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The travel time is roughly three to four hours, depending on traffic, especially on weekends and holidays Whether you travel by road or rail, both routes are scenic, cutting through the Western Ghats, a majestic

In the past the family had always travelled together. Tell your children (or your spouse if you’re travelling alone) where they can find both in the event

almost everywhere we went—standing hunched, with their teeth bared, on either side of the roads we travelled a new culture, not entirely different from ours, and we got to tick off one more destination on our travel

My wife and I share many interests — our love of travel, books, movies, food, writing, music, etc. —

that I’ll never achieve any of my goals if I don’t plan – after all, if I want to go on a cruise or travel

The joy of a weekend outing, a short holiday or a vacation is always greater when you're with people you’re most at ease with. In my case, it’s my family. For several years now, my wife and I have been making regular weekend trips to South Mumbai from our home in the northern suburbs. That part of the city, once a busy commercial hub, still holds a special place for us. It has an old-world charm that seems to belong to another time—shaped as much by memories as by its architecture, historic landmarks, single-screen theatres, art galleries and cultural spaces. We feel a natural affinity for that part of the city, having spent our early years living and working there. The reason we gravitate towards South Mumbai—especially the vibrant stretches of Churchgate, Flora Fountain (left) and Colaba—is the mix of sea-facing promenades, footpath booksellers and eclectic food. It’s the kind of place where you can have a good time without doing anything in particular—just walking along the broad pavements, talking about small things, and being content in each other’s company. With that in mind, my wife and I made yet another Sunday morning trip to South Mumbai. Instead of taking a suburban train, as we usually do, we drove down, covering the roughly 28 km (17 miles) in about an hour—something unthinkable on most weekdays. We reached Colaba around 11 a.m. and parked on Rampart Row at Kala Ghoda—or “Black Horse,” named after a mounted statue of King Edward VII that once stood here. From there, we walked past heritage buildings, including the iconic music store Rhythm House, now closed, and the 153-year-old David Sassoon Library and Reading Room. We then stopped briefly at Jehangir Art Gallery and the 1922-built city museum now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, taking in some of the artworks and artefacts on display. The tree-lined stretch between the two doubles up as an open-air art plaza, where lesser-known but remarkably talented artists display works that should have a place inside art galleries. Our trips to the city are never complete without a small food detour, and South Mumbai rarely disappoints. This time, we went back to an old favourite we’ve been visiting for over three decades—Delhi Darbar on Colaba Causeway. Known for its Mughlai fare, especially biryanis, it felt like the right place to return to. We kept it simple: butter chicken with naan and roti, followed by a chicken biryani. The portions were still generous, but the biryani didn’t quite taste the way we remembered it. Lunch and dessert over, we cut across the busy stretch of Colaba Causeway and headed to the seafront. This part of Mumbai’s coast is framed by two well-known landmarks facing each other—the arched Gateway of India (topmost) and Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (above), built in an Indo-Gothic style. Being a Sunday, the place was packed with locals and tourists, selfie-seekers and photographers offering to capture the moment for a price. With barely any room to stand, we had to give up the idea of lingering by the sea and made a quick retreat. By now, it was late afternoon, but we’d one more thing on our agenda – books. From Colaba, we drove to a book exhibition near Churchgate railway station and spent over an hour browsing rows that seemed to stretch on endlessly, picking up a few along the way. There were books of every kind—fiction and non-fiction, paperbacks and hardbacks—but I didn’t find the authors I had in mind. Which was just as well, given the pile of unread books at home. One of the nice things about these outings in South Mumbai is how close everything is. Places we usually visit, including the 3.6-km long Marine Drive or Queen’s Necklace, are within easy walking distance. If walking isn’t your thing, you can always drive down or take a cab or bus. Summers can be harsh, so evenings or the winter months are the best time to be out in South Mumbai—whether it’s for a quiet walk, browsing books, a meal, or just looking out at the sea. © Prashant C. Trikannad

