Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is also known as the ‘City that Never Sleeps! Pulsating with a frenetic pace of life, Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is undoubtedly a city that keeps you on edge, and weekends are usually looked forward to with palpable thrill.
You have several options to choose from, mainly the hills and beaches forming the perfect getaway.
1. HILLS
Among several hill stations on the Western Ghats (Sahyadris), around Mumbai are the city dweller’s favorite Lonavla & Khandala and can be covered in one go!
Lonavala and Khandala
With the proximity to Mumbai city, the twin hill resorts are popular with those whose lives are dictated by
the clock’s tick.
Both lie within 5 kilometers of each other. Far from the maddening din of Mumbai, Lonavala is a quiet haven.
With crisp air even in summer, it’s an ideal hill resort where you can amble with your group or loved ones, inhaling the fresh misty breeze.
Many old-world bungalows and picturesque cottages offer restful accommodation.
Lonavala’s Bushy Dam in monsoon overflows unbridled and is a favorite among the young and the restless. The Lonavala Lake comes alive with pedal boats strewn across its placid waters.
Khandala
Khandala is the more pastoral of the two and is equally pleased with its pretty villas that offer cozy comfort. The Rye Forest and the Bhangerwadi areas are known for their scenic villas.
With its peculiar shape, the Duke’s Nose Hill never fails to attract photographers, both the novice and the ace! With the monsoon cloaking the hills in an emerald green cover over which ride a whiff of mist clothed in white, the place suffuses your senses with a quiet peace! Silver cascades wind through these verdant greens in monsoon, completing the picture that makes for a perfect frame!
Matheran
A mere 108 kilometers away from Mumbai is Matheran, whose accessibility is further enhanced by a toy train from its nearest railway station Neral.
Matheran’s unpolluted atmosphere is attributed to the government’s ban on vehicles on this misty hill retreat. Your weekend here will take you back to times when the wheels weren’t perhaps invented. But horses come to your rescue!
Even before daybreak, ponies take tourists to the deep woods, onto the shimmering lakes, and upon the hills. It is a delight to stroll around the marketplace without having to dodge automobiles.
The markets are glutted with pretty handicrafts, and haggling can be fun. Matheran again is an all-season retreat; it is like a revisit to a terrain shrouded in mystery!
Kaas Valley
During the monsoon months from August to October, the plateau of Kaas breaks into a riot of vibrant colors of red, pink, purple, yellow, white, and blue!
With 175 species of wildflowers abounding Kaas, the valley offers an exhilarating treat for your senses! UNESCO has recently included the Kaas plateau as Biodiversity World Heritage Site, and needless to say, your camera will be flooded with pictures of resplendent blossoms!
The 285 kilometers between Mumbai and Kaas can be bridged cleverly if you start your journey on Friday night. But beware of Monday morning blues when you return to the city!
2. BEACHES
Closet beaches are Manori, Madh, Marve, Juhu, Chowpati, and Gorai, hugging the island city of Mumbai, but the idyllic mode ones are undoubtedly Alibaug, Kihim, Ganpatiphule, and Harihareshwar.
Alibaugh can be reached via a jetty that regularly ferries people from Mumbai.
The clean, white sandy beaches of Alibaug and Kihim are a favorite weekend haunt. Several inns offer snug comfort to vacationers by serving authentic Maharashtrian cuisine.
Lodging in one of the resorts nestled within green foliage with hammocks suspended between trees, Alibaug is an ideal getaway indulging your need for quiet languor.
Murud Janjira Fort standing right amid the Arabian Sea with waves lashing at its formidable walls, is a sight to behold.
Ferries take you to the fort’s entrance, where you step onto the waters and into the fort! Kihim, close by, is another resort whose coconut-fringed beaches vie for attention, with its woods home to colorful butterflies.
Ganpatiphule
With an added attraction of Swayambu temple, the beach resort of Ganpatiphule doubles up as a pilgrimage destination.
The mangroves and coconut-fringed sea make it a picture-perfect getaway, notwithstanding the 356 kilometers distance spanning Mumbai and Ganpatiphule. The sleepy hamlets around Ganpatiphule offer an escape lulling you into a surreal bliss!
Harihareshwar
This Konkan shoreline of Harihareshwar, merely 193 kilometers from Mumbai, is a tranquil sanctuary dotted with ancient temples beckoning the weary soul.
The spectacular sculptures showcase the artistic brilliance of sculptors of a bygone era. Flanked by the Bankot creek and the Arabian Sea and surrounded by four holy hills, Harihareshwar town has a genuinely heavenly feel.
