>>> Manori beach Malad West
Rating: 

When I was a little girl, happiness was Juhu Beach. Despite being afflicted by terrible travel sickness I would happily wait for the 374 Ltd bus to take the most winding route from Chembur, through Dharavi, Kalina and every lane and bylane possible till I was green around the gills.

Yet the joy was the beach, the sea water, playing endlessly in the swaying water and a picnic spread by my mother and aunt that rivaled all the picnic spreads in any Enid Blyton book. I still love Juhu beach but when I say the name I’m met with toxic looks and the editor politely demurs.

But it’s summer and we have to do the beach. So we travel to Malad, to the sands and the water of Manori. We take the road — the long drive being a part of the picnic — but the smarter, faster way would be to take a train and then the ferry. You’ll find fishing trawlers on your way and acres of salt pans. If you can, stop by and show the kids how salt is made. Children find it unbelievable and its fun to see small hills of salt that you can touch and taste.

Manori, Gorai and a few beaches that are on the outskirts of Mumbai are doted with resorts where you can stay over or rent for a day. We do the renting-for-the-day option at Manori. A popular destination with Mumbaikars, the resort is packed with people who want to make the most of the sparking clean beach. Slightly off Malad (W), Manori retains a Goa-like vibe. Small homes with jackfruit and mango trees line the undulating lanes.

Every kindergarten or pre-primary school will have two things as a part of their curriculum — water play and sand play. The reason of this is that water, as well as sand, have the proven power of calming people, especially children.

We head for the beach. After the rocky shelves and the mangroves we find a clean beach with white sand. The water is warm and inviting.