Go offbeat this summer

The temperatures are soaring and the holiday season has begun. Check out these five interesting getaways to keep you cool...

Bordi beach
About 145kms from Mumbai is the pristine (yes, it’s really clean) Dahanu-Bordi beach that fringes the two quaint towns of Dahanu and Bordi. An ideal getaway, the clean white beaches are edged by casuarina trees and with miles of chikoo orchards as a backdrop, perfect for the serenity you might  be looking for. Further on from Bordi are the famous Bharda Hills known more formally as the Bahrot Caves, an important centre of pilgrimage for the Parsis.

Karla caves
The Buddhist Karla Caves are around 114 kms away from Mumbai. It is relatively less crowded and makes for an extremely pleasant outing. If you take off in the afternoon and reach here just before sunset, you can climb up the 350 steps to explore the 2,000-year-old caves and come down right after the sunset. It has the largest collection of Chaityas excavated for the Buddhist monks, who used to gather here during the monsoons. The Bhaja and Bedsa caves nearby are also worth a detour. You could even stay overnight at the MTDC holiday resort and leave the next morning.

Karnala forest
A deciduous, rocky forest on the Mumbai-Goa NH-17 road, Karnala offers a 12-square kilometres long forest stretch just 50kms from Mumbai. Bird watcher’s heaven Karnala is also a good circuit for bird watchers with over 200 species including migrants like warblers, scarce birds and sought-after residents like Grey Junglefowl, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, and White-rumped Munia. Unfortunately it is something of a well-known picnic spot so try to start off as early in the morning as possible for the best experience and before it starts getting hot around noon.

Kundalika river
Just 138 kms from Mumbai, Kundalika is a rafting destination in the middle of virgin forests below the Mulshi and Bhira Dams. This river is ideally located for single day rafting trips or even short overnight trips. Check out www.kundalikarafting.in to know the packages offered. The rafting organisers also arrange for a stay at the Durshet Forest Lodge not very far away from the river so you can get the most of the forest experience. A one-and-a-half hour run down, a 14 Kms river stretch of exciting rapids, promises to give a safe, fun, wet and wild ride.

Kashid beach
Kashid is an emerging tourist destination yet it is more beautiful and secluded than the other commercial ones like Alibaug and Murud. In summer, especially when most beaches are crowded with people, Kashid would be a good option. There are many resorts around here but you could choose to live in a local guest house to enjoy the atmosphere of the Konkan coast to its fullest. Kashid has a magnificent blue sea, white sand and great scenery. The waves are high and those seeking adventure can carry their surf boards along! It is also one of the cleaner beaches near Mumbai. Take a three hour’s drive from Mumbai or take a ferry to Mandwa and then local transport (a two-hour ride) to the beach for a rejuvenating beach holiday.

Paragliding in Kamshet
110km from Mumbai, the area in and around Kamshet, with its low hills, rocky terrain and flat lands has favourable sites with enough ridges just right for a take-off. Kamshet, at 2,200 feet above the sea level, has perfect flying conditions. One of the widely known sites is the Tower Hill, just off the highway on the road to Pavna dam. The take-off site, on a north south ridge, is visible from the highway and is accessed by a 30 minute uphill drive and a 10 minute walk. You can take flights both from the east face in the morning and from the west face late in the afternoon.