About this post: Looking for offbeat short trips from Mumbai, or interesting places to visit near Mumbai? After years of exploring India, I’ve put together this unusual list of weekend getaways from Mumbai – including Maachli farmstay, Mangalajodi in Odisha, Purushwadi fireflies festival, Devrai Art Village, Hideout Farm, Malji ka Kamra and more – that I’m sure will inspire you, rejuvenate you even on a short trip from Mumbai and introduce you to responsible travel in India.
Lately, there’s been a lot of debate around whether travelling really has the power to change you – to question your beliefs, to throw you out of your comfort zone, to challenge your notions of the world, to mould you into a different person. Most of us like to believe it does.
But if I’m completely honest, my first fifteen or so trips as a young adult didn’t do much for me. Sure, I had some great holidays. But that’s exactly what they were – an escape from my regular life. I didn’t want them to challenge or mould me. So I stayed in resorts with the best deals, hung out with friends, drank and stuck to familiar food. I didn’t bother seeking experiential accommodations, having deep conversations with locals or tracing the journey of my food.
So when we ask if travelling can change us, we should really be asking, do we want our travels to change – or challenge – us?
Sunset and solitude along the Malvan coast.
I fondly remember waking up to birdsong and a gentle breeze in my handcrafted cottage, reading Tolstoy in my balcony that opened up to cashew, beetle nut and coconut plantations, bathing with water out of a copper bucket (such a forgotten luxury), and feasting on delectable Maharashtrian food, cooked with home-grown or locally sourced ingredients. Even more fondly, I remember driving and hiking to pristine beaches all along the Malvan coast – soft sands, flanked by forested mountains, covered with palm trees, not another soul in sight. But the lovingly family-run Maachli Farmstay is not just about the untouched Malvan coast… it is about visualizing what the coastline of Goa must’ve looked like twenty or so years ago, and why we need to tread lightly as travellers.
Getting there: Take an overnight bus or train, or fly to Goa from Mumbai. Along the scenic coastal route from Goa, Maachli is about a 3 hour drive away.
Dates, nuts and coconut balls at Hideout Farm – vegan and delicious!
Hideout Farm is one family’s labor of love, who have toiled for years to convert a barren, rocky wasteland a couple of hours outside of Mumbai, into a gorgeous organic farm with alfonso mango trees, pineapple bushes and a kitchen garden full of herbs and salad leaves. Starry night skies, thought-provoking conversations and an ‘away from it all’ feeling aside, farm-to-table food – plant-based, oil-free, sugar-free and spanning Maharashtrian to fusion dishes – is at the core of the Hideout experience. As you nibble on what might be the most delicious pesto salad you’ve tasted in your life, or drink cold coffee that contains neither milk nor coffee, your notions of food, veganism, health and the environment are bound to evolve.
Getting there: State buses ply the route from Thane to Zadapoli village in the mornings. By car or taxi, Hideout Farm is about a two hour drive.
Amid old frescoes and ornate ceilings at Malji ka Kamra.
It is one thing to visit a royal fort in Rajasthan, quite another to rest your head under a hand-painted ceiling in an opulent haveli – with Rajput, Mughal and Venetian influences – built in the early 1900s by a wealthy merchant. The forgotten town of Churu in the Shekhawati region is a reminder of India’s incredible heritage – and its lost opportunities at heritage tourism – with ornate havelis whose plant-based paintings tell interesting stories of a bygone era (there’s even one of Jesus smoking up!) and whose architectural finesse (some have as many as 1100 stunning windows and doors) is fascinating. And you only need to go a few kilometers outside Churu town for brilliant desert sunsets and starry night skies!
Getting there: Take a flight from Mumbai to Delhi, from where Churu is a quick 4-hour train ride away. Malji Ka Kamra – a restored 20th century haveli to host travellers – has literally brought tourism to forgotten Churu.
Flavors of the Konkan and Malvan regions at Kokum & Spice.
