Planning an exotic vacation? Take a trip to the hills of Amboli...An exotic land of waterfall, serenity and biodiversity.
Amboli is a small hill station located in the southern range of Sahyadri hills at a height of 690m above sea level, just before the plain coastal beaches of Goa. Climate and flora and fauna of Amboli make an enjoyable combination for the tourists. Also the clean and quiet hills here serve you a rich hot biodiversity to cherish in sightseeing.

Amboli is surrounded by the Sahyadri hill valleys from three sides, while it opens to the Konkan coast at the fourth side. Konkan coast embracing Atlantic Ocean makes an exotic beauty and to view it from the hilltop gives you an incredible experience. Also a visit to the nearby bauxite mines would make a fabulous addition to your Amboli trip.

In addition to the natural beauty, ancient Hiranyakeshi Shiva temple is also located at the springs of Krishna River, that comes from Amboli hills. It is said that there were a total of 108 Shiva temples in the valleys and stretch of Amboli, out of which only a dozen have been found till 2005.

With an average annual rainfall of 750cm and a fabulous range of waterfalls, Amboli ghat is referred to as 'Cherrapunji' of Maharashtra. Rainfall here is recorded as the highest in the entire western India. It is also referred to as 'Mahabaleshwar' of Konkan for the tranquillizing waterfalls and misty hills.

Amboli village was born out of the Britishers' need of a staging post nearby Belgaum city along the Vengurla port roads. Founded by Colonel Westrop, Amboli then was used for the maintenance of the British troops in south and central parts of India.

Connectivity

Intact from the hustling life of metros and big cities, this location is a wonderful attraction for short trips. This is the reason why lots of people from different regions of Maharashtra prefer this place as a weekend getaway. Amboli is situated on Vengurla-Belgaum highway no.112 in Sindhudurg district of South Maharashtra. The place is well connected by road to the major cities around it. Following is a route reference to reach there:

By Air: Nearest airport at Belgaum, is at a distance of around 64km from Amboli, which is a drive of around 1.5 hours. A new airport in north Goa is expected to come up soon, which would then be just at an hour's drive.

By Rail: If you are travelling there by rail, your railroad stoppage would be Savantwadi: 28km on Konkan. Having reached to Savantwadi, you will further have to take the road ride to the valleys of Amboli.

By Road: Local tourists looking for an economic option can go for state transport buses from Savantwadi, Vengurla, Belgaum and Ratnagiri to reach Amboli.

Distance cover from major cities:

Mumbai: 549km, Pune: 390km, Kolhapur (110km), Belgaum (70km), Panjim (Goa-90 km), and Ratnagiri: 215 km.

Best Accommodation Facilities

Thanks to the good infrastructure, you can easily get yourself a handsome lodgment facility here in Amboli. Following is the list of best rated lodgments of Amboli Ghat:

• Jrd International
• Green Valley Resort
• Whistling Woods
• Shiv Malhar
• Shailee Hotel
• Vrindvan Hotel
• Green Palace
• Silver Screen Resort
• Shalimar Hotel
• Lord Hotel

MTDC Green valley resort cottages as well make a lovable accommodation option.

Major Tourist Attractions

If you are an ecologist or a naturalist; then Amboli ghat is a supernal destination for you. Along with the thick forest cover and winding valleys, the exotic mountaintop makes an unparalleled view to Konkan coast. Nestled in the perching western ghat range Amboli has world's one of the top 10 hot biodiversity. Major attractions' list of the place includes:

• Nagatta Falls is a preferable picnic spot with enchanting beauty of waterfalls.
• Hiranya Keshi River has an incredible charisma along with Lord Shiva's magnificent temple. It originates from Goddess Parvati's temple cave and falls into a 'Kund' below.
• Shirgaonkar point at a distance of 3km from Amboli bus stand makes a fantastic picnic option with family.
• Purvicha Vas point as well makes a unfold view of the Konkan coast embracing the Arabic ocean.
• Mahadev and Narayan Gad are beautiful nearby hill stations that you can drop on to. There as well is an ancient Mahadev gadh fort in the near vicinity.
• A small ancient Shiva temple at the emergence of Krishna River and beautiful red laterite cave at base also makes a wonderful exploring attraction for trekkers.
• Bauxite Mine, located in at a close distance of 10km, these form a unique and splendid exploration attraction.
• Sea View Points embalmed with the exotic coastal sand land surrounded by placed mountains make a visual gusto.
• Sunrise and sunset point make a spell bounding beautiful picturesque scene.
• Tarkarli Beach, better known as the 'Queen Beach' of Sindhudurg is an alluring piece of heaven in the converging waters of Karli River and the Arabian ocean. This narrow stretch of pristine water lies at a drive distance of 1.5 hours from Amboli ghat. With a distance of around 84kms this is the nearest beach from Amboli. It is 546km from Mumbai and 6km south of Malvan on the west coast of India.

You can easily hire a rickshaw; rent a taxi or even a horse for sightseeing; as per your preference. For shopping exercises, you can go for popular Savantwadi wooden toys and Kokum fruits and eatables.

Nearby locations:

Charm of Amboli is enhanced by the other splendid tourist locations, such as:
Goa, Diu, Savantwadi, Devbagh, Devbagh Diving, Taj Exotica, etc.

Best Visiting Seasons to check-in here:

You can visit the Amboli valleys all across the year as the weather here is very pleasant. The valley is beautifully covered with mist during monsoon, which you can avoid if you don't like the rainy disturbances. This is a must to visit destination with gushing waterfalls in winter season.