ROMANCING THE RAINS

Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza got five travel enthusiasts to recommend monsoon destinations worth getting soaked in

- Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza

Chikhaldara comes alive in the monsoons with its spectacular, lush green views of the river and its rolling hills. This offbeat hill station is clean, fresh and rejuvenating.

Ideal for nature lovers, Chikhaldara surprised me in many ways. From the bear made with scrap metal parts that welcomed me to the hill station to the meticulously-planned forest garden with well-defined trails, it is definitely more than its many viewpoints but you should not miss the Panchbol Point, Mozari Point and Goraghat Point either! Home to the ancient Bhim Kund, Chikhaldara finds mention in the Mahabharata as the place at which Bheema killed the villainous Keechaka in a fight and then threw him into the valley.

There are also various species of flora and fauna to be found in this region because of the proximity to Melghat Tiger Reserve. This is also the only coffee-growing region in Maharashtra.

History lovers can also visit Gavilgad Fort, a 14th-century fort built by the Gond kings and once a stronghold of the Maratha empire. If you want to venture further on a day trip, visit Narnala Fort as well, which flourished under the Khilji dynasty. And, while you are in Chikhaldara, don't miss a local Maharashtrian meal at Gurdev Dhaba.

The MTDC Chikhaldara resort is a good budgetfriendly option with clean, spacious rooms.

Getting There: Chikhaldara is well connected to the cities of Paratwada, Amravati, Akola, Betul, Khandwa and Burhanpur by road.

The nearest airport is Nagpur (229 kilometres via the Paratwada-Chandur Bazar-Katol route) and 231 kilometres via the Paratwada-AmravatiKondhali route. MSRTC plies buses from Nagpur to Chikhaldara via Amravati-Paratwada.

The closest railway station is at Badnera (about 110 kilometres away).