It's summertime, and time for people to take a break. But one need not head out of the city; Mumbai has some treasures tucked away in its nooks and corners that allows one to re-connect with oneself.

Like the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, for nature lovers. Trekking groups like Nature Knights often take students and professionals to explore the park. Mazhar Asif Ebrahim, director of Nature Knights, says: "In one day, you can do both the easy and tough treks. You can see mammals, amazing birds, flowers and trees." The Sylondha trail for instance, is both a short and long walking trail. It has a variety of trees and, in the monsoons and winter, one can even spot chital, barking deer or other animals. If one is lucky, one may even see a panther. "This trail is good for nature lovers even during summer. This is the time when volunteers help authorities conduct a census of panthers, and we are lucky to see fresh pugmarks," says Ebrahim, referring to an earlier spotting of a faint imprint of a panthers paw.

The snake trail gets its name from the variety of snakes one can see here, including the Russells viper. This trail - which goes through the forest area, and requires permission from forest officials - also leads to the highest point in the city. On the way to the highest point, trekkers have to be careful not to take a wrong turn, or they might stray into Defence territory. This is a trek that definitely needs a guide. On the trail, we got to see a variety of birds, though not the peacock which, Ebrahim said, was in the mating season. The high point, however, was spotting a fresh pugmark. The hill where we were standing was quite close to the one frequented by panthers, and more than once, I thought a big cat might be somewhere close. What we did see, however, was a breathtaking view of the city, from Dahisar to Goregaon, with skyscrapers rising from amid the hills. This is also a good place for adventure sport, like basic rock climbing, rappelling and such.

Our next stop was the ancient Buddhist Kanheri caves. After a brief water and rest break, we walked to Gaumukh, the perennial source of water that feeds the national park. Although water from a natural source is full of minerals and slightly sweet to taste, here it was coming through a rusted pipe, so not safe to drink. On the trail, we also came across a film shoot. Trailers, vans and crew were waiting around with security guards. As Ebrahim pointed out: "The officials fret about giving permission to nature lovers who help to protect the forest and conduct a census, but they have no qualms about allowing film shoots to happen here and spoiling the forest." This was also the point from where we began our hike down. After some hours in the sun, it was a relief. Be sure to carry biscuits, lots of water and protection from the scorching sun, when you visit the national park. If you do, youll be all set for a great day in the wilderness.

 

 

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