My daughter loves her strawberries. She can eat it at any time of the day, really! So, a visit to the strawberry farms had to be on my bucket list. On a recent trip to Mumbai, we made a short trip to the cool hills of Mahableshwar. It was the ideal time, as December is a good month to go strawberry picking (season is from October to February).
The five-hour car ride from Mumbai can get a bit tiring, but you know you’re nearing Mahableshwar, as you stare out at beautiful rocky mountain scenery.
The vendors selling tiny mounds of strawberries at the Panchgani train-station (a hill-station on the way to Mahableshwar) bring a smile to my face. Here on, you know you’ve reached strawberry country. The drive from Panchgani to Mahableshwar, is dotted with vendors selling this beloved fruit.
In our two-day getaway, we ensured we had our fair share of strawberries. Besides the fresh strawberries that filled our tummies, we also indulged in the local eat-anytime dessert – strawberries and cream. Word of advice: These local jaunts aren’t fancy, but the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ outlets have the most delicious desserts ever.
Berry picking was also on our agenda, and we hopped over to a tiny local farm to see how strawberries are grown. The farm was tiny, with a small patch of green allocated for strawberry growing. I treaded carefully with my daughter, along the rows of strawberry plantations, while she happily plucked a few ripe strawberries she spotted.
Besides strawberry farms, the town is famous for mulberries, raspberries and myriad products made with berries – from juices to jams. Companies like Mapro have set up commercial ventures in the region. Honey, corn and other fresh produce like carrots and radish, are also available readily.
The bazaar area is the busiest area of the town, dotted with restaurants selling local Maharashtrian fare. Other tourist traps are horse riding and boat riding, typical of most hill-stations in India.
What really made the trip memorable was the sheer pleasure of eating farm fresh strawberries, available in abundance. My most recent memory of strawberries are the pricey ones I reluctantly buy, at the supermarket here in Singapore. I was definitely going to miss all the hoopla that surrounds the fruit, in this rugged hill-station town.
For stay options, check out, https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotels-g635749-Mahabaleshwar_Maharashtra-Hotels.html
{Photos by My Red Palette}
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