Amboli :India
Amboli, the closest hill station to Goa, is a small settlement perched 690 metres (2,264 feet) up in the Western Ghats. It was developed as a hill station by the British political agent, Colonel Westrop, after the opening of tbe Ghat Road from the coastal town of Vengurla, now in southern Maharashtra, to Belgaum. Of Amboli in the 1880s it was said, ‘the ghats swarm with wild beasts, but the jungle is so dense that it is almost impossible to drive them from their lairs.” Even today, there is some forest around Amboli. Amboli is on record as the wettest place in Maharashtra, with an average of nearly 750 centimetres (296 inches) of rainfall a year, falling between June and October. At this time, the hill station is wrapped in mist. In other seasons there are fine views of the Konkan coastal belt. Because of its size and distance from Mumbai, it is quiet and peaceful.

GETTING THERE
Panaji, the main town of Goa, is only around 90 kilometres (56 miles) away. There is one bus a day from Panaji to Amboli, but several from Panaji to Sawantwadi on the way to Amboli. From Sawantwadi, there are frequent buses to Amboli between 6 am and 6 pm every day. The nearest airport and railhead is Belgaum, 67 kilometres (42 miles) away in neighbouring Karnataka state. Regular buses also run from Belgaum and Kolhapur, Pune, 390 kilometres (242 miles) away and Mumbai, 549 kilometres (341 miles) away in Maharashtra.For details of where to stay in Amboli, see page 281.

SIGHTS
You can either walk or take a scooter-rickshaw to explore the area around Amboli. Among the main viewpoints are Mahadeo Gad, a natural fort, and Temple View, Shirgaonkar, Sunset and Sea View points. Amboli is one of the few hill stations from where you can really see the sea. Excursions include another former fortress Narayan Gad a distance of ten kilometres (six miles), and Nagattas Falls, also ten kilometres (six miles) away.