Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
raj Mahal
, towards
Regal Circle
. Walk the circle for views of the surrounding buildings - including the old
Sailors Home
, which dates from 1876 and is now the Maharashtra Police Headquarters, the art deco
Regal
(
Click here
) cinema and the
Majestic Hotel
, now the Sahakari Bhandar cooperative store. Continue up
MG Rd, past the beautifully restored facade of the
National Gallery of Modern Art
(
Click here
)
. Opposite
is the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
(
Click here
). Back across the road is the
'Romanesque Transitional'
Elphinstone College
and the
David Sassoon Library & Reading Room
,
where members escape the afternoon heat lazing on planters' chairs on the upper balcony. Continue north to ad-
mire the vertical art deco stylings of the
New India Assurance Company Building
. On an island ahead lies
Flora Fountain
, depicting the Roman goddess of flowers. Turn east down Veer Nariman Rd, walking to-
wards
St Thomas' Cathedral
(
Click here
). Ahead lies the stately
Horniman Circle
, an arcaded ring of
buildings laid out in the 1860s around a beautifully kept botanical garden. It's overlooked from the east by the
neoclassical
Town Hall
, home to the Asiatic Society library. Backtrack to Flora Fountain, continuing west
and turning south onto Bhaurao Patil Marg to see the august
High Court
(
Click here
) and the ornate
University of Mumbai
(
Click here
). The university's 80m-high
Rajabai Clock Tower
is best observed from
within the
Oval Maidan
. Turn around to compare the colonial edifices with the row of art deco beauties lin-
ing Maharshi Karve (MK) Rd, culminating in the wedding cake tower of
Eros Cinema
(
Click here
).
Activities
Wildlife-Watching
Mumbai has surprisingly good bird- and butterfly-watching opportunities.
Sanjay Gandhi Na-
tional Park
is popular for woodland birds, while the marshlands of industrial Sewri (pro-
nounced shev-ree) swarm with birds in winter, including pink flamingoes. Contact the ex-
House, opp Lion Gate, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri)
or Sunjoy Monga at
Yuhina Eco-
Media
( 9323995955;
sunjoymonga@gmail.com
)
for information on upcoming trips; the BNHS
schedule is also online. Visit BNHS's shop for books on local flora and fauna.
WILDLIFE-WATCHING
Outbound Adventure
( 26315019;
www.outboundadventure.com
)
Runs one-day rafting trips on the Ulhas River near
Karjat, 88km southeast of Mumbai, from July to early September (?2000 per person).
After a good rain, rapids can get up to Grade III+, though usually the rafting is calmer
with lots of twists and zigzags. OA also organises camping (from ?1500 per person per
day) and canoeing trips.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
Wild Escapes
TREKKING
