We love our weekends especially the long weekends and taking a quick trip to make it even better needn't be that pricey or tough to plan. There are many places that are easily accessible from Mumbai and they include a variety of landscapes and activities too! Check out the list below to make your weekend getaway planning a little bit easier, after all you have 10 places to choose from!
MATHERAN – ASIA’S ONLY AUTOMOBILE FREE HILL STATION
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Matheran is famous for being the smallest hill station
in India and for the fact that no vehicles running on fuel are allowed inside
the town in order to maintain the pollution free environment.
It is in fact Asia’s only
automobile free hill station.
Where to eat: Konan Katta for Konkani food, and Ketkar’s Restaurant
for Maharashtrian snacks.
Where
to stay: Verandah In The
Forest
What to do: Horseback riding around town and you can also take the
famous toy train ride here.
LONAVLA – CAMPING BY PAVNA DAM
Lonavla is a small hill station just a an hour’s
distance from Mumbai. Famous for its chikkis and one can also camp by Pavana
lake which is exquisite around the monsoons.
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What to do: Visit the famous chikki stores in Lonavla and try out
the various types of fudges and chikkis available there. A visit to Tiger Point
to watch the sunrise is a must.
PANCHGANI & MAHABALESHWAR – CHARMING HILL STATIONS
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The twin hill stations of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar
are fairly popular with people living in Mumbai and Pune and are frequented on
the weekends as they serve as an ideal getaway.
Where to go: Tableland, Elephant Head Point, Mapro Garden,
Mahabaleshwar Market.
What to eat: Strawberry and Cream, Pizzas and sandwiches at Mapro
Garden, burgers at Lucky Bakery, Ice Cream at Hill Top Ice Creams.
Where to eat: Mahabaleshwar Market and Mapro Garden in Mahabaleshwar,
Lucky Bakery, Hill Top Ice Creams, Akbarally’s Parathas and Purohit’s in
Panchgani.
Where
to stay: Hotel Ravine in
Panchgani
NASHIK – WINE VALLEY OF INDIA
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India’s famous wine trail- Nashik houses some of the
biggest names in Indian Wines today – from Sula to Fratelli, they all have
vineyards at Nashik.
What to do: Visit the Sula Vineyards and get a complete wine tour
with the tasting, the stomping and the works.
Where to eat: At The Tasting Room, Sula Vineyards
What to try: Wines. Duh!
Where
to stay: The Sula
Vineyards have a resort on the grounds as well, while it may be a bit expensive
it will definitely add to the experience of living in a vineyard.
AURANGABAD, AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES – REVISITING
HISTORY
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Situated a distance of 100 kms from each other, The
Ajanta and Ellora caves are famous world heritage sites housing many rock
edicts, wall paintings and sculptures. The world famous Bodhisattva painting can be seen at one
these caves. Ajanta and Ellora can be easily reached from Aurangabad, Ellora
being a 40 minute drive and Ajanta a 2 and half hour drive.
What to do: A walk around the caves, taking in their rich
history
What to eat: Aurangabadi cuisine is a mix of Hyderabadi and
Mughlai cuisines. Non vegetarian food is a must. Must have foods include - Naan
Qaila, Meat cooked in fresh spices and herbs and mouth watering kebabs.
TADOBA – AN ADVENTURE WITH THE BIG CATS
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Close to Nagpur lies the oldest and the largest tiger
reserve of Maharashtra- Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Tadoba has the highest number
of tigers in the country, so your chance of a friendly encounter just got
doubled! Take a train or fly to Nagpur and Tadoba is an easy 3 hour drive from there.
What to do: Take an open jeep safari and if you are lucky you may
just spot the beautiful big cats!
Where
to stay: Svasara Resort
LONAR – CRATER LAKE!
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Situated in the Buldhana
district, Lonar Lake is a saline soda lake which was created as a result of a
meteorite impact thousands of years ago. The lake is lined with many ancient
hindu temples. The lake is also rich in flora and fauna.
What to do: Visit the many ancient
temples for that Indiana Jones kind of a feeling and camp out by the lake.
Where to stay: MTDC
KOLHAPUR- OF CHAPPALS & MUTTON CURRY
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As the title suggests
Kolhapur is widely famous for its spicy cuisine and robust hand crafted leather sandals or more
popularly known as Kolhapuri Chappal.
What to do: Visit the Kolhapuri Chappal
market, Shahu Maharaj Palace and Rankala Lake
What to eat: Mutton Lonche, Mutton Sukkha
Fry, Mutton Thali and Aamras at Hotel Padma
TARKARLI – TURQUOISE BEACHES & MALVANI CUISINE
You don’t have to travel to
far to enjoy pristine white sand beaches, scuba diving in waters rich in fauna
and dolphin watching, head to Tarkarli in Maharashtra which has all of this and
more in abundance. A must is the famous Malvani cuisine.
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What to do: Scuba Diving, Dolphin
Watching, Bonfire at the beach
What to eat: Explore the plethora of
dishes that the Malvani cuisine has to offer. Eating out at shacks and
restaurants to having authentic home cooked meals at a local home-stay can be
enjoyed here.
MURUD - JANJIRA
Sitting at a distance of 165 kms from Mumbai, Janjira is one of the strongest marine forts of India. The fort which is built in the middle of the sea houses a sweet water tank in centre! The fort can only be reached by a ferry ride from Murud
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What to do: Take a sailboat ride to the Janira Fort and explore.
What to eat: Try some sea food at one of the many restaurants in the town of Murud.
