Camping sites near Mumbai
TravelTravel Destination

Mumbaikars, Go Weekend Camping To Unwind This Winter

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Camping and adventure are the ‘in things’ for young professionals. These Camping sites near Mumbai are popular destinations for short weekend trips.

Everyone looks up to weekends to get away from the mundane. As winter sets in, let’s explore places where you can go camping and unwind. If you are a person who doesn’t shy away from sleeping under the stark sky lit with million stars, then this list is certainly for you. Below are 7 unique Camping sites near Mumbai which will certainly impress you.

7 Camping sites near Mumbai for your Weekend Trips

Camping sites near Mumbai

Revdanda Beach Camping

Camping sites near Mumbai Revdanda beach

A black sand beach, a Portuguese fort with a chapel in ruins, coconut and beetle-nut plantation and a monument of the first Russian traveler are few unique things you would find in this coastal beach that stretches beyond the Kundalika creek. I am talking about Revnanda beach, a secluded beach on the outskirts of Alibaug.

Enjoy camping by this beach with the local Parsi community, while they serve you the most authentic fish thali.

Andharban

Camping sites near Mumbai Andharban

Come winter, and the dark forest becomes home to numerous migratory birds that flock from faraway places.  The flora and fauna of this place is at its alluring best as winter sets in. Camping under the sun-kissed behemoth trees with the gushing sounds of river Kundalika and waking up to the chirping of birds is an experience on its own.

Matheran- Charlotte Lake Camping

Camping sites near Mumbai Charlotte Lake Matheran Mumbai

Matheran is famous for being the most unpolluted hill station of Maharashtra and Asia’s only automobile-free hill station. Located just about 90 km from Mumbai, it makes a perfect weekend getaway. Charlotte Lake is one of the most spectacular and picture-perfect spots of Matheran with lush green surroundings and camping by the lakeside is the best way to break away from the hustle around. Since the lake is the primary source of water supply to the hill station, boating and other recreational activities are restricted. You may walk down to Lousia point and Echo point which is nearest spots.

Bhandardara

Camping sites near Mumbai Bhandardara Camping

At an altitude of 2471 ft ASL, Bhandardara, a water reservoir surrounded by Sahyadri hill ranges is a treat to the eyes. You camp under million stars amidst the serenity of the Arthur lake. The destination is an absolute delight for star gazing and star photography too.

Sandhan Valley

Camping sites near Mumbai Sandhan Valley

What’s winter without some adventure? This winter, go trekking to the valley of shadows that offers a combination of both adventure and camping. You get to experience the thrill of rappelling if you haven’t already done it earlier. The campsite of Sandhan valley is surrounded by peaks from Ajoba range and you wake up to a mesmerizing sunrise.

Shirota Lakeside Camping

Camping sites near Mumbai Shirota Lake Camping

11 Kms from Lonavala, far away from the usual din and surrounded by dense forest cover, is located the secluded Shirota lake. This place remains my all-time favorite camping destination due to the serenity and quietude it offers. You can enjoy a barbeque and bonfire night with music and games galore.

Bhira – Devkund

Camping sites near Mumbai Bhira Devkund

A small trek to the picturesque Devkund waterfall crossing the river stream and camping at Bhira can be your next weekend getaway. Away from the city bustle, the water of this scenic pond is crystal clear and you can bask under the sun-kissed waterfall.

Have you started camping yet? Would love to know about your weekend camping experiences.

***

Today I have Dipanwita from Cocktails Mocktails and Life guest posting on my blog as part of #mymojo hosted by Shalzmojo.

Bio: Dipanwita is a solo backpacking traveler who loves to indulge in photography too. Being a history buff, she loves exploring untamed roads, veiled cultures and everything that’s almost lost in history. Her travel stories reflect a connection with history, culture, and people of the places she has been to. Coffee, good books, and good conversation can get her going anytime.

Dipanwita

Read how she stepped into China without a Visa  

Facebook | FB Page | Twitter | Instagram 

 

Linking up for #wordsante with Namysaysso for every post deserves some love

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#fridayFotoFiction prompt
Fiction & Writing#FridayFotoFiction100 Word Fiction

Hawa Mahal #FridayFotoFiction Flash Fiction Writing Dec 15-Dec 20

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

#FridayFotoFiction is a weekly flash fiction writing challenge where we give you a photo prompt and ask you to write a 100-150 word flash fiction about it.

