Manori Beach, Mumbai

Mumbai, I am not sure if this city needs an introduction. But assuming if even one of my readers doesn’t have a clue about this city, I’ll write a brief introduction. If I have to say it in a few sentences. It’s a chaotic city functioning without any chaos. People have no time for anything or anyone. The city of dreams. The city of skyscrapers. The hustle and bustle of the city can scare a newcomer but anyone who has stayed in this city even for a short while will fall in love with it, (which includes me too). It’s the busiest city in India hence due to lack of time for a relaxed vacation I know many people would prefer to book a 5 star hotel and spend the weekend there. However my style is a bit different, due to lack of time I chose the Manori Beach. It may not have the 5 star atmosphere but it definitely helped me unwind for the weekend. There are a lot of places within the 2 – 3 hours’ drive range, this is the closest though.

There are two options to reach Manori, either drive down or take a boat from the Marve jetty, I opted for the later. I went by boat from Marve beach. It comes every 20 mins. Tickets prices are INR 10 (One way)

As soon as the boat crosses over the other end the chaos ends. The Kolis and East Indian Roman Catholics dominate this village. The atmosphere is more or less like Goa, pretty chilled out. There are a numerous resorts to stay in. I stayed in one along the beach which has a lovely swimming pool. This trip was with my husband, we swam in the pool, went for rejuvenating long walks along the beach in the mornings and evenings, we ate, slept and relaxed. This is all we wanted to do. I am sure there are a lot more activities one can do, I hope to be a little more adventurous next time. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to play in the beach water because I found it very dirty.

For people who are interested in amusement parks, the famous Essel world is close by and for the ones who need a calmer atmosphere, there is the Global Vipasanna pagoda (Meditation hall), it’s a meditation centre. Entry is allowed for all. I didn’t visit the Essel world however the Vipassana centre attracted me it is the largest stone dome structure in the world built without supporting pillars, earlier one was the GolGumbaz in Bijapur. However, this is nearly three times bigger than that. Do note, though the vipassna centre is open on all days, the timings are from 9:00 hours – 18:00 hours.

It’s a perfect getaway if time is a big hurdle.

For the foodie: The food is good, I wouldn’t say great though. There are very limited options. Most of the resorts have their own kitchen and there are a few small restaurants. One particular place is near the Auto stand. It’s run by a local couple and on the weekends their 2 sons help them out. I loved the Misal Pav and the sandwiches there. Apart from this nothing else stands out.