Christmas for the thrill-seeker

Most Mumbaikars associate Christmas and the holiday season with trips to Mount Mary and Don Bosco Church, sipping on mugs of hot cocoa, attending mass and maybe a party or two at home. However, this year, Mumbai’s adventure lovers can have their fill of thrills, since a number of adventure activities are being organised in and around the city. From bird watching to paragliding, there is enough and more to satiate any thrill seeker’s soul.

A feathery wonderland at Akshi:
Akshi beach is a relatively less inhabited beach near Alibaug, which is close to a fisherman’s village by the same name. During winter, the beach becomes a home to hundreds of migratory birds. “When the tide is high, you can see huge flocks of birds gathered together,” says microbiologist and photographer Sonal Patil, who will be leading the expedition.

“You can see species like Brown Headed Gull, BlackHeaded Gull, Lesser Sand Plover, Terek Sandpiper and Ruddy Turnstone. Though these aren’t rare species, they can only bee seen in droves during high tide, which this time round has coincided with Christmas morning,” she says.

A day among the birds at Akshi Beach will take place on December 25, 5 am onwards,
Meeting Point: Vashi Highway
Contact: 61818464

Lesser Sand Plovers at Akshi

Glide above Kamshet:
Though Hidden Trekkers organises paragliding sessions every weekend, this time round, their adventure has luckily coincided with Christmas Eve. “We will follow our usual itinerary of meeting up at Dadar, making a trip to Kamshet and a 15 minute tandem paragliding session, followed by a lunch made by local villagers. Still, if our clients want something special, we are always happy to customise,” says Vaibhav Gaurav, who will be one of the guides at Kamshet.

The paragliding trip to Kamshet will take place on December 24, 6 am onwards
Meeting Point: Dadar Station
Call: 8828079732

Tandem paragliding in session

A walk on the wildside to Gorakhgad:
While Parth Pratik Upadhyaya of Dark Green Adventures organises a trek every weekend, on Christmas weekend, his night trek to Gorakhgad has had unprecedented response. “Half the slots are already filled up, something that usually happens only by Thursday,” he gushes, as he explains the nighttime trek through forestland to the ancient fort.

“You reach the final destination at daybreak. You have to walk through an old arch, which is still remaining, from the Gorakhgad fort. From there, there is a panoramic view of the Sahiyadris which is amazing, especially during sunrise,” he adds.

The trek to Gorakhgad will take place on December 24, 9.30 pm onwards.
Meeting point: Kalyan ST bus stand
Call: 9820468748

Gorakhgad