An Introduction To Mumbai And Nearby Destinations

A trip to Mumbai promises lots of high voltage entertainment. Doing justice to its apt epithet, the city of dreams, Mumbai draws hordes of fortune seekers and tourists alike with its myriad charms. In fact, a Mumbai tour emerges as a roller coaster ride of endless fun and frolic by way of great food, sightseeing, and overall non stop entertainment. Besides the slew of touristy delights at the destination itself, there are hordes of lovely places to visit near Mumbai as well. For instance, one just has to hop on to a Mumbai to Pune bus to check out the rich historic sights of Pune. Check out this Mumbai trip planner for information on some hot local attractions such as Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Elephanta Island, and Chowpatty Beach, as well as nearby destinations.

Marine Drive

Immortalised through numerous movies, the Marine Drive is a spot where the pulse of Mumbai probably beats at its hardest. Small wonder then, no travel to Mumbai seems complete without a visit to Marine Drive. This stretch of road runs along the sea from Nariman Point to the base of Malabar Hill. Marine Drive offers some of the most spectacular sunset views and makes for an especially pleasing sight during evenings when the night sky is aglow with the twinkling lights here. So much so, that this sight has earned it the epithet, the queens necklace.

Gateway of India

An evening at the Gateway of India is an inseparable part of most peoples trip to Mumbai. Proudly standing its ground since 1924, it is a mute witness to major historic events. Built to commemorate King George Vs royal visit, the Gateway of India was also used for parading off the last British regiment from India. Today, the place wears a bazaar like appearance and bustles with bhel puri wallas, balloon men, photographers, and a medley of other street side stalls.

Elephanta Island

The Elephanta Island is another hallmark of the Mumbai tourism scene and home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of rock cut temples. The carvings on the walls of the temples here count amongst the finest of such specimen in India. The most noteworthy sight here is the main temple dedicated to Shiva. This majestic structure has an imposing statue of Sadhashiva in his avatar of creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe.

Chowpatty Beach

Choked with leisurely strollers, enthusiastic hawkers, masseuses, and plain idlers, the Chowpatty Beach is easily one of the most irresistible places to visit in Mumbai. Although, not the best of places for swimming, the Chowpatty Beach serves well for a beach jog or unwinding with the family. A major event here is the Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebrated during August/September.

Weekend getaways from Mumbai

Mumbaikars are a lucky lot as they have lots of wonderful places to choose from by way of weekend getaways from Mumbai. Just some of the options for a fine weekend tour are Goa, Lonavala, Khandala, and Shirdi. Those looking for a slightly offbeat place can always plan a trip to Pune. Here is some little insight into what one can expect while travelling from Mumbai to Pune and Shirdi.

Mumbai to Pune

If you enjoy road trips, you will love going from Mumbai to Pune by road. The Mumbai to Pune distance is just some 147 km and a significant part of the journey is along a spacious highway known for thrilling high speed vehicular movement. It hardly takes two hours and there are ample Mumbai Pune cabs plying on the route to choose from. Cab fares for a shared taxi usually costs around INR 400, while a full taxi costs about INR 1,500. To save some more, one can also consider the numerous trains from Mumbai to Pune. Savings are significant as the average fares for Mumbai Pune trains could be as low as INR 72.

Mumbai to Shirdi

Famed for its rich Sai Baba memorabilia, Shirdi attracts thousands of visitors and makes for a wonderful trip near Mumbai. By road, the Mumbai to Shirdi distance is roughly 250 km and it takes some four hours to cover the same. There are plenty of Mumbai to Shirdi train options as well. Some of the popular Mumbai Shirdi train options include Mumbai Shirdi Special, Tapovan Express, Devgiri Express, Shirdi Fast Passenger, and Pushpak Express.

About the Author:
Trip Planner, product from iXiGO, has taken the travel world by storm in the few short months of its launch. This is a one of a kind product that addresses almost all questions that a traveller may have while going from one destination to the other. For instance, if someone wants to know about travelling from Delhi to Mumbai, the person just has to type Delhi to Mumbai in the user friendly interface.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/An-Introduction-To-Mumbai-And-Nearby-Destinations/4045291

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