Weekend Trips from Mumbai

oldhippie

Concoran
It might not be interesting to you being Indian..but it will shock the hell out of any Westerner. This is something you will not see in the US or many other countries. Its a shame that the government does nothing for these poor people and its a bigger shame that Indians choose to ignore the problem.

I for one did not beleive a place like this existed until I went there and checked it out for myself. Hopefully if more people show some interest in helping these people the Indian government might make an effort to clean it up.

Bill

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Too Many Gandus, Too Few Bullets.

absolut

you could go to Matheran (very pleasant hill station) or to Lonavla where you can find some of the oldest buddhist caityas.

AvidTrekker

Outside the Himalayas, some of the best trekking mountains are in Western Maharashtra. Weather-wise, Dec to Feb is relatively "cooler" so many enthusiasts from Mumbai make it to the mountains on weekend trips. There are forts, caves, temples & many villages en-route which DO NOT even have electricity(is this your answer to "traditional" India?).

Last year My friends & I had been to a village just 160 km outside Mumbai... (after climbing a fairly steep mountain, I may add). It was so "untouched" that it shocked even "us Mumbai-wallahs". When we gave some sugar-candy-boiled-sweets to the village children, they put it in their mouths WITH the transparent plastic wrapper still wrapped around it!!! This we were unprepared for....(all of us are born & brought up in Mumbai). We taught them how to "remove" the wrapper .... & then "suck" not "chew".

This year, when we went to the same place, they knew how to "eat" it... but not many other city things.

Of course, this is an exceptional case.... many children along the other, more popular trekking routes "demand" sweets aggressively, which is not a "social" thing to do, but then this is India... I pray they dont graduate to begging for money.

Coming back to the "weekend retreats" from Mumbai, there are hundreds. Being avidly trekking, I prefer to give info about the jungles & mountains.

Harishchandragad is a popular mountain(altitude 4900ft) with a climb of more than 4500 feet(1370m) just 173km from Kalyan,(a distant "suburb"). There are caves & temples on the vast plateau on top dating to 1300 AD at least! A massive shivalingam on top is surrounded by a pool of water. This was the place where the Yogi Chaangdev (circa 1450 AD) used to meditate. There is an "easy" climb up from the NE side & there is a "difficult" route up the South to SSE face. Both are "non-technical" climbing routes where you need only a walking stick & a light backpack with some food & water.

Even if you are half interested in "mountains", you should do some trekking in the jungles outside Mumbai. It also has a "forest" INSIDE the city limits where panthers prowl in the wild! This is the National Park. (proper name.. Sanjay Gandhi National Park, but we locals call it the N... P... cuz the "S.G." came afterwards). The Kanheri Caves complex in this N.P. is believed to be a "meditation retreat" for Buddhist Monks around 1500 years ago, now it is just an Archaeology showpiece.

Suryamaal & Saputara to the North, Igatpuri(famous now for Buddhist Vipassaa teachings) & Nashik to the NE, Malshej Ghat to the East(Harishchandragad is here), Karjat, Lonavala, Pune to the SE & all the Beaches to the South.... take your pick!!

Since 24, 25, 26 Jan is a "long" weekend, many trekkers are expected to be heading for the Hills. Same reason, many city-slickers will be heading to the "resorts". The good "upmarket" ones are already booked out, but there will be accomodation available if you are willing to adjust.

If you want detailed info, email me on aviid@hotmail.com.

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you decide.... just have fun!!!

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The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

romit

http://www.expresstravelandtourism.c.../lookin2.shtml
I went there a few months ago and it was heaven. It's just an overnight train ride from Bombay. Small cottages, sound of the sea, Malvan cuisine. And not a soul on the beach. It's not a party place, but it's very peaceful indeed...

himadventures

Saikyo !

What AvidTrekker says about HARISHCHANDER GAD is very fine and this will give you somewhat different feeling of India.
A village in the base of the trek is KOTHRA - if you approach from NASHIK ( Although you can approach from Bombay end also for this you will be touching MALSHEJ GHAT ).

A Memory of KOTHRA is that it still lives in 'old times' - in books and illustration in scriptures. I saw tribal kids coming from distant places and living in a small school which was not even made of bricks !

We stayed with them-a simple teacher just gave us one instruction-to close door and do not go alone for 'pee' as this is leopard area !

I like that air/people and thier simple approach to life !

You have to have someone with you from MAHARASHTRA-a marathi speaking person will be necessary but I am sure you will love this trail which winds up slowly through dense jungle with active wildlife,birds and enter a plateu which condists of old temples where villages comes on auspecious occasions for religious purposes !

You will find traces of lot of activity of 'past'

Hope this will help !

himadventures

Try to have a search in google for 'short treks sahyadri"
treks sahyadri
treks near mumbai