How would you feel in a tranquil place with tigers in the turf? Thrilled or excited? Strange the name might seem, but Chikhaldara is surely gem of a place in the Vidharba region of Maharashtra. This unexplored hill station was espied by a British man during the Raj era. Similar to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Chikhaldara was picked up as the summer retreat of west-central India. Located quite close to Melghat Tiger Reserve, moat of the area of this tiny hill station is still unexplored and covered with dense forest.
With no lavish hotels, shopping malls, spas or fancy restaurants in the hill station, the place is still no less blissful. Chikhaldara is a heavenly suburb for those who wish to enjoy the cool breeze, to get lost among the lush green pathways purposefully and to smell the pollution free air, quite an unexpected thing to find in today’s world. This countryside town offers gratuity of waterfalls, picturesque landscapes, wildlife and several other unexplored aspects.
As you move towards the beautiful hill station, you will come across captivating wind mills and wide open fields with cattle grazing around. Along the green fields, you will also see tiny mud layouts embellished with flowers, adding another beauty spot to this place.
While Chikhaldara looks alluring in the daylight, there are various places like Hurricane Point, Gavilgad and Devi Point, which will give you an absolute homely feel during the night hours. For those who grew you watching Animal Planet, this place will surely give you a wildlife experience of a lifetime. You can visit Dhakana – Kolkaz National Park and Melghat Tiger Project for spotting tigers, sloth bear, panthers and deers.
The best thing to do is to explore this small town on a bicycle. If you are riding down your bicycle in the month of November, don’t forget to put on some warm cloths as the climate turns a little chilly post dusk. While on two-wheels you can stop by a roadside stall and sip the yummiest soap while starring the starlit sky.
Not just this, Chikhaldara is an absolute budget back packing for those living in the near by cities like Mumbai, Aurangabad and Nagpur. A weekend getaway is perfect to give you countless memories to treasure. You can surely surf a lot of information about Chikhaldara on various websites but the inside stories you can get from a visit to this hill station will be an experience in itself. So, why not see for yourself?
