Amba Ghat
Amba is situated on the western ghats at the height of 3100 feet on Kolhapur - Ratnagiri national highway (NH-204) and this is the highest spot in Kolhapur district. Amba is actually a reserve forest area which falls in the buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve and Dajipur Bison Sanctuary.
Today, Amba ghat is a a beautiful hill Station in Maharashtra, unlike other hill stations it has limited tourist traffic and was recently awarded the world heritage status. Amba's serene and natural surroundings make it a complete de-stress zone and one can spend hours staring at the silent valleys below.
Amba ghat is blessed with a rich variety of flora and fauna and being amidst of the Dajipur Bison sanctuary, it is a bird watcher's paradise offering a wide variety of wildlife. Similarly, there is a large variety of plants and trees and one will find the rare Tamhan flower tree here, which has been declared the state flower of Maharashtra. To add to the tourist's delight they will get great pleasure in plucking and eating fruits like Java plums (jamun/jambhul) or Rose-apples which are found here in abundance.
Amba ghat is a trekkers delight, there is two hour long trek that starts from the forest leading up to the hill, only to reveal a stunning view of the Konkan and the Deccan plateau. Recently, Amba ghat has also become a venue for adventure sports like Paragliding. Amba ghat has a special mention in history, which says that the ghat acted as a bridge between Konkan and Kolhapur during the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Things to do at Amba Ghat
Treks and walks in jungles, bird watching, day & night jungle safaris, horse riding, wildlife photography, paragliding.
Best time to visit
Amba has pleasant weather, which makes it more enjoyable for the tourist to visit all round the year.In summer's (April - May) the temperature during the day is 24 to 28 degree Celsius, while at night it falls to 16 to 18 degree Celsius.
Getting there : Amba is about 65 km from Kolhapur on the Kolhapur - Ratnagiri highway and from Ratnagiri it is about 60 km.
Getting around : Resorts and hotels provide car services for sightseeing,Jungle safaris are organized by the resorts on their own vehicles.
Places to visit near Amba
- Amba Ghat(8 km).
- Pawankhind(1 km).
- Panhala(84 km).
- Ambeshwar Temple(4 km).
- Vishalgadh Fort(48 km).
- Wagh Zara(4 km).
- Manoli Dam(4.5 km).
- Pawas (84 km).
- Ganpatipule (89 km).
Where to stay : A few comfortable resorts & home stays are available in Amba village or Shahuwadi village, the best are mentioned below.
- The Jungle Resort.
- The Amba Resort.
- Vanashree Holiday Resort.
- Vanvisava Resort.
- Manali Resort.
- Hornbill Deluxe Hill Resort.
- Sawai Mansing Resort.
- Pavankhind Resort.
Where to eat : Since Amba ghat is an new upcoming holiday hill station in Maharashtra, and tourist traffic is less so you will not find many eateries or restaurants around.But the resorts and hotels in Amba ghat serve excellent food both veg & non - veg, Kolhapuri cuisines and other mouth - watering dishes.
Other things to carry :
- Carry snacks and plenty of water.
- Carry a basic first-aid kit.
- Sunglasses and hat.
A humble request to all travelers : While visiting Amba ghat please keep the nature clean and carry your thrash and dispose it in a decent manner. support nature, as these small actions will help us preserve our beautiful hill stations.