Alibaug has long been on the weekend getaway radar of those who live in Mumbai. That means the beaches can be pretty overrun with weekend crowds and holiday homes. The good news is, it takes only a few kilometres to leave both behind, and rejuvenate with a luxury staycation at Radisson Alibaug – located in the little village of Varsoli. Over many Konkan and Malvan inspired thalis at the in-house Kokum & Spice restaurant, cocktail hours with live piano, endless games of table tennis and pool in the entertainment room, morning laps in the grand pool (to prepare myself for the next thali!) and a short drive to a pristine local beach recommended by the staff, I was reminded that travelling is not about going to the furthest place our money can buy. It is also about taking a step back, re-evaluating our state of mind, breaking away from the crowds and pampering ourselves with delicious locally sourced food.
I stayed at Radisson Alibaug as part of my collaboration with Radisson Rewards, using my rewards points for relaxing room nights and lavish breakfasts – and loved that they offer complimentary Biotique products (no animal ingredients or testing) and filtered water in glass bottles on request.
Getting there: The most convenient way to reach Alibaug from Mumbai is by ferry from the Gateway of India. The ferry doesn’t operate in the monsoon months. The drive only takes about 4 hours but the ‘highway’ is in bad shape, though some parts of the journey are beautiful.
The interiors of Goa – so much to love!
Many people swear off Goa, since its beaches are overrun with shacks, tourists and waste, and I totally get that. But the real Goa lives away from the beaches, amidst the rice paddies and forests and old Portuguese-era houses – and although things are changing fast, we can still steal a glimpse into the susagade way of life, ride a bike along the lush green paddies and pristine backwaters, and feast on authentic Goan food (no, Brittos doesn’t count). And as we ditch the coast for the interiors and get into the Goa state of mind, it is sure to dawn on us how our travel choices impact how we experience the places we visit.
Getting there: Goa is an overnight bus / train ride from Mumbai. My favorite restored Portuguese-style homestays are The Secret Garden and Cancio’s House.
Stars and fireflies in Purushwadi! Photo via Grassroutes.
Imagine if you will: Thousands of stars in the dark night sky above; the valley below lit up with flashing Christmas lights – the mating signals of millions of fireflies! Just as the rains begin, fireflies descend upon Purushwadi, a charming fishing village in the Sahyadri mountains, and put on a show unlike any other for human eyes.
I was surprised to learn that until the 1980s, posh areas like Bandra in Mumbai were nothing but rice paddies and palm trees, and you could see shimmering stars in the night sky. The light pollution in our cities and towns is the worst enemy of stargazing – and turns out, also of fireflies, for light from human sources confuses their mating patterns and messes with their reproduction process. A night in Purushwadi was enough to make me question: is light indeed the greatest invention or an unnecessary evil?
Getting there: Purushwadi is about a 4-5 hour drive from Mumbai; it’s possible to get pretty far with the Mumbai local train. Grassroutes Journeys offers community-based tourism in Purushwadi.
A serene morning along the marshlands of Mangalajodi.
On a warm spring morning, I glided along silently on a rustic, wooden row boat on the gentle waters of Chilika Lake. The sun rose amid the clouds, migratory birds played along the shores, my guide spoke of how the marshland of Mangalajodi is different from the open Chilika Lake. Beautiful though it was, it was no ordinary boat ride, and Mangalajodi is no ordinary village – over tens of years, Mangalajodi has transformed from a village of notorious bird poachers to a village of bird conservationists; indeed, my guide and boatman were former poachers! The number of migratory birds in the village marshlands has grown from 5,000 to 3,00,000 per year, proving that no feat of human transformation is impossible.
Getting there: Take a flight from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar, from where Mangalajodi is an easy 2 hour drive. Stay at the community-run Mangalajodi Ecotourism to get an insight into the transformation of the village.
