The drive
The route runs down the Pune-Bengaluru highway towards Satara, then turns off towards Wai near Surur. It is mostly good highway, and the last stretch takes you through the countryside into the valley.
- Distance from Pune
- ~95 km
- Typical driving time
- 2 to 2.5 hours
- Distance from Mumbai
- ~240 km
- Typical driving time from Mumbai
- About 5 hours
- Nearest airport
- Pune, ~95 km
Leaving Pune before four on a Friday usually gets you here in daylight. Leave at seven and the highway out of the city will cost you an extra hour, and the final approach is unlit. If you are arriving late, tell us and we will keep things ready.
Why Wai rather than Panchgani or Mahabaleshwar
Most people drive straight past Wai on the way up to the hill stations. On a long weekend, Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar are busy, parking is a negotiation and hotel rates climb steeply.
Wai sits at the bottom of that same road, twenty kilometres before Panchgani. Staying here means you can drive up for a day, see Table Land or Mapro, and then come back down to somewhere quiet with a lawn and no crowd. You get the hill stations without staying in them.
A two-night plan
Friday evening. Arrive, light the bonfire, eat outdoors. There is a BBQ setup and a cook can be arranged on request, which is easier than finding dinner in town late.
Saturday. Wai town and the river ghats in the morning - the Dholya Ganpati temple and Menavali Ghat are both a short drive. Head up to Panchgani after lunch if you want the viewpoints, or spend the afternoon at Dhom Dam, six kilometres away, and stay for the sunset.
Sunday. A slow morning on the farm - the animals are usually where the children end up - then drive back after an early lunch to miss the returning traffic on the highway.
What it costs
There are two rates: the Full Villa Retreat, which gives your group the whole property, and the Basic Stay, which is a single room for two. All rates include taxes and cleaning. Current figures are on the tariff page.
Split across a group over two nights, this generally works out well below hill-station hotel rates for the same weekend - and you get the whole property rather than two rooms on a corridor.
When to go
October to February is the best weather and the busiest season - book well ahead for long weekends. The monsoon between June and September is the most dramatic the valley looks, and the Kaas Plateau flowering season in August and September is about two hours away. March to May is warmer but much easier to get the dates you want.