Quick getaway options: Panchgani & Ramgarh

FROM MUMBAI: PANCHGANI, 156 KMS AWAY, 3 HRS, 28 DEGREES

Panchgani is a town in Maharashtra situated midst five hills. It is a beautiful hill station, a favourite escape for the Mumbai-weary . With the rains making an entry into the state, Panchgani is converted into a blanket of green.

The air here is clean and crisp... a real breather for the work tired weekender. Flanked by tableland and craggy cliffs, Panchgani is 1,334 m above sea level; just 38 m lower than Mahabaleshwar.

The drive up to the town winds past red roofed hamlets and a patchwork quilt of neatly laid out fields and orchards. As the road meanders uphill, the vegetation becomes greener and denser, the tree canopy widens and bird sounds are magnified.

And then finally, you arrive at a neat, colonial-style town, with a birds’ eye view of emerald green coastal plains on one side and the River Krishna on the other. A genteel hill resort, Panchgani doesn’t really pander to commercial tastes, as does Mahabaleshwar. In Panchgani, holiday time include walking, riding or simply unwinding at your resort in the cool of the veranda or drinking tea on the lawns.

By road: Drive through Khandala to Shirwal

By rail: Nearest rail head is Wathar.





FROM DELHI: RAMGARH, 314KMS, 5 HRS 27 DEGREES



Ramgarh in Uttarakhand is a picturesque hill station on the Bhowali-Mukteshwar Road. The peaceful ambience of this weekend destination has attracted people for years — Rabindranath Tagore had once stayed here and even contemplated setting up his university Shantiniketan in this lovely hill resort. Located in Kumaon, Ramgarh is a veritable garden of paradise. One can visit the ashram built by Sri Aurobindo amidst the beautiful landscape.

By road: Drive through Noida Link Road and then left to NH24.

By rail: The nearest railhead is at Kathgodam.