Flash Fiction Writing Challenge – #FridayFotoFiction Dec 15 -Dec 20 Prompt

#fridayFotoFiction prompt

Hawa Mahal – #FridayFotoFiction Fiction Writing

“How did you make it this far?”

“I have no idea bro, don’t ask me.”

“You seriously hated everything here.”

“Shh… don’t say all these now, not when they can hear your loud mouth!”

 

“Hey, remember this place?”

“How can I forget – this was our place – our ‘hawa mahal’”

“Hahahha…. Seriously – those were the days.

I remember, us desperately trying to get at this place.”

“That was the only escape route from the torture bro!”

 

“Don’t say all that now, you did very well for yourself.

Of course, you were the one who always said this was hell.”

 

Two old friends took a stroll through their college corridor to re-live the memories they had created here long back.

 

Raj Chopra, had made it to the Forbes list this year. The young and dashing business tycoon was the star of this reunion. But most of his friends knew him as the humble and fun guy.

© Tina Basu

Word Limit – 155

#FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger Dec 8 – Dec 13

Last week we had 11 link ups on this prompt. We read some really nice fictions last week from various genres. It’s getting difficult every week for singling out a single featured blogger, but we gotta do what we gotta do!

Our featured blogger for Dec 8 – Dec 13 is Akshata from Opinionated Mua. Read her featured post She Knows. Congratulations Akshata.

#fridayFotoFiction featured blogger

Our featured blogger for Dec 8 – Dec 13 is yet another Akshata from Aks Writes. Read her featured post Shaken Not Shattered. Congratulations Akshata.

#fridayFotoFiction featured blogger

#FridayFotoFiction Featured Post By Popular Demand

The voting is finally kicking in. Last week it was a triple tie between Knight of Steel, Akshata B and Sudha with 2 votes each. Congratulations guys.

Please fill this Google Form for all updated details on #FridayFotoFiction

https://goo.gl/forms/qwGzGL0gfiXcCvNw2

#FridayFotoFiction Flash Voting FAQ

  1. Drop your posts in the linky Friday 12 AM IST- Wednesday midnight 23:55 pm IST
  2. Voting opens Thursday 12AM IST untill Thursday 12 PM IST
  3. Come back to this page #Thursday anytime 12 AM – 6 PM and cast your vote on your favorite post.
  4. Only 1 vote per user.
  5. The post with max votes gets the Featured Story by Popular Demand title

How to participate in #FridayFotoFiction Flash Fiction Writing Challenge

  1. Follow  &  , your hosts for , on Twitter.
  2. Every Thursday evening Tina and Mayuri will share a Photo Prompt with you on Twitter and on their respective blogs.
  3. Write a 100-150 Word story based on or relevant to the given Photo Prompt.
  4. Use the  badge at the end of your posts.
  5. Link up with Tina or Mayuri
  6. Read, comment, share on the host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party.
    Pro Tip – Networking and commenting are good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  7. Use  in your post and share in on social media using the same hashtag.
  8. Every week Tina and Mayuri will pick one featured blogger whose post impressed them the most.
  9. Every month one winner will be picked from the participants. This winner will be picked on the basis of regular participation through the month and will win a cash voucher from Amazon.
  10. Keep your fictions and engagement civil. Adult content/ affiliated links/ derogatory remarks/ hatred towards any religion is not allowed.

 

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thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday
Life, Musing & AnecdotesThankful Thursdays

7 Reasons I am Thankful for 2017 – #ThankfulThursdays December End

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

We are at the fag end of 2017 already. While 2017 has been nothing short of a mayhem all across the world there are enough reasons to be thankful for 2017. Here’s why I need to say thank you 2017.

2017 has been a year of events – we have a new president in our country, we have a new questionable president in another faraway land, numerous cyclones across the country, Assam and Chennai being under water for days together, controversial Aarushi verdict, a barrage of pseudo-feminism with their multiple cards, monstrous humans deriving pleasure by abusing and killing children in schools and many more. And the just recent #Virushka wedding of the year. It might sound like 2017 was terrible and thank god it’s getting over. But what about the good part? There’s enough to be thankful for 2017. You have the new iPhone X for the starter!!

So why am I thankful for 2017?

thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday

Thankful for Business

On the personal front, 2017 was a very good year for me and my venture. I started my own biz in Aug 2016 and have been growing my blogs both this one and my food blog along with my design business. God has been kind that it’s working well * touchwood *. The best part is being your own boss. I am building my own home office with the #LadyBoss theme and hopefully, it will be ready by year-end.

