It is said that once you live in Mumbai no other city in good enough. Sometimes it is not the place but the people with whom you choose to be with.
Last week my office colleagues cum friends wished to visit Mumbai. The date was fixed, and the plan was jotted down.
The first step towards a successful outing is – Each one to be willing to be a part of the trip.
Everybody else was visiting Mumbai for the first time. And I was re-visiting Mumbai altogether after 2 years.
It was completely a different experience and a re-discovery for me to visit my own city. I would like to share this pleasant experience of mine which would stay with me for the rest of my life.
Below are the places which you can visit if you are new to Mumbai and for also those of you want to reconnect with your very own city – Mumbai.
1. Mahalakshmi Temple
We started our journey sharp at 5 am from Pune towards Mumbai.
The second step towards a successful outing is – Being one time. This leads to a happy start, and a ray of hope arouses from within that we have stuck to our plan.
We strictly followed google maps right from Pune. Once you enter the statue at Chembur circle (considered as an entry point of Mumbai), google maps will show left which will take you to the eastern freeway. You can trust the google maps completely.
We reached Mahalakshmi Temple sharp at 8.30 am. The first thing you need to do once you arrive there is the search for a parking space. Finding one is difficult.
Fortunately, we got a space to park. Also, make sure that it is not a no-parking zone. We ensured the same by asking a few people around us. It is a good practice to be at a safer side whenever we are travelling in a private car.
Mahalakshmi Temple is thronged with devotees and tourists in large number throughout the year. As every good work is started with God’s blessings, we began our trip likewise.
Post darshan we had our breakfast in the nearby South Indian hotel. The food was good to satisfy our hunger attack, but the tea wasn’t.
2. Worli Sea Face & the Sea Link
Our next destination was Worli Sea Face. It is one of the best places to visit in Mumbai. The sea-face welcomes its tourist with a warm heart. We sat for a while and looked around. Few people were jogging, a few walked along with their dogs and the others just sat staring at the sea and experienced the breeze.
We also saw a couple at their “Baby-bump photoshoot” and a lady doing Yoga nearby.
Admiring the beauty of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, we headed there.
This was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi and named as “Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link.”
The design of this sea link will leave you open-mouthed, and you can’t stop turning your neck around and gazing at the beauty.
3. Bandstand & Bandra Fort
The sea link is something one just cannot miss. To view the same from the other end, we headed to Bandstand. Yes, we could see Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow’s gate.
I was amused to see people actually posing in front of the gate for pictures. And there I saw one of my friends who was already standing there with his hands wide open for a photo. He did resemble SRK’s famous style to some extent, not perfectly though.
We parked our car at the side of the road and walked towards the Bandra fort as it is a 2-minute walk. The fort is huddled with couples all around.
We went on top of it to see the best view of the Sea Link. Our photographer friend got quite good clicks there.
Here we witnessed a “Pre-wedding shoot.”
4. Shivaji Park, Dadar
After a good amount of travel, we wished to take some rest. No other place is as soothing as Shivaji Park of Dadar.
The huge trees here are un-cut and give us ample of shadow.
The breeze did its magic on us, and we spent a gala time there until we were hungry and craved for food.
So our next destination was Pritam Da Dhaba where we had our lunch. The hospitality of the hotel was great. But the overall the food quantity and taste was not up to the mark. It is okay for a one-time experience.
5. Gate Way of India, Mumbai
Once again we relied upon google maps and headed towards Gateway of India. The app will take the best route always and reach you in time.
The third step towards a successful outing is – Stop looking at your watch and enjoy the present moment.
We hardly checked the time and went with the flow. At the Gateway, we went for a ferry ride. The ferry sails gracefully and trembles at few instances to give butterflies in our stomach.
I was scared at first but enjoyed the ride at the end of it.
We also fed the pigeons which gather to entertain the tourists just opposite the Taj Hotel. I never thought of admiring the pigeons would be peaceful.
6. Nariman Point
Our next destination was Nariman point from where you can see the entire coast of Mumbai. Again, we got a place to park our car.
The fourth step towards a successful outing is – Keep your hopes high. Have no room for any negative thoughts, and the success is yours.
If you sit at the tip of Nariman Point, you’ll see the sea is spread till the horizon and that it surrounds you from three sides.
We settled down and sat facing the Sea. When we happened to look at our right, we were amazed to see peoples legs hanging leisurely just like ours along the entire coast with no break at all.
It was beautiful!
7. CSMT – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus & Canon Pav Bhaji
If you’ve come to Mumbai and go without visiting this old station built by the British, you’ll definitely miss a lot.
When it was dark we went to this station. It was lit and looked gorgeous. Despite being a Mumbaikar for 23 years, I saw this view for the first time.
Then we had Pav Bhaji in the famous Canon hotel just nearby. This hotel is run solely by women. They are all kind and soft-spoken.
One of my friends addressed them as “Ma Ji.” In Mumbai, no one must have ever done this. The word itself brings the warmth along with it.
We learn so much from our peers, isn’t it?
8. Marine drive
Last but not the least; one cannot leave Mumbai without visiting this beauty. We made a plan in such a way that Marine’s should be the last destination. Because in the night it is lit and the yellow lights give it the authentic look which it deserves.
The marine lines resemble a necklace at night, so it is also called as “Queen’s necklace.”
Here we sat and discussed ‘Life.’ Each one of us spoke as if we were good old friends. Mumbai’s atmosphere has that effect on people.
Every picnic/tour teaches us some or the other thing. This trip taught me the importance of 24 hours. It showed me what magic these 24 hours can do if used effectively.
Also, that everything cannot be done in a single day. We need to decide where to stop and live the current moment to the fullest.
That’s what we did at Marines. We had some time left before heading back to Pune, but we chose to sit back to cherish that current moment for a lifetime.
So, guys please take some time out and visit Mumbai with your loved ones or your new friends. I am sure the bond will only strengthen as it did to us.
Use your phones only for using google maps and take a day off from the world of social media. The real world out there is wonderful.
Do let me know whether this plan of visiting Mumbai was helpful in the comment section below. And I would like to know your thoughts on Mumbai.
