Mumbai Weekend Getaways

        In the first part of the series, I’m going to share with you my favorite Mumbai weekend getaways.

I’ve been lucky in a way to have parents who share my enthusiasm about travelling. Rather, they are reason that I got interested in travelling so much! And if that wasn't enough, I've got a bunch of lunatics like me who love to travel as well. Alright, so keeping this short, I’ll take you through my list…

4. ELEPHANTA CAVES

            Elephanta caves are situated on an island to the East of Mumbai city. It takes about an hour to reach there by ferry from the Gateway of India. It is nothing but a range of sculpted caves. The only downside to this place is that you've got to climb huge flight of stairs to reach the top. But once you make it there, it’s actually fun.

Shops cover your way while you walk to the top

 We went there during the month of December, so it wasn’t very hot ( but unfortunately, the proximity to the sea made up for lack of heat). We were all excited for the ferry ride. Maybe it’s a Mumbaikar thing- we all get pretty excited about boating and ferry rides. So, a ferry ride and a tiring climb later, we were finally there. We got our tickets and were all excited to see the caves.

The toy train

We also got into a toy train that takes you to the final point. (Alternately, you can walk). If you are in a hurry or on some sort of time constraint, then please prefer to walk as the train runs so slow that a few people passed us by on foot. :P.. And just a heads up- there are loads of monkeys over there!! So make sure you keep all eatables inside your bags.

The entrance to the main cave

       Well, since we went there just to relax, we did not hire a travel guide. (We ended up narrating our own version of the ‘possible events’ that took place here.. :P ). For those of you who are interested in knowing more about the caves, Click here .

Creating history (the fake kind :P )

       The caves aren't out of the world but definitely worth a visit. Overall it was a fun experience for all of us. 

How I went there:

1. Train to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
2. Boarded a ferry to reach the Elephanta isalnd. (They charge around Rs. 130 for a return trip)

3. LONAVALA

A view from the train

           

        Lonavala is a hill station at about an hour and a half’s drive away from Mumbai. It’s basically a monsoon getaway. We had just finished with our first year engineering exams and all of us definitely needed to unwind (All those months of ED, Physics, Chem, Calculus can really get on your nerves) so we finalized Lonavala as our destination. To minimize our trip cost, we went there by train. Luckily, our hotel was at a walking distance from the railway station.

          

             And, I won’t shy away from taking credit here when I say that me and a friend, ended up choosing, what could possibly be termed as the most value for money cottage in the entire Lonavala. *thank you, thank you* :P … We were a group of 10 people, so we booked ourselves a duplex cottage which had a small swimming pool and a recreational center!! All this, at an amazingly low price of Rs. 1100 per person. And the price was inclusive of food !!! ...And that wasn't all. Since nothing was scheduled in their so-called ‘conference room’, they let us turn it into a disco (well, a disco minus the lights).  We danced for hours, still perplexed.

On the way to Tungarli dam

  During our stay, we also visited the Tungarli dam which was some half hour walk from our hotel, as well as the Wax Museum nearby. The wax museum is pretty cool for a one time visit. 

Almost there- Tungarli dam

View from the top

       To our dismay, the dam wasn't quite what it usually is but the small trek uphill and the view from the top was totally worth the climb. The monsoon adds such beauty to the place! 

       Lonavala is a must- visit place, especially during Monsoon. I have been there during winter as well which is also a good option. If you get time, also try visiting the 'Raiwood park'. It provides a relaxing atmosphere.

How I went there:

1. Boarded a Pune-bound train from Thane and got off at Lonavala ( We had reservation. I suggest you do the same).
2. To reach to your hotel, you may walk or get an auto/tum-tum. We prefered to walk.

2. ALIBAUG

Nagaon beach

If you love beaches, then you must visit this amazing place! I happened to visit Alibaug with my childhood friends last week. Alibaug does not by itself have a railway station, so people usually prefer to go there by a private vehicle. But in case you want to economize your trip, you can do what we did. Get a train from Thane (or CST or Kurla) to Panvel. From Panvel, you have the option of going to the main Alibaug town either by the State Transport (ST) bus or by hiring a cab. We were short on time and so we decided to hire a Travera (They charge you around 1.8K for the entire vehicle). From the main town, you have tum-tums (sort of auto rickshaws), which again cost you about Rs. 300 per vehicle (we managed to squeeze in 9 people :P :P).

