaches is the Valneshwar beach. This beach is one of the most secluded and purest ones in the entire Konkan stretch. This beach surely has the ability to capture the imagination of beach lovers in Maharashtra. It is a small stretch of beach with very few tourists. Velneshwar beach is the best beach destination in Konkan that you need to visit if you are tired of your exhausting life and looking for some relaxation.

This beach is also well known because it is rock-free, hence making it very easy for swimming. This beautiful beach is also a favorite pilgrimage spot amongst the hindus because of the very old and famous Shiva temple.

Valneshwar beach is the right spot for you if you are a nature lover and enjoy peace. It is for those who enjoy swimming and sun-bathing. There are so many green coconut trees making the place look vibrant and beautiful. This beach, unlike other beaches is also known for its cleanliness, adding to the beauty of the place.

Here, its pollution free, serene and absolutely quiet. It is an ideal spot for those who just want to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Mother Nature. The best time to visit Valneshwar beach is after the monsoons, when the climate is simple superb and refreshing.

Apart from this, another beach in Maharashtra which is very beautiful is the Ganpatipule beach. This beach is near by the Valneshvar. It is one of the most spectacular and beautiful beaches along the Konkan coast. This one is also a pilgrimage spot for the tourists because of the temple of Swayambhu.

The beach is absolutely clean and the water is blue crystal clear. What adds to the serenity and beauty are the mangroves and coconut palms. One can easily see the baby crabs crawling on the golden sands. It is the safest beaches to go to along with your children since it is clean and not crowded.

Ganapatipule beach is an unexpected starting point to discover the landscape, culture and history of Maharashtra. There are also a few tourist spots nearby this beach. There is Malgund which is about 2 KMs away and is the birthplace of the famous marathi poet Keshavsut. Gaywadi beach near Malgund village is the hub of water sports activities. Jaigad is a fort about 15 KMs away and offers some great views of the village and the sea. Karahateshwar temple near the Jaigad fort is a peaceful place one must visit. Lakshmi Keshav temple in Kolisare is also worth to look at.

These two beaches are one of the most beautiful and developing tourist spots in Maharashtra which is definitely worth having a look at.