On Sunday morning, my wife and I went to Colaba in South Mumbai, as we have been doing for many years. It was a lovely day. The rains were finally here, and the weather was pleasant after two months of scorching summer. We didn’t have an agenda. We simply wanted to spend a few unhurried hours there, and spend them together. It rained on and off as we walked the length of Colaba Causeway, a bustling shopping street where shops and roadside vendors sold everything from cosmetics and ornaments to traditional handicrafts and pashmina stoles to trendy clothes, bags and shoes. We ate at a restaurant we often visit, walked along tree-lined lanes, marvelled at the architecture of century-old buildings, crossed over to the seafront and got a little wet. Here's how our day went. There is always something to look at on the Causeway, even if you don’t buy anything. The place has a way of making you slow down, which is perhaps the best way to experience it. A pair of shoes you spotted and tried on. Superhero T-shirts you consider buying for a moment. Stuff that looked antique enough to tempt you. Chess sets, car models and gramophone replicas that look vintage but are probably not. I suppose it is the thrill of finding something you instantly like, though do not necessarily need. At some point in the afternoon, we stopped at Cafe Churchill for a quick meal of grilled chicken sandwiches and fries. A large poster of Winston Churchill greets you as soon as you enter this quaint restaurant, which serves an old-fashioned Continental range of dishes. Apart from a variety of sandwiches, whoppers, pizzas, soups and salads, a breakfast spread and cheesecake desserts, the menu includes dishes with exotic-sounding names such as King Solomon Buffalo Steak, Hungarian Goulash, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Fisherman Catch Lasagne and Ferinando Pasta, among others. There are other specialities too, like prawn cocktail, fish and chips, and roasted lamb. With so much to choose from, you never quite know what to order. If you’re in that part of town, it’s worth a visit. After lunch, we turned off the main road and into the quieter lanes, looking up at decades-old buildings with Art Deco balconies, colonial verandahs, and Indo-Saracenic arches and columns, as we did. We also walked past the 137-year-old Bowen Memorial Methodist Church in Colaba. It is one of the pleasures of walking through the place—or, for that matter, South Mumbai, with its Victorian and Gothic buildings. It gives you little glimpses of the city’s architectural heritage. Most of our outings begin or end seaside. This time was no different. From the bylanes of Colaba, my wife and I went to Apollo Bandar, a waterfront promenade next to the century-old iconic landmarks, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The sea was grey and choppy, as it usually is during the monsoon, and there were people walking about, taking photographs, waiting for someone, eating street food—all the ordinary things that happen on an ordinary day. We hung around for a while, taking in the view, of seagulls, local ferries, and container ships in the distance waiting for a berth at the port. These familiar sights are one reason why we keep returning to this part of the city. We wrote about some of them in an earlier photo essay — A walk through old South Mumbai. The Bowen Memorial Methodist Church in Colaba. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Next to Mumbai’s expansive waterfront, the other places you will often find us on a weekend are among the footpath booksellers at Flora Fountain—also known as Hutatma Chowk, or Martyrs’ Memorial—or at book exhibitions. We stop by these book haunts, located less than a kilometre from Colaba, because we love to browse and occasionally pick up a few books—not that we need to add more to our collection. Both the roadside booksellers and the book fairs have a fine selection of books, and if you are lucky, you might just come across rare or out-of-print titles. Those are usually the ones we take home. A footpath bookseller at Flora Fountain. Photo: Prashant C. Trikannad These cityside outings are not new to us, but they make our weekends less ordinary. While we often drive down to South Mumbai, we prefer exploring that part of the city on foot. It gives us the freedom to go wherever we like without having to return to where we parked the car. Here’s a useful tip: the best time to visit these places is during the monsoon, from June to September, or in the winter months, from December to February. If you must go in summer, try to visit in the evening, after sundown. The heat and humidity during the day can be unforgiving. How do you like to spend your weekends? © Prashant C. Trikannad

television writer, producer and creator of the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and presenter of food and travel restaurants, it’s the centre of social life, where we celebrate with family and friends, make new friends, travel without travelling, and of course, eat.” we forget our worries and share joyous moments over food and drink with the people we meet without travelling

and responsibilities at home, picturing ourselves escaping the routine and living the idyllic dream, travelling

forward to living a retired life in the relative comfort of their home, occasionally socialising and travelling

One morning, two monks, a teacher and his disciple, were travelling together when they came upon a river

Whenever I’m out and about in Mumbai, or travelling to another city, I instinctively look for a bookstore