              

Way from my hotel to the beach

There lottts of hotels where you can stay. So, that is never an issue. Preferably try getting a hotel close to the beach. We had less than 24 hrs, so we ended up chatting all through the night and went to the beach(we were closer to the Nagaon beach) in the morning. And of course, a trip to the beach is incomplete without the collection of a few seashells :D . The way from our hotel to the beach was just beautiful. A typical narrow village road with trees on either sides- PERFECT!

Eating gola :D

       There are a few forts and other places to visit nearby, which you can cover if you have at least 2 days. Be sure to have the ‘Gola’ on the beach, followed by Maggie (it’s amazing how even Maggie tastes exotic after a dip in the sea! :P ).  We were staying at a home-stay where the owner cooked us fresh fish  and chicken(excuse me if you are a vegetarian).

A view from our hotel room

    I wish I could stay longer but it was an amazing trip nevertheless. Nothing beats catching up with your friends, while eating maggie on the beach!! ;)

How I went there:

1. Boarded the train to Panvel from Thane (Trans-Harbor line). Alternately, you may board the train via any Harbor line station as well.
2. Hired a Travera (for 9 people). He charged us Rs. 1800 till the main Alibaug town.
3. Boarded a tum-tum to reach to the hotel. It cost us Rs. 300 for the entire tum-tum.

1. MATHERAN

   

Outside Matheran toy-train station

And the top destination for me would be- Matheran !!! This place should be on the top of your charts if you are looking for a place which is easily accessible, easy on your pockets and yet allow you to have an amazing time..

  

                Matheran is a hill station just outside Mumbai. The easiest way to get here is by catching a Karjat bound train while getting off at Neral (not Nerul, mind you!). From Neral, you can reach the Matheran town directly by catching a toy train(which has a loooooooooooong queue). Or you can hail a cab(which only goes a certain distance) and walk the rest- which is what we did.

A breathtaking view of the valley

         

Neighhhh! :P :P

 We reached Matheran by 9 or 10 am, so it was pretty good weather-wise. Plus, it being winter, we did not have have to worry bout the heat. We had our breakfast and were set to explore. After negotiating with the horse-keeper, he agreed to take us to 12 spots and charged us around Rs. 350-400. A pretty good deal if you ask me ;).

Charlotte lake

        One of the points of sightseeing was the Charlotte lake. A lake as beautiful at a hill station- what more do you want!! Also, the temple besides the lake, is worth a visit.

          

        The best part about visiting Matheran is that you can visit it any time of the year. And the accessibility to this place is another great part. You can easily spend a whole day here or stay the night if you want to have a leisurely time. 

Another view of the valley

        Since we decided to walk our way to the top, it was now time for us to take a joy ride of the toy train... We waited to get the tickets to the train for over an hour. And once we did, we were pretty excited !! Maybe even more than a couple of children that stood in the line with us :P :P ...

        But all that wait was totally worth it. Though the train takes a lot more time to reach Neral, the picturesque setting that we witnessed, glancing out of the window, totally made up for it !! Or perhaps the reason I loved it a tad bit more than others is that, like Sheldon (from BBT), I love trains more than an other mode of transport! :D :D

How I went there:

1. Boarded a Karjat bound train and got off at Neral station.
2. Hailed a cab to reach half-way to Matheran town.
3. Walked the rest of the distance to the town.

• While coming back, we directly got into the toy train from Matheran town and reached Neral station.

      Soooooo, that was the list of my favourite places to visit near Mumbai.. If there is any other place I have missed,that you found fascinating, do mention it in the comments. I'll try my best to visit it... :) ..

      This was the first of the Mumbai mini-series posts... Keep reading for some more things Mumbai!

That's all folks! See you soon... Till then, adios!