People often say that travel broadens our mind – and it surely can when the place in question is an obscure little Maharashtrian village, just three hours from bustling Mumbai. Speaking to the village youth can put into perspective our life of privilege – access to good education, learning English at an early age, work opportunities online and offline. As you walk along the rice paddies and hike in the Sahyadris, indulge in the warm hospitality of local families, live a day in the shoes of a rice farmer and gaze at the starry skies by night, think of how it was by a mere twist of fate that we were born in a life of privilege. Chances are, you’ll change the way you interact with those less privileged, right from your house help to the server at the cafe you frequent.
Getting there: Dehna is an easy three hour drive from Mumbai. Grassroutes Journeys has developed community-based tourism in the village and organizes trips and stays in tents or homestays.
A lost trail mapped by Devrai Art Village.
Mahabeshwar and Panchgani mostly evoke images of chaotic construction and sunset points overrun with obnoxious tourists. Until you find Devrai Art Village, an artistic accommodation and project that helps Naxal-affected families relocate to Panchgani and revive the lost Dhokra Art from the Bastar region as a source of livelihood. The art village has also been attempting to map forgotten trails in the Western Ghats that were first charted out by the British; trails that will have you hike in old forests and overgrown wilderness and deposit you at the edge of cliffs with stellar views of the valley below – and make sure the only images Panchgani evokes in you are of stunning natural beauty.
Getting there: Volvo buses from Mumbai take 6-7 hours to reach Panchgani; it is also possible to take a train part of the way, or drive. Read more about the lost art and lost trails at Devrai Art Village.
What are your favorite long weekend escapes from Mumbai?
I was hosted at some of the above places, and paid for the others on my own. I only recommend experiences I’ve truly loved!
I need Offbeat places from Delhi. Could u share the link?
At least Malji Ka Kamra on this list is gettable on any weekend from Delhi and Churu does offer quite a bit in terms of experiences.
Thanks for sharing the list of some amazing getaways around Mumbai and Delhi Shivya. I had no clue about them but after reading about them here in your fascinating article I can’t wait to visit all these places and experience travel in a more real way.
I hope you’ll fall in love with them as much as I did. Happy travels!
Awesome! Beautiful pictures..India is on my bucket list of places to visit! Thank you for sharing now I truly want to go there!
Beautiful. I am adding this to my bucket list. I had a lot of trips in my life. They have been mainly to the beach, but it had the power to change me and make me a better person and figure out what I should do next. I am so glad you shared this. I loved reading this. I enjoyed the pictures as well. They are amazing.
I’m glad to hear that. I think it doesn’t matter whether we visit the mountains or the beach, it’s the journey within that counts. Thanks for reading, as always!
I totally agree. It is the journey within that counts. I love that. You’re welcome my friend.
I’m glad these places made it to your watch list; we often forget the more real, sustainable side of India and each of these places are a great reminder!
I’m glad you do! Happy travels!
This post made me think to revisit Mumbai very soon again.
Glad you liked the video 🙂 Many of these places can be accessed from Delhi / Bangalore too, just find a good flight connection!
very well captured. Thanks for sharing.
Following u since last year … Saw n read about ur trips ur explorations ….. Felt good about it….
Good… Keep going on ….
Just sharing my experience travelling by costal road with bike from mumbai to tarkarli village ….
I am not a traveller who enjoy travelling alone… I hate it because I like to express my feelings … But u love travelling alone. So I recommend u…. I went in Decemeber in chilling winters …. With my friend…. Would love to go again….
Email me if u r interested… Can type a whole journey…..
Thanks for sharing! Hope to visit Tarkali sometime.
Very informative post. Well crafted. Thanks for sharing your favourite places.
I always dream of a life where I only travel and write my experiences and enjoy to the fullest. Your blogs inspire me a lot. Thanks for sharing.
1- Goa, Interiors of Goa – The palm tree, the long empty road.It gave me a reminiscence of the Movie Josh and Dil Chahta Hai.
Purushwadi has been on my bucket list for such a long time. The stories of fireflies and the starry nights sound too surreal.
Beautiful. Just loved it. I’m degdefinit adding this to my bucket list.
Visited Varsoli after reading your post. Had a wonderful time there. Thanks for the recommendation.
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