Mahabaleshwar has, until recently bloomed only because of inbound holidayers. Driving up the winding roads and into descending clouds, brings back childhood memories for many, especially those from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.
Up until the 1980s it remained as a popular honeymoon destination with cosy home-stays in antique wooden cottages, horse riding, boating on Venna Lake and walks through strawberry fields. In fact, Mahabaleshwar has and continues to be synonymous with strawberries, contributing about 80 per cent of India’s strawberry supply.
And so, a visit to Mahabaleshwar isn’t complete without touring one of the many strawberry farms there. Each year in April, Mapro Foods, the biggest food manufacturing unit there, draws in huge crowds by organising a strawberry festival in its gardens. Visitors indulge in the fruit as is or in the form of ice cream, jelly, jam and so on.
When the town started getting too crowded for comfort, it began to lose lustre, only to see a resurgence a couple of years later, when youngsters decided to make weekend trips there. Affordable accommodation and feasts that fit the budget were enough to lure college students and young professionals. Recently, the hill station has found a new audience: MICE. Corporate groups have been making trips to Mahabaleshwar for offsite team building exercises for years now, but the numbers are nothing in comparison to the present-day projections shown by hotels. Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar says, receiving 100 MICE groups a year is a normal figure for the town’s “MICE-friendly” hotels. And travel solutions provider, Thomas Cook says it coordinates Mahabaleshwar for corporate delegates at least ten times a year for average group sizes of 100 to 200, occasionally going up to 400-500 as well.
As Thomas Cook’s president and country head for leisure travel and MICE, Rajeev Kale points out, “The MICE segment is gradually growing in India and we are witnessing tier-II cities emerging rapidly, attracting business from major cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. Mahabaleshwar has also shown a strong uptake and potential from the second half of 2015. This is further fuelled by the opening of new hotels with MICE facilities.”
Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort and Spa, by Starwood Hotels, launched its upscale brand in May 2015. It markets itself as the “expert for MICE”. About 70 per cent of its corporate clientele is made up of those from Mumbai and Pune. The obvious reason is its advantageous proximity to them — 232km from Mumbai and 120km from Pune.
“Apart from these two cities,” adds Sachin Didolkar, the property’s director of sales and marketing, “There is an increase in demand for MICE in Mahabaleshwar from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolhapur, and Bengaluru. This is only because the destination is getting more popular because of the uniqueness it carries.”
The town has retained its charm with narrow roads and pathways lined with dense flora. Even though upscale properties are flourishing there, home-stays are just as popular. The local market with its rustic magnetism, carnival-styled games built from cheap material, and street food stalls remain crowded. All local sightseeing spots are bathed in scenic splendour. The many cliffs, the lake and the night-market are worth the visit and don’t demand much from your pocket.
Another cost-saving advantage is that unlike leisure tourists, business tourists aren’t fixated on weekends. In fact, visiting such a popular destination on a weekday guarantees cheaper rates.
“When it comes to hotel bookings, MICE packages are 20-30 per cent cheaper than leisure packages, and even lesser when booking on a weekday,” says Kale. “Typically, a corporate house spends about `2,000 per person for 3-star accommodation and₹4,000 per person for 5-star accommodation (per night excluding travel and event costs).”
Speaking from the angle of how this benefits hotels, Didolkar says, “Hosting corporate groups helps build a long-term relationship with them as it generates recurring business and keeps our occupancy higher. Receiving them on weekdays, definitely helps keep the occupancy average up and generate a consistent inflow of revenue on
slow days.”
Sample of a basic itinerary for corporate groups:
Day 1: Pick up from Mumbai/Pune, breakfast en route, check into the hotel and visit Venna Lake.
Day 2: Visit local viewpoints, lunch at the hotel followed by conference/team-activities, and a gala dinner.
Day 3: Visit the market, and lunch en route to the base destination.
SIGHTSEEING
Mahabaleshwar/Krishnabai Temple
A much revered Shiv Linga resides within the temple built
on a hillock in Old Mahabaleshwar. Stand there to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the Krishna valley and its river, which fills the water tank inside the temple premises. Good plumbing keeps the water fresh year round. During monsoons, water travels through holy cows built from stone, on either side of the pond, and spills out of their mouths. The stone walls and pillars remain bare, barring the few etchings left by visitors. The temple remains empty for most part of the day; expect crowds in the mornings and at closing time. (Open daily 6am to 7pm).
