| Around Mumbai |
| Elephanta
Caves |
| Across the Mumbai Harbour, lie the seventh-century
rock-cut temples of Elephanta. Once known as Gharapuri, or the Fortress City,
the Caves are now designated as a World Heritage Site and visited by hundreds
of tourists both for their art historical and scenic value. The Portuguese
renamed this island Elephanta after a large stone elephant found near the shore
( the elephant sculpture collapsed in 1814, when the British relocated it to
the Victoria Gardens now Mumbai's zoo, where it still stands). |
| Getting there: |
Approach to the Island is by boat. Luxury and
ordinary launches as well as catamarans leave for Elephanta from Apollo Bunder
at the Gateway of India. Boats usually leave every half-hour from 9 am to 2 pm
from Apollo Bunder and between 1 pm and 5 pm from Elephanta Island. Tickets are
sold at booths near the Gateway of India and the MTDC offers daily tours to the
Island. During the monsoons the ordinary boat services are usually suspended.
| | | | | |
|
Sanjay Gandhi National Park and
Kanheri Caves |
| 104 sq. kmS of green hills and forests, this
protected area lies near the northern suburb of Borivali. In fact the park was
formerly known as the Borivali National Park. There is a Lion Safari Park 500 m
inside the entrance and safari rides run daily except Monday from 9 am to 5
pm. The park is also well known for the 109 Kanheri Caves ( in particular
Cave 3), built between the 2nd and 9th centuries as viharas (monasteries)
and chaityas (prayer halls). |
| Getting there: |
| Visitors can take the train on the Western line (from
Churchgate) to Borivali station and then an auto-rickshaw to the Caves. On
Sundays and public holidays, a bus service runs from Borivali station to the
Caves. The MTDC suburban tour also includes Kanheri in its itinerary. |
|
| Marve, Manori and Gorai |
| North
of Mumbai and away from its bustling crowds and pollution, are these 3 beaches
that have become popular havens for Mumbai's beleaguered fun lovers. Marve, the
closest and the quietest is a lovely little fishing village. There are some
beautiful bungalows and up-scale homes belonging to the city's wealthy used
mainly as weekend getaways. Low hills along the beach offer you extraordinary
views of sunrise and sunset. Gorai and Manori, a little further away, are more
crowded with revellers and are famous for all night beach parties. |
| Getting there: |
| Marve is about 40 kms by car from Mumbai. You can
alight at Malad railway station (a suburban station on the Western Railway
line) and proceed by road. A 15 minute ferry ride from Marve or Borivali will
take you to Manori or Gorai. |
|
| Mandwa and Kihim |
| You will find these two beach fronts 12 miles north
of Alibag on the north coast and easily accessible from Mumbai. Mandwa is a
beautiful, untrodden beach. On a clear day one can enjoy a long, breathtaking
view across the bay, up to the Gateway of India. Mandwa village too, has a
charm of its own -- with its beautiful groves of coconut palms. Plan an unusual
tent holiday nearby at Kihim. |
| Getting there: |
| It is accessible by boats and road. There is regular ferry service between the
Gateway of India and Mandwa Jetty. For Kihim, one can take an auto-rickshaw or
bus further onwards. By road, Kihim is 136 kms from Mumbai. |
|
| Bassein |
| Bassein
Fort, now in ruins, was under the Portuguese a thriving fortified city from
1534 to 1739 when it was sacked by the Marathas. The ruins of the Portuguese
Fort still stand almost hidden by brushwood and palm groves. Some of the walls
and churches can still be seen. About 10 kms to the north-west lies Nalasopara
village, the capital of the Konkan region from 1500 BC to AD 1300. Many
Buddhist relics were discovered here. Nalasopara is believed to have been the
birthplace of the Buddha in a previous life. To the north, is the Agar of
Agashi and to the south is the Agar of Bassein. An hour by bus from Bassein
station are the Vajreshwari Temple and Akoli Hot Springs. Also easily
accessible is Ganeshpuri with the Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi Mandir, the
Bhimeshwar Temple and other ashrams. |
| Getting there: |
| Bassein Fort can be reached by train
up to Bassein or Vasai Road station on the Western Railway and then by
auto-rickshaw or taxi. By road, it is 77 kms along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. |
|
| Khandala,
Lonavala and Karla |
| Khandala and Lonavala are two charming hill stations
on the western slopes of the Sahyadris, 5 kms apart straddling the Mumbai-Pune
highway at an altitude of 625 m. Very popular with Mumbaites, they also
alternate as getaways and health resorts. Khandala is the smaller and calmer of
the two, though browsing through Lonavala's bazaar could yield some wonderful
surprises. |
| Weather: |
| Temperatures vary from 12 C in winter to around 36 C
in the peak of summer. The annual rainfall, when the climate is very pleasant,
is 450 cms. October to May is the best time to visit. |
| Getting there | |
| Pune 66 kms away, is the nearest airport. All trains from Mumbai to Pune and the
South stop at Lonavala. Mumbai is 104 kms away by road, the last 20 kms of
which wind up the ghats through grueling switchbacks. Taxis and auto-rickshaws
easily available in Lonavala and Khandala, are the best way of getting to and
from Karla. |
|
| Matheran |
| Matheran
is an undulating hilltop cloaked in shady trees, that sprawls languidly at an
altitude of 800 m. The journey involves an adventurous two-hour ascent in a toy
train, with food and drink vendors and monkeys jumping on and off as the valley
glides by sedately. Alternately, a tough 11 km hike through thick and shady
forests or a winding car drive can get you there as well. |
| Weather: |
| Temperatures vary from 16 C in winter to 32 C in
summer, with an annual rainfall of 524 cms. October to May is the best time to
visit. |
| Getting
there |
Mumbai, 100 kms away is the nearest airport. Neral
station, 21 kms away is where you can catch the toy train. Mumbai by road is
about 108 kms from Matheran via Karjat and Neral. Pune is 120 kms away. All
cars and buses stop at Dasturi just outside, from which you can walk, take a
horse or a hand-pulled rickshaw into the town. State Transport buses ply
regularly from Mumbai and Pune.
| | | | | |
If you are arrivng by air, disembarkation would be either at Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport (formerly known as Sahar Airport) or at
Chhatrapati Shivaji Domestic Airport (formerly known as Santa Cruz Airport).
They are about 4 kms apart and are approximately 30 kms and 26 kms away from
the heart of the city - Nariman Point - in south Mumbai. An airport bus service
operates between the airports and the Air India Building at Nariman Point. The
journey takes an hour to the domestic terminal and fifteen minutes longer to
the international terminal. However, be warned that during peak-hour traffic
the journey could last almost two hours. Tickets can be bought either on the
buses or at the booth outside the Air India Building. There is also a shuttle
bus that operates at regular intervals between the domestic and international
airports. 
For those choosing to travel by train, Mumbai's two main railway terminals -
Mumbai Central and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (or VT) connect it to the rest
of the country. For up-to-date information on tickets and routes, check the
Western Railway and Central Railway reservation centres.
Long distance buses depart from Mumbai Central S.T. Bus Depot to several towns
and cities. MTDC also operates a number of bus services throughout the year
(except for the monsoon months) to many scenic spots and tourist centres. Check
at MTDC counters for details.
