Mahabaleshwar is a quaint hill-station whose rustic nature makes it a perfect getaway for a long, lazy weekend.

When was the last time you told yourself that you needed a break, and then ended up working through it? If this sounds familiar, then maybe you should take off to the hills for a few days. Some place where you have bridle paths cutting through lush green forest, rolling hills and 40 TV channels, just in case you start missing the outside world. Mahabaleshwar is a hill-station that offer the tired city-slicker, the best of both worlds. Airconditioned comfort and a climate that makes an A/c redundant. Satelite TV and Mother Nature's panorama. Choose what you will…after all, it is up to you how you'd like to unwind.

Mahabaleshwar has been a popular hill-station for over 170 years. Situated at a height of nearly 1372 metres, it owes its name to a Yadav King who built a temple to honour Mahadev, and thus got called maha bala ishwar, which obviously became anglicized to Mahabaleshwar. We owe a lot to the British, for if nothing else, they had an uncanny knack of discovering little hamlets that were perfect as summer retreats and most of them are today, popular hill-stations. Mahabaleshwar, is a prime example. It was discovered by Major Lodwick in 1824 who was so impressed with its beauty and climate that he campaigned vigorously for it to be a hill station.

"A world that moves at its own easy-going pace and forces the casual visitor to slow down and put his feet up once in a while."

In spirit, Mahabalehwar hasn't changed a whit since it was first discovered. It's still a sleepy town, dotted with old Parsi and British bungalows, redolent of the days of the Raj. A world that moves at its own easy-going pace and forces the casual visitor to slow down and put his feet up once in a while. For those inclined to stretch their legs and take in some fresh mountain air, this is your kind of lace. You can hire a paddle boat and float about in the mist on Venna lake. On the other hand, there are many points around the town which offer a panoramic view of the valley.

Take a walk down to the enigmatically named Bombay point. From here you can see the hills around Mahabaleshwar and on a really clear day, you can actually see the sea! Drive down to Arthur's seat if you'd like to know just how windy it can get in the hills.Arthur's Seat is at the edge of a 600 metre precipice, which looks straight into the Deccan Plateau. The wind howls menacingly as it tries to esacpe from the wind trap. Drop a twig over the edge and you can actually see it being hurled upwards along with the wind.

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