Arthur’s Seat
The drive up is through a dense forest that has a surreptitious feel to it, especially in the winters and monsoons when it is engulfed in mist. It gets its name from Sir Arthur Malet (1806–1888) who used to spend hours gazing out into the horizon, after his wife who was lost in a ferry accident left him bereft. Before Arthur lent his name to the view-point that is at a height of 1,470 metres, it was known as Madhi Mahaal. The now tiled and landscaped tourist spot has six different points — one where you can converse with your echo, another famous for its natural spring water, and the remaining four, including Arthur’s Seat are known for aerial views of the river and valley. Also available are vendors of corn, peanuts and other Indian snacks. Beware of the monkeys there, they’re known to be greedy and frisky.
3 Monkey Point
The stone sculptures nestled into the valley are visible en route to Arthur’s Seat. They represent Gandhi’s wise monkeys who preach: “Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil.”
Venna Lake
The lake and its surroundings are the biggest attractions in Mahabaleshwar. One can hire either a self-help paddle boat or a boat and oarsman. Charges vary as per time spent on the water and negotiation skills with the oarsmen. Around the lake are small stalls that sell roasted corn and other hot snacks. You will also find the famous (seasonal) strawberries and fresh cream there. On weekends it can get exceptionally crowded with queues for boating lasting as long as 90 minutes.
Horse-rides are also an attraction, but there aren’t many present today. Animal rights activists have fought for the well- being of these overworked beasts, but they’re repeatedly brought back to “business”.
Mahabaleshwar Market
Fresh carrots, turnips, strawberries and other seasonal
berries are found there. Cheap shoes, sweaters, shirts, fake jeans, accessories and other such items of fashion are sold at throwaway prices after a good bargaining match. Roasted chickpeas from Mahabaleshwar are popular too and sold plain, salted or with spices. One section of the market is an open air arcade with games such as ring the bottle, shoot the balloons, knock off the pyramid and so on. The experience, though far from refined, is a thrilling one for its rustic appeal.
WHERE TO STAY
Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort and Spa
Category: Upscale
All 122 rooms and suites (40-106 sqm) come with an attached private balcony, and can fit three people in the smallest room. Function rooms: Henry (109 sqm + 125 sqm) and Charles (44 sqm + 56 sqm) are the indoor spaces. Open air spaces are Henry Lawns (1,124 sqm) and Royal Grounds (1,672 sqm).
Activities: These include board games, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball, cricket, carrom, and pool. There is one rooftop infinity pool, one lagoon-styled pool amidst its greenery, and a gym. The property also organises forest treks, treasure hunt, tug-of-war and a cooking session with the chefs.
Wifi:₹650 plus taxes per day; free for Golden and Platinum
SPG members.
Brightland Resort and Spa
Category: Upscale
The rooms are categorised into Maple rooms, Poolside Deluxe and Superior rooms, Tulip Duplex Grand and Duplex Superior rooms, Lavender Regular, Deluxe, Grand and Superior rooms, and Orchid Wing rooms (base category). Also available on the property are cottages and suites under various categories.
Function rooms: Fernwood (190 sqm), Electric Mist (131 sqm), and a boardroom (52 sqm) are available in addition to 950 sqm of outdoor space.
Activities: There is a spa, spa bath, sauna, solar-heated swimming pool, a gym, golf course, pool table, table tennis tennis court, volleyball, and basketball. Brightland also organises horseback riding, hiking/trekking, and birdwatching.
Wifi: Free
Evershine Keys Prima Hotel
Category: Midscale
All 83 rooms — Deluxe, Executive, and Executive Twin — are sized at 25 sqm. Apart from rooms with a view of the parking lot, there are rooms with a view of the pool and the forest.
Function rooms: There is one banquet hall with a maximum capacity for 250 people.
Activities: There is a gym, spa, and an indoor swimming pool on the property. Gaming options include table tennis, carom, chess, and Ludo.
Wifi: Free
Valley View Resort
Category: Budget
The 75 rooms and suites (20-25 sqm) are divided into Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Premium Duplex, and Premium Super Deluxe. Function rooms: Two banquet halls on the property can accommodate from 50 to 200 people at a time. The outdoor lawn is available for use too, except during monsoons, and can hold up too 400 guests.
Activities: The indoor pool is temperature-controlled. There is also a spa, sauna and steam treat-ment rooms. Gaming activities available are table tennis, carom, chess, and dart indoors, and cricket and badminton outdoors.
Wifi: Free