Thankful for Bluey joining Playschool

Mr. Bluey started playschool this June. I faced a lot of flak for putting him in a playschool so early. He joined school when he wasn’t two yet. He is the youngest in his batch but I went against all odds to put him in the environment where he’ll have other kids of his age group. And seriously I am thankful I took that decision. He’s quite an inquisitive guy, he had self learned alphabets, numbers, colors, and shapes even before he joined the playschool – all from YouTube. To keep him away from the learning environment would have been a sin. He is 2 years and 4 months currently and corrects me if I ever call a bell pepper, capsicum!! Since he’s the YouTube generation he calls them bell peppers, jalapeno (the correct way)! And then also tells me there are 3 varieties of pears – green, yellow and red!! **rolls eyes**

Thankful for words

One thing he has learnt is to speak. I thought he was a late speaker because he never called me mom, ma or anything that remotely sounds similar to M. He instead referred to me as papa – much to my dismay! But now he’s calling me mummy – that he’s picked up from the rhyme Five Finger Family and Peppa Pig’s Mummy Pig! But I’m happy at least he is not calling me Papa!!

Thankful for Gadgets

2017 was also a year of gadgets for me – the iPhone 5s has been taken away by son and the iPad has always been under his control. My only function regarding the iPad is my humble thumb that he requires to unlock it!! So got myself a new iPhone 7 (yes, can’t afford iPhone X, need to win a lottery for it if you know of any you can let me know), invested in a new DSLR for my food blog. The thankful part in it is – both were paid by the blogs! Then husband turned romantic suddenly (which happens once in 6 years) and gifted a Mac Book Air.

Thankful for ‘Saat Saal’

Coming to husband – we turned 7 together! How don’t ask. Both of us probably have the same question. Saat Saal only no Saat Janam please!!

Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays

#ThankfulThursday my weekly blog hop with Amrita on spreading Thankfulness turned one! One year of saying Thank You to different aspects of life. I specially enjoy it because it’s a step towards of being grounded. Thankfulness is a way of life for me. Our #ThanYouNote Contest saw 51 posts in a month’s time which I think is incredible. Read on for the results of the contest.

Thankful for #FridayFotoFiction

The second weekly blog hop that I host with Mayuri on Flash Fiction Writing – #FridayFotoFiction is doing great too. We are slowly building a tiny tribe of flash fictions. I have many plans with my blog hops – let’s hope all those come to life soon enough.

I might have some more reasons but let’s not get them in this space.  2017 has been a great year for me and I am thankful for 2017. Are you too? Let us know.

#ThankfulThursday Prompt Decemeber end

Tell us why you are Thankful for 2017. Links open till December End.

thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday

#ThankYouNote Contest Winners

Last month we hosted our first ever #ThankfulThursday contest because we turned one and it was Thanksgiving Month. I still remember our discussions on DM about blog hops, taking up days etc! We had 51 entries for the 5 prompts throughout the month. And here are the shortlisted participants who wrote every week on every prompt.

thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday Thank you note contest participants

Our first winner in #ThankYouNote Contest is Anagha from Canvas with Rainbow. Congratulations Anagha. Thank you for all your lovely posts. Please DM us your email address for the voucher.

thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday Thank you note contest winner anagha

Our second winner in #ThankYouNote Contest is Zainab from Slim Expectations. Congratulations Zainab. Thank you for all your lovely posts. Please DM us your email address for the voucher.

thankful for 2017 #ThankfulThursday Thank you note contest winner anagha

 

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sultanpur national park bird sanctuary
TravelTravel Destination

Sultanpur National Park – A tryst with Sultanpur every winters #GuestPost by Shalini #mymojo

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Sultanpur National Park is a bird paradise for bird lovers. This National Park is famous for it’s migratory as well as resident birds. Migratory species fly in from Europe, Siberia and Central Asia. About 15 kms from Gurugram, Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, is a perfect weekend getaway.

Hola friends, today I have Shaini Baisiwala from Shalzmojo doing a wonderful guespost on my blog. If you have been following her blog or social media you know she likes traveling. I love her travel photos. So what can be better than she taking over this space with a scenic post on Sultanpur National Park.

Over to her.

Sultanpur National Park – A tryst with Sultanpur every winters #GuestPost by Shalini

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

I am an avid photo enthusiast and while perusing the finer nuances of this craft, fell in love with birding. I bought a zoom lens especially to pursue this hobby and don’t miss out on any opportunity to photograph birds whenever I can.

India is a hot favourite with migratory birds from as far as Russia; so we have exotic birds like the Flamingos, Pelicans, bar headed geese, Siberian cranes and many more which grace our lands every winters.

