Amboli was developed as a hill station by the British political agent, Colonel Westrop, after the opening of the 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. It si the closest hill station to Goa, and is a small settlement perched 690 metres (2,264 feet) up in the Western Ghats. It is on record as the wettest place in Maharashtra, with an average of nearly 750 centimeters (269 inches) of rainfall a year, falling between June and October. Because of its size and distance from Mumbai, it is quiet and peaceful. At this time, the hill station is wrapped in mist. In other seasons there are fine views of the Konkan coastal belt. Amboli has a cool and invigorating climate - a welcome respite in summer. Amboli is one of the few hill stations from where one can see really see the sea. If one is looking to spend a few days in splendid isolation with the family, Amboli is an ideal resort.