Chikhaldara - Hill station of Maharashtra

Chikhaldara, many of you would find the name a bit strange. At least I did when I heard about it the first time. This gem of a place is located at the vidharba region of Maharashtra. This little known hill station was first discovered by an Englishman during British rule. He was so enchanted by this untouched beauty that he developed this place as a summer retreat.

Even today Chikhaldara is covered with dense forest. As a matter of fact it is very close to the Melghat tiger reserve. This small town situated in the folds of Satpura ranges is the place to be if you want to calm your nerves and enjoy a relaxing holiday. There are no 5 star hotels, shopping malls, movie theatres or spas or such things out there but one can enjoy the simple things of life like smelling the pollution free air, enjoying the cool breeze, talking with the simple town folks, walking on the streets without any care in the world and of course taking the forest safari to list a few.

It was a long weekend staring out at me and I was wondering what I can do to utilise it. I had already searched for my options at the MTDC resorts online. None was available. I also tried calling a few resorts around Pune and Mumbai but with no luck there either. Then all of a sudden I thought, why not go to some off beat place. A little googling, a little surfing on the travel sites and out comes Chikhaldara. There not much information about Chikhaldara on internet and I thought – how about a little trial for a change, may be it will turn out to be a great destination. I could not have been more right!

I and my wife started our journey towards Badnera, the nearest railway station to Chikhaldara on the eve of Friday. Railway being my favourite means of transports (more about it later). After overnight journey we were standing at the Badnera station and got ourselves a Sumo booked to drop us at Chikhaldara. After 100 km out of which 25 km involved climbing up we were there. Due to last minute planning I didn’t had any hotel reservations. So for the three nights that I had in mind, I stayed at two excellent resorts :-) So much for not planning for the stay.

As soon as one enters the town of Chikhaldara the first hotel that one comes across is “Harshwardhan”. Personally I didn’t find the location appealing though the food is good. The MTDC resort has arguably the best location, overlooking the valley. The Satpura resort is also near by. Another good resort is Green Vallies Resort. This one is close to the bus stand. I had stayed at the Satpura VIP (this one is the extension of the Satpura resorts) thought not that good. It has four suites, two on first floor and two on ground floor. However this one is a stand alone building originally constructed by the State Irrigation Dept and now leased to Satpura management. And for remaining two days I stayed at the Green Vallies. The expanse of Green Vallies is huge. The attached restaurant, Gavilgad, is near by and one can get descent food and service there. The quantity of the food in a dish is generous so it is better to get waiter’s opinion before placing the final order.

The climate of Chikhaldara is cooler throughout the year. The rainfall is very heavy during monsoon. During summer the greenery would fade away but then it becomes all the more easy to spot the animals during the forest safari. Talking of safari, there are no elephants or gipsies for safari. One has to hire vehicles (Sumo, Indica, Bolero etc). Indica is a complete no-no for safari. It’s too small and at some places won’t be able to manoeuvre through certain places like river bed. I preferred the Sumo and didn’t regret the experience. From Chikhaldara the Melghat tiger reserve is about 24km and on reaching there, the forest dept at Semadoh provides the guide and charges a forest entrance fee which is nominal and some refundable deposit. The safari takes about 4-5 hours from Chikhaldara to Chikhaldara and one can expect to spot Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Sa-mbhar, Nilgai, Wild Pig, Bison, Flying Squirrel etc. and many types of birds and reptiles.

Other than forest safari, there are many points to visit in and around Chikhaldara like Devi point, the Bhimakunda, Shakkar Talav, Gavilgad (fort), near by windmills and so on. But one should not miss the forest safari at any cost. Even if you are not able to spot any animals, the effect that forest leaves on you will be soothing. For more adventures sort there is forest lodge at Semadoh which can be booked through Conservator of Forest dept.

To enjoy the vacation at Chikhaldara at leisure I advise that the duration of stay has to be at least 3 days and 2 nights, anything less than this would be a compromise.

Where to stay

MTDC resort – Can be booked online

Satpura Resort – Can be booked through phone and by depositing the money in their account (details available on request)

Green Vallies Resort – Can be booked through phone and by depositing the money in their account (details available on request)

When to visit

Oct-Mar, though any time of the year is good. Avoid monsoon if you do not like heavy rains.

Must see

Forest safari, Devi point, Bhimakunda (huge water fall, especially during monsoon), Shakkar talav for boating

Minimum stay duration

3 days 2 nights

How to reach

By Train: Badnera is the nearest railhead is about 100km from Chikhaldara

By Air: Nearest airport is Nagpur

What to carry

Khaki/Green clothes, Woolen sweaters, Thermals, Cap, shades, good shoes, Camera, Medicines etc