What to explore in unique Mumbai?
Mumbai is known as the financial capital of India but at the same time this city is bustling of life and has a lot of stories tucked in unusual corners. If you have Mumbai in or travel list yet to be ticked off then it is better not to go to the beaten tourist spot. One can try their hands on having a unique experience of Taj Lands End Mumbai.
Here are some offbeat things that one can do and visit some unique places when they are in the city that never sleeps.
Trek through Sanjay Gandhi National Park
This is one of the world’s largest parks located within the city limits and in Mumbai one can have a unique nature experience here. This is spread over 104 square kilometres and this densely rich forested national park is home to some rich flora and fauna. One can also get to see the resident lion and tiger population here. There are varieties of treks organized throughout the year and one can experience the lush greenery in the heart of a city.
Join a midnight cycling trip
As it has been said above, Mumbai is a city that never sleeps. So, this city offers quite a scenic cycling routes that one can explore at the middle of the night when the rush of traffic has died down a little. Midnight cycling around the city and the streets always help one to see the place in a different light. There are many local cycling groups which frequently operate midnight cycle trips and one can enrol there if they are visiting Mumbai. The most popular start points are Nariman Point and Bandra Bandstand.
Stroll through Khotachiwadi
It is a small heritage village in Girgaon and it is almost 2 centuries old. At the same time, it is still rich with remnants of a unique history. Filled with narrow lanes and colourful houses that boast the Portuguese architecture this place totally stands apart among the other features of the south Mumbai. This village contains 60 to 70 houses which were built around that time.
Visit Mumbai’s only Chinese temple
Yes, Mumbai has a Chinese temple and this Kwan Kung Temple is the only remaining one. It holds the flag as a reminder of once flourishing Chinese population in India. This was built in 1919 and this small temple is located in Mazgaon which was once the city’s Chinatown. This temple is exquisitely decorated with figurines, paper lanterns, chimes and rich murals.
Go to the vintage movie theatres
Mumbai and Bollywood always go hand in hand. Everyone is fascinated by the film industry of the city. As a result, this city also houses some historic cinema halls and some of them the oldest surviving ones in the country. If one is a film buff then they can also make a memory by catching a film at one of the oldest theatres. Among the oldest cinema hall icons, the most popular ones are the Maratha Mandir and the Eros Cinemas.
Explore the historic forts
Mumbai is located beside the Arabian Sea and so it is a home to some significant forts which ones served as the watch points for various rulers over the past few centuries. While most of them stand in a dilapidated condition now some of them are accessible as they are properly maintained. One can explore the ruins of the Bandra Fort which is situated at the southern tip of the Bandra Bandstand Promenade and it offers some stunning views of the sea along with the southern skyline of the city. Then there is Worli Fort which is located even further to the south and the Bassein Fort at Vasai which are open for visit.
Check out the zoo in Byculla
Byculla has a historic zoo which rarely features in any touristic itineraries. But one must visit them if they need to tick off the offbeat list. This is one of the oldest zoo in the country which was founded in 1861 and it is spread over 50 acres. It houses animals like hippos, crocodiles, leopards and wild cats apart from varieties of birds.
Head to the unexplored beaches
Surrounded by Arabian Sea on almost all the sides, Mumbai is a city which is filled with diverse range of beaches. One can easily skip the popular beaches of Juhu and Versoba to explore the ones which are quiet and serene. Uran beach is located in the south of Navi Mumbai and this one is well maintained offering people with some striking views. Gorai beach on the other hand is located in the north western part of Mumbai and this is also never crowded.
Scout out some street art in Bandra
One can take a stroll through the historic Bandra because this neighbourhood is filled with some rich street artworks and this can give one of the most memorable experiences in Mumbai. The works are mostly takes one social and cultural matter and subjects are as diverse as the creators and the profiles.
Discover the historic cave temples
Mumbai is also home of some historic caves and structures that are scattered around. One can visit the Kanheri caves which are located deep within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the structure is dated as early as the 1st century BCE. Then there is the Elephanta Caves which is located in the Elephanta Islands and they were built in between 5th to 8th century CE. One can also check the Hindu and the Buddhist cave temples which date back to 6th century CE. From Mumbai there are plenty of other destinations as well that one can visit. These days it has been very easy to find tourist as well as offbeat places to visit in a place because of an online research. Before reaching Mumbai one can book hotels for their stay in the heart of the city. One can check the details of Taj Lands End Mumbai and others from their official websites and book rooms online as well.
