On a weekend when Mumbaikars donned their trendiest costumes to grace the popular annual superhero convention in Bandra, the scenes at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali offered a different kind of convention in the outdoors. Like every weekend, it’s where naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts, armed with cameras and bicycles as their props, gather to explore the national park. Last Sunday, we joined their ranks by signing up for a summer buggy tour that promised an introduction to four unique tourist spots inside the park.

We were greeted by a group of young cyclists making their way back from a tiring trail, evident from the exhaustion on their faces. Not far away, a fleet of eight parked buggies caught our eye. As we struck up a conversation with a driver about the 2.5 km-long ride and purchased a pass (R50 per adult), the buggy started filling with tourists like us. With six passengers on board, we rolled into the main area of the park.