Highlight: The water hole where you might see signs of wildlife from the previous night is at the very edge of the forest which runs next to Malad, where the conflict between forest and this ever-expanding city is apparent
Malad Trail Line
Highlight: The water hole where you might see signs of wildlife from the previous night is at the very edge of the forest which runs next to Malad, where the conflict between forest and this ever-expanding city is apparent.
Distance: 3 km
Cost per head: Rs.100
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Nagla Block Trail
Highlight: Along the Mumbai-Agra highway at Sasupada, this trail reveals the confluence of mangrove and forest ecosystems in all their grandeur and this patch of forest harbours some of the most undisturbed and healthy growth of ecologically significant mangrove vegetation along the island of Mumbai.
Distance: 4 km
Cost per head: Rs.50
Gaumukh Trail
Highlight: Right at the base of the trail is a serene and picturesque water hole, which the locals refer to as 'Phansacha? Paani'. This waterhole is a magnet for wildlife all through the year and if you avail of the requisite permissions from the forest department, you can sit in one of the two tall watchtowers overnight and experience some thrilling wildlife moments in the forest.
Distance: 4-5 km
Cost per head: Rs.200
Highest Point Trail
Highlight: At the park's highest point, you can take in a surreal panorama of the three lakes that quench the city's thirst: Tulsi, Vihar and Powai in front of you against a stunning back drop of the city.
Distance: 12 km
Cost per head: R300
Kanheri/Upper Trail
Highlight: Find several opportunities for birding and exploring natural habitats as these evergreen forests are host to a rich diversity of life forms.
Distance: 4 km
Cost per head: R200
Attend an art show
11 AM – 7 PM: Award winning artist Jenny Bhatt is all set to return with her new solo project titled, Swimming in the Subconscious. The works, laced with humour are pop surreal abstractions, which combine digital imagery to explore subconscious states.
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, 161-B, Mahatma Gandhi Road
Call: 22843989
Buy paintings for a cause
11 AM – 7 PM: Don't miss the Cancer Patients Aid Association's 13th annual art exhibition, featuring an amazing array of 134 artworks by over 70 contemporary Indian master and senior artists, including Ajay De, Jaideep Mehrotra and Samir Mondal. Proceeds from the sale of the paintings will go towards helping underprivileged children, struggling with cancer.
Where: The Viewing Room, Elysium Mansion, 4th Floor, Colaba Causeway
Call: 22830026
Go on a strawberry binge
8 AM – 12 PM: This one's for fans of strawberry. The Sassy Spoon's in-house mixologist has concocted an enticing beverage menu with exotic creations like strawberry vanilla martini, strawberry and jalapeno margarita and strawberry sangria. Dessert lovers can indulge in strawberry tart and cheesecake.
Where: The Sassy Spoon, Express Towers, Nariman Point
Call: 7666222777
Get your teenager military ready this Xmas
Book Ahead
Dec. 24, 6.30 AM: This Christmas vacation, give your child an opportunity to develop their personality both, physically and emotionally. Captain Vanjari's Academy and Jumpstart Outdoors have collaborated to create a five-day Lakshya-Military Experience Camp for children between the age groups of 13 and 17. Your kid will get a first-hand experience of life in the armed forces, personalised interaction with officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force alongside outdoor activities, which will include extensive military tasks and simulations.
Meeting Point: Dadar
Price: Rs.12,500
Call: 9619793983
Listen to a filmmaker's tale
5 PM: Actor Nagesh Bhosle will reflect on his journey as an artiste at a new Mumbai Local event. Through excerpts from his films, Bhosle will take you on a thought-provoking journey.
Where: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla East
RSVP: www.junoontheatre.org
Catch a comedy
6 PM: For those who've been wanting to catch up on the funnies, don't miss stand-up comedian Amit Tandon's latest laugh riot, Still Struggling. Fresh from his shows in the US and UK, Tandon will be bringing fresh material on stage, especially amusing vignette's from his own life.
Where: DY Patil Auditorium, Nerul, Navi Mumbai
Entry: Rs.750 -Rs.1,500
To BooK: in.bookmyshow.com
See a Kutiyattam performance
7 PM: Catch Thrissur-based Kutiyattam artist Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar, who will bring together storytelling and dance-drama for an exclusive 75-minute performance from the play Thoranayudham. Rajaneesh will enact a scene from the Indian epic Ramayana, in which the mighty demon King Ravana encounters Mount Kailasa.
Where: Studio Tamaasha 76, Aram Nagar 2, Versova
Entry: R354
To book: in.bookmyshow.com
Go For This
Watch a wordless comedy
12 PM & 5 PM: Looking for something you can enjoy with your kids? Watch a one-of-a-kind wordless theatre performance by Argentinean Theatre group Mandragora Circus, involving acclaimed artistes Mariana Silva and Juan Cruz Bracamonte. The duo plays two clowns and will tell their story through an immersive experience that combines aerial acrobatic stunts and circus juggling with powerful acting. The audience is also reeled in as they are made to imagine situations, conflicts and solutions.
Where: Experimental Theatre: NCPA, NCPA marg, Nariman Point
Price: Rs.354- R413 plus taxes
To Book: in.bookmyshow.com
Eat like a Greek
12.30 PM – 4 PM: Enjoy unlimited Mediterranean food, beer and wine at Blanco's new Sunday brunch. With dishes ranging from anti pasta to sushi, tacos and meaty grills, the meals and ambience will definitely transport you to the Greek islands.
