Amboli - Mountains and Waterfalls - My Diverse Kitchen

3shares

Amboli is a small village and hill station (690m above sea level) in the Sahyadri Ranges in Maharashtra. It is probably a lot like other places in the Western Ghats. Come monsoon and it takes on a beauty that’s next to none with lush emerald green mountain ranges and a multitude of pristine waterfalls dotting the landscape. This post, my first one on travel photography, is about Amboli – Mountains and Waterfalls.

I had heard much of Amboli from a couple of friends. We couldn’t make it there during the monsoons but visited just after, in late September last year. Our daughter was home on a short break from college and my sister was down on a little holiday. We decided to spend a day out at Amboli which is just a little over a couple of hours by road from Panaji in Goa. The four of us and the resident pooch piled into the car early in the morning just before the sun came up. We drove through Sawantwadi, which is where the climb up the Ghat road to Amboli begins.

The British declared Amboli a hill station sometime in 1880. Four months of heavy rainfall during the monsoons makes it perhaps the wettest place in Maharashtra. It had heavy forest cover during the British Raj and wild animals including tigers meant that Amboli wasn’t a desired summer retreat. It is just the opposite now. We found the road up to Amboli busy with noisy holiday makers who unfortunately take away from the experience. Amboli is best avoided during the weekends in tourist season. There are quite a few places in and around Amboli to visit whether waterfalls, fort ruins or temples. We visited a few as we had limited time on hand.

A view of the Moti Talaav/ Talao (meaning Lake of Pearls!) in Sawantwadi. It was artificially created by Wentop, a Britsh officer sometime in about 1870s.

Another view of the Moti Talaav/ Talao, Sawantwadi.

A view of a part of the road, somewhere near Parpoli Ghat, winding up the hills towards Amboli.

The Dhab-Dhabba Waterfalls on the way up to Amboli. Magnificent in the monsoons, the waterfalls had already dwindled down a month after the rains. One can climb up to half way these waterfalls by a flight of steps on the side of the waterfalls.

A closer view of the same waterfalls.

The steps along the side of the Dhab-Dhabba waterfalls by which one can climb up a little higher up.

Fresh corn in very much in season and sold roasted on the cob over a wood fire.

Fresh corn in very much in season and sold roasted on the cob over a wood fire. This is one of the pluses on this trip. A whole row of food stalls diagonally opposite the waterfalls sell a variety of food. The must tries are the coal roasted corn, crunchy Sabudhana Wadas/ Fritters, Mirchi Pakodas/ Bhajjiya (green Bhavanagiri chillies that are batter fried and crisp) and steaming hot cups of tea.

The wood fire for roasting the corn, just getting started.

There are monkeys everywhere near the falls. Though wild, many of them have lost their fear of people and can be quite dangerous. These two seem to be in the middle of a serious conversation…..

And one more…..

These unusual tea bush like wild shrubs are a particular feature in Amboli. In season, they bloom with violet/ lilac coloured flowers on a yellow flower carpet for miles around, and is a sight to see.

This side of the road had only a yellow flower carpeted expanse – on the way to Kavalshet Point.

Part of the lookout at Kavalshet Point. The view of the mountain ranges, their sheer height, depth and numerous waterfalls is unsurpassed from here.

A part of the lookout at Kavalshet Point. to the right (in this photograph) of this walkway is a part of a stream with a lot shallow wading pools and to the left side is a sheer drop which you can see in some of the photographs that follow.