Chikhaldara – Coffee Plantations, Lakes, Wildlife Sanctuary, and More

Just a three hours drive from the city of Nagpur is the fantastic hill station of Chikhaldara. What’s so good about this, you may ask. There are of course plenty of other mountain resorts elsewhere in Maharashtra. There are two main reasons that makes Chikhaldara unique – very few tourists visit this place, and so, you’ll even now, get all the peace and solitude you want, and second, it’s the only place in the state where you’ll find coffee plantations.

There’s certainly something magical about coffee plantations. If you’ve been to one such place, you’ll know. Coffee trees are low lying. They hug the grown below. But all over, you will find tall trees that make the entire place a green paradise. Add to that the mist of the Western Ghats, and what you have is a mysterious magical feel. Of course, there’s also the smell of coffee everywhere. If you love your drink, then you are sure to love it all. But you’ll definitely appreciate the greenery and the surroundings even if you are not an ardent coffee lover.

In fact, when Captain Robinson of the Hyderabad Regiment discovered Chikhaldara way back in 1823, he immediately fell in love with it, as the hill station reminded him of England. Thankfully, Chikhaldara has been able to retain much of its charm.

Is it just myth, or is there more to it?

There is of course a mythological connection too. According to legend, the demon Keechaka was killed by Bhima and thrown into the valleys somewhere here. It has also been said that Lord Krishna carried away Rukminee into the valleys here. It seems that the Lord was in love with Chikhaldara too.

There is a historical connection as well. For instance, you could visit the Gaavilgad Fort and the Narnala Fort, both of which are nearby.

There is actually a lot to see and do in Chikhaldara. You could take a tour of the coffee plantations and visit the processing plants. You could visit the Chikhaldara Wildlife Sanctuary which offers a fantastic biodiversity, and even the nearby Melghat Tiger Project. For more scenic beauty, you could go to Hurricane Point and the Devi Point. The Bakadari and Kalalkund with their high ridges always please the eyes. There are two museums as well in Chikhaldara.

But above everything else, it’s the nature, greenery, and the pristine surroundings that is the top draw here. You cannot have enough of Chikhaldara ever.