Where: Blanco 201-202, Oshiwara, Andheri West
Call: 22843989
Entry: Rs.1,199 Brunch with wine, beer, champagne and cocktails
For Reservation: 8383838320
Watch a Russian film
4 pm onwards: Too Red For A Fox is a film about the adventures of the ingenious and charming Fox, who helps a blacksmith in love. This fantasy tale sees animals from the magic forest, talking flowers and trees, angels and elves come to the blacksmith's rescue, so he can win over his beloved.
Where: Only Parathas, Ground Floor, Reliable Business Centre, Anand Nagar, Near Heera Panna Mall, Andheri West
Entry: Rs.235
Call: 26399952
Join a giggle fest
7 pm onwards: Watch Delhi-based comedian Abhishek Upamanyu try some of his best material in a set titled Thoda Saaf Bol. If his YouTube following is anything to go by, then you must not miss this fun night of straight talk. You might even run into veteran comics, who we hear, like him too!
Where: 4th Floor, Hotel Unicontinental, Ram Krishna Nagar, Road Number 3, Khar West
Entry: Rs.800
Call: 9833577557
Get a taste of Japan
8 pm onwards: Join the dinner table with acclaimed screenwriter, photographer and filmmaker, Sooni Taraporevala for an evening of conversation, photographs and a culinary trip to Japan. It's a chance to experience the country's cuisine while soaking in the context and culture behind it.
Where: Savor Dining Room, Lower Parel
Entry: R2,600 (plus taxes)
RSVP: hello@savorexperiences.com
Relive Casablanca days
8 pm onwards: This 1942 American romantic drama has gone down in cinematic history for the delightful performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. Certainly worth a repeat watch for those who have. For the other, sign up already.
Where: Drishyam VFX, Studio VFX, Veera Desai Industrial Estate, Andheri West
Entry: Rs.300
Call: 61310303
Go for a jazz medley
7 pm: Watch a concert that showcases the influence of Latin, Indian, Caribbean, Cuban and other world music on jazz, featuring the Rajeev Raja Combine and special guests. The lineup includes big names from Indian classical musicians and world musicians as well.
Where: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs.384-Rs.1280
Call: 66223737
See it in monochrome
11 am to 7 pm: Black is beautiful is an exhibition of figurative charcoal paintings by Mumbai artist Gautam Patole. The theme of his works is the 'Almighty is behind the ones who pray'. Patole's works are known to depict both, the real and the surreal, questioning the significance of existence.
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989
Learn the A-Zs of a British Christmas
With the nip in the air already smelling Christmassy, this is a good time to grab plenty of December cheer creating British mince pies, gingerbread and the classic mulled wine in this special, and very hands-on, Xmas baking class. Mince pies are fruit-based sweet desserts (fully vegetarian) served in the UK at Xmas time. This session will help participants make their own foolproof pastry, create a sticky sweet fruit filling and bake mince pies. They’ll also be baking their own gingerbread, create festive shapes and decorate them for gifting this holiday season. Participants will be provided with their own cookery station. So, slip into an apron, roll up your sleeves and sign up already.
When: Dec 15, 17 and Dec 21
Where: Rohan Plaza, Khar West
Entry: Rs.3,599
Call: 9022270033
Travel back in time, through 16 mm lens
Touted as Mumbai’s first and only 16 mm film festival, this one lets you take a break from incessant scrolling on Instagram, to relive the magic of churning a film through a projector, onto a spotless white cloth. Back in the 60s and 70s, Aram Nagar in Versova, which was originally a refugee colony, used to screen 16 mm films. This festival brings together both classics and contemporary works of cinema, in a setting that evokes nostalgia. Among the highlights is a 16 mm film workshop that will help participants create a short, experimental film, which will later be performed with a live musician. This will be followed by a screening of 16 mm films from across the globe. A must-watch film is Prakash Jha's Hip Hip Hurray, that was made in 16 mm.
When: Dec 16, 11.30 am onwards
Where: Bungalow no. 75, ground floor, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri
Call: 9819682673
Entry: Rs.1,770
Explore the beauty of woodworks
Whittled Space is a solo show by artist Piraji Sagara. The artist's visual language finds expression in his wood collages. After a long period, Piraji's work are being displayed in the city. His works are an embodiment of rare experimentation, 15 of which will be displayed at this exhibition. The Ahmedabad-born artist who graduated from JJ School of Art in Mumbai in 1960, has been an iconic contributor to contemporary Indian art. What made his works special is the marriage between his artistic sensibility and techniques. From rusted iron nails, brass sheets, carved wood used for block printing to parts of old wooden chests all found their way into his work.
When: Till Dec 22, 11 am to 6.30 pm
Where: Akara Art, 1st Floor, 32 Mereweather Road, Colaba
Call: 22025550
Bite into a new menu
A good way to kick in the festive season would be to sample the latest items that have been introduced to the Toast Bistro & Bar menu. The must-try dishes include barbeque chicken tenders, chicken baida roti, bhaara chaap, black sesame cottage cheese skewers. Get playful with the quirky flavours of the pesto paan chicken, the seafood bisque and quinoa stuffed mushrooms. The dishes promise to cater to both, the experimental world cuisine lovers and those who like to stick to their desi comfort zone.
When: 11 am to 1 pm
Where: Toast Bistro and Bar, T24 Residency, Church Road, Near Airport Metro Station, Andheri East
Call: 7045902799
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