At a glance A small hilltop town in the Sahyadris, 2,264 ft above sea level and just 28 km from Sawantwadi. About the city Amboli a hill station by the 1880s. Even before them, Amboli's potential had already been discovered by the Sawants of neighbouring Wadi, within whose fief Amboli lay. The sky above this village in the Sahyadris continuously dripped for a good four months if not the entire year, making it the wettest place in Maharashtra. But the surrounding forests were so thick with trees and tigers at the time of the Raj, and Matheran so much closer, that Amboli remained unchecked on maps for a very long time after. Amboli also suffered due to its proximity to Goa, only 80 km away. How to reach Road: Car: Drive all the way down NH17 till you get to Kudal. Just 3 km short of Sawantwadi is Akheri Road Junction, from where you take a left onto the curving SH121 that leads to Amboli. En route halts Plenty of restaurants and petrol pumps dot NH17 Bus: ST buses run from Mumbai Central. Rail: Nearest railhead: Sawantwadi Road (28 km/ 1 hr) Best option TO Konkan Kanya Express (dep: Mumbai CST 10.50 pm, Thane 11.30 pm; arr: Sawantwadi 8.18 am) Best option FROM Konkan Kanya Express (dep: Sawantwadi 7.22 pm; arr: Thane 4.58 am, Mumbai CST 5.55 am). Taxi to Amboli charges approx Rs 200. Air: Dabolim, Goa (127 km/ 2 1/2 hrs). Serviced by Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet and Sahara. Get to Amboli via Sawantwadi. Taxi costs Rs 800. Journey Time Road: 11 hrs from Mumbai Rail: 9 1/2 hrs + road 1 hr from Mumbai Air: 1 hr + 2 1/2 hrs by road from Mumbai Distances 557 km South from Mumbai From Mumbai NH17 from Panvel till Akheri Road Junction, short of Sawantwadi SH121 to Amboli. Best Seasons June to September. Those who come here in the monsoon will need to make rain a part of their vocabulary for it's a constant. Plus the high-falling waterfalls and green countryside during the rains ensure that the hotels are always full. Book in advance during weekends and around Diwali. Places in and around Amboli is a classic family holiday destination. Cars of varied provenance drive up from the surrounding states throughout the year, with the holiday season starting every Friday and waning every Monday. All the places to see will be either on the right side or towards the left of Hotel JRD International, the most prominent landmark in Amboli. You can also pick up a useful map of the town from the hotel's reception desk. The best way to get about is to take an autorickshaw if you haven't driven up. It should not cost you more than Rs 400 to cover all the tourist spots over the weekend. One must-visit is Madhavgad Fort, four times the size of Shaniwarwada in Pune, and now in a state of ruin. A memorial on the main road gives you an insight into the war that it marks; the tombstone reads that only one British soldier died in the battle. Share lunch or dinner with the elders in Amboli and they will probably dispute the lapse of reason in this particular version of history (over a bowl of mutton curry). Another must-do is a visit to the abandoned Summer Palace of the Bhonsales of Sawantwadi for a trip into nostalgia and unbeatable views of the hills.