Delhi NCR is a hotbed for the migratory birds and there are lots of green patches all across that play host to these esteemed guests. Since I live in Gurgaon, my preferred haunt to go and gawk at these beautiful creatures is the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary which is also known as the Sultanpur National Park.

Sultanpur is a short drive from where I live; I leave home by 6 am to make it at the park by 7ish as that’s its opening time. Oh yeah that is pretty early especially for a winter morning but then the early worm catches the bird 😉

It’s a pretty favoured destination for a lot of Gurgaon dwellers as it’s an ideal picnic spot on weekends. Though I must warn you that it’s in-house restaurant is a major fail in delivering food; make that appetizing food.

The park is roughly 25Kms from where I live and opens from 7:00 am to 4.30 p.m. in the season which runs from October to March every year. Oh do remember that it’s shut on Tuesday.

Sultanpur was declared a national park in 1990 and is a huge wetland with a lake body that provides the major attraction to the migratory birds. My favourite is the painted storks that line up in droves on a few tall trees in the middle of the lake and can be spotted in droves building nests or feeding their young ones.

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

Once you park the car, it’s time to head out on foot on the rough trail marked out around the lake. It’s overshadowed by huge trees and other foliage which is a preferred favourite with a large number of birds and I have on occasion caught many a perfect photo op there. The trick is to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut 😉

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

It’s an hour’s walk till the centre of the lake; the pathway cuts through it at one junction and here is where all the action is. On any given Sunday in winters, it’s common to find people sketching, watching birds with binoculars or simply folks akin to me who come bearing their zoom lenses to capture these gorgeous winged creatures.

I have managed to successfully capture a huge number of bird species in my camera over many walks in this park. I love this picture of the snake headed Ibis which were sitting so comfortably as if to watch all the humans coming to gawk at them.

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

Once I am sated with the day’s effort, it’s time to head back but not home. There is a homely dhabha just 10 mts away from the parking lot and this is where most of us head to have some delicious stuffed paranthas cooked hot and fresh in the tandoor with loads of fresh white butter.

Also Read: Wayanad Wonders

sultanpur national park bird sanctuary

Do you have any such parks near where you live? What’s your favourite to do on a winter Sunday morning?

About Shalzmojo

shalzmojo Shalini Baisiwala

An interior designer by profession, writing is a passion which coupled with travel love blossomed into this blog where I love to just “do my thing”! Be it recipes, food events, travel jaunts, fiction dreaming or even meditative musings; all of it’s taken up quite passionately on my blog. I am a serious wine guzzler and love to chase butterflies in my free time.

Pls do check out my post  On a bird trail

This post is written for the December bloghop #mymojo with Shalzmojo

Linking up for #wordsante with Namysaysso for every post deserves some love

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#FridayFotoFiction Fiction writing microfiction
Fiction & Writing#FridayFotoFiction

Heaven – #FridayFotoFiction Fiction Writing Challenge Dec 8 – Dec 13

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

#FridayFotoFiction is a weekly flash fiction writing challenge where we give you a photo prompt and ask you to write a 100-150 word flash fiction about it.

Flash Fiction Writing Challenge – #FridayFotoFiction Dec 8-Dec 13 Prompt

#FridayFotoFiction Fiction writing microfiction

Heaven – #FridayFotoFiction Fiction Writing

“Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

“It is”

“How long now? I can only see dark trees and nothing else!”

“Have patience, I am going to show you the heaven, half a mile more”

“I don’t like these hiking trails every other weekend, we could have watched a movie instead”

“Okay, I won’t ask you to come on a hike again, I just wanted to spend some alone time with my wife”

“You almost sound romantic!”

“Give me your hand, we are almost there.”

The breathtaking view of the lake from the hilltop was serene calm and stunning.

“This is gorgeous, thanks for bringing me here. It looks like heaven”

His handsome face split into a devilish smile.

“Then let’s get you to heaven”

Her scream echoed for long as she fell down the cliff, but no one heard her.

He went back to his new found love.

© Tina Basu

Word Limit – 149

#FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger Dec 1 – Dec 6

Last week we had 10 link ups on this prompt. We, We read some really nice fictions last week from various genres. It’s getting difficult every week for singling out a single featured blogger, but we gotta do what we gotta do!

Our featured blogger for Dec 1– Dec 6 is Arjun from Knight of Steel. Read his featured post  The Message Congratulations Arjun.

Here’s something new. We are introducing a voting feature in the linky. You can vote for your favorite post and we’ll have a new category of Featured Story by Popular Demand every week.

Please fill this Google Form for all updated details on #FridayFotoFiction

https://goo.gl/forms/qwGzGL0gfiXcCvNw2

Last week we had a trial run with the voting, not everyone voted – I guess it was not very clear. At the time of announcement 5 posts had 1 vote each. Later I can see 2 votes on The Awakening by Meha. But we are not declaring a winner as such, because not everyone cast their vote. Please go through the voting FAQ and participate in voting for the “Featured Story by Popular Demand” title.

#FridayFotoFiction Flash Voting FAQ

  1. Drop your posts in the linky Friday 12 AM IST- Wednesday midnight 23:55 pm IST
  2. Voting opens Thursday 12AM IST untill Thursday 12 PM IST
  3. Come back to this page #Thursday anytime 12 AM – 12 PM and cast your vote on your favorite post.
  4. Only 1 vote per user.
  5. The post with max votes gets the Featured Story by Popular Demand title

How to participate in #FridayFotoFiction Flash Fiction Writing Challenge

  1. Follow  &  , your hosts for , on Twitter.
  2. Every Thursday evening Tina and Mayuri will share a Photo Prompt with you on Twitter and on their respective blogs.
  3. Write a 100-150 Word story based on or relevant to the given Photo Prompt.
  4. Use the  badge at the end of your posts.
  5. Link up with Tina or Mayuri
  6. Read, comment, share on the host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party.
    Pro Tip – Networking and commenting are good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  7. Use  in your post and share in on social media using the same hashtag.
  8. Every week Tina and Mayuri will pick one featured blogger whose post impressed them the most.
  9. Every month one winner will be picked from the participants. This winner will be picked on the basis of regular participation through the month and will win a cash voucher from Amazon.
  10. Keep your fictions and engagement civil. Adult content/ affiliated links/ derogatory remarks/ hatred towards any religion is not allowed.

 

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Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays
Thankful Thursdays

Are you Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays ?

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays – what is that? Life doesn’t smile at you if you don’t smile at it. Thankfulness is a way of life where you live in gratitude. This time I say Thank You to #ThankfulThursdays and the other blog hop I do.

It’s a full circle of #ThankfulThursdays hosted by me and Amrita. It’s 365 days of saying thanks to various things. We did some great things while we thanked people, objects, platforms, food, house – you name it and we have done it! This blog hop was envisioned as a way of giving to people for all the love. Today it’s a tiny brand with its tiny tribe. We recently did the #ThankfulThursday #ThankYouNote contest as a way to thank you all for participating week after week. It’s time I realized why I am Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays.

It is a joint venture where we work hand in hand – but we are humans – sometimes one holds the anchor when the other can’t – that’s why we are great team *fingers crossed*. There are multiple reasons to be Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays.

Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays

Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays

Leadership

When you are on a project – you are in it as a team member or a leader. But what about making everyone a leader? Amrita is a leader in #ThankfulThursdays hands down and I never shy away from recognizing that. She manages #ThankfulThursdays with her day job as a doctor, as a mom, as a traveler. But you know what happens when you are with a leader? You imbibe those positive vibes and become a leader yourself. There have been times when my posts have got delayed or even skipped. But after many months in it I know, it’s part of my brand too!

Blog Health

You know what’s worse for your blog other than not getting your SEO or stats correct? Not writing! Writing regularly, or in other words, publishing regular content is one of the most important thing you should be doing to say Google and other search engines that you exist! Blog hops and prompts give you that exact scope to write regularly. It improves blog health drastically.

Regular reading

Did you think only writing was enough for your blog? The answer is NO. Reading is as important for your blog stats! #ThankfulThursdays and #FridayFotoFiction (the other blog hop on fiction writing that I host with Mayuri) provides ample reading scope.

Relationship

One of the biggest reasons to be Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays is for the relationships I have made in this ‘online world’. Relationship with my co-host, my readers, participants.

We as hosts, hope we can make our brand bigger and mightier and that is only possible when you help us with your lovely words.

Have #ThankfulThursdays touched you anyway? Are you Thankful for #ThankfulThursdays ? Let us know in your post.

#ThankfulThursdays Week 47 Prompt

#ThankfulThursday #ThankYouNote Contest

We have receieved some awesome posts on the #ThankfulThursdays #ThankYouNote contest. We are going through all the posts and will be announcing winners next week on #ThankfulThursdays.

 

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