Get Up Close With Marine Life in Mumbai
When it comes to looking for a wildlife experience, we often think of dense forests or deep oceans, far removed from the cities we dwell in, forgetting the constantly-adapting wildlife that exists in urban spaces as we continue to encroach on their natural habitats. In an effort to help people shed this perception, Marine Life of Mumbai organises walks along the city&rsquos shorelines to experience the plethora of marine life. They help you look beyond the muck on the beaches and find corals, aquatic plants and diverse marine life - from starfish and hermit crabs to sea cucumbers, slender giant moray eels, and white-spotted whiprays.
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Have A Starry, Starry Night in Ladakh
Sign up for stargazing sessions on the shores of Pangong Lake. You can see constellations like the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, and the Pole Star, and sometimes even spot the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, zoom into the craters of Earth&rsquos moon and identify numerous other stars and constellations. The also also have a network of homestays called 'Astrostays'.
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Go On A River Cruise
Uniquely explore eastern India as you sail down India&rsquos greatest rivers &ndash the Ganges and Brahmaputra in a boutique ship. Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN) was the first company to put Indian long-distance river cruises on the map. They offer river trips filled with adventure, wildlife, village walks, and visits to craft villages. Cruising on the Ganges is all about exploring small hamlets and temple towns in a little-known but culturally rich part of Eastern India. Your itinerary will include exploring the temple town of Kalna, the historically rich Plassey, the abundance of heritage in Murshidabad, the Mughal ruins of Gaur, and the relics of colonial rule along the river.
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Spot Fireflies in Maharashtra
When Cold Play sang &lsquolights will guide you home&rsquo they surely couldn&rsquot have known about Purushwadi&rsquos magical fireflies. Streetlights are passé in this little village in the Akole district, about six hours away from Mumbai. Come May-June, this area becomes a hotspot for fireflies, millions and millions of them lighting up once night falls. The picturesque village is made up of about 100 families, some of whom, through an NGO, play host to visitors who come to see the spectacle. In the morning, one can walk around the village and pick berries straight off fruit trees, visit the nearby dam, help villagers in their agricultural fields, and eat a sumptuous home-cooked meal. But come nightfall, the scenery changes&mdashif you&rsquove read Enid Blyton&rsquos description of an enchanted forest, the experience isn&rsquot far off. Villagers would earlier keep the fireflies in bottles to use as a light source but the practice has now fallen out of favour.
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Check Out Ancient Rocks in Kharu
Petroglyphs are remnants of the past&mdasha story of past civilisations and the evolvement of history. The petroglyphs of Ladakh can be found alongside the Indus and are said to have been created between the 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE. The 500-odd petroglyphs are best preserved in the Domkhar Rock Art Sanctuary, about 160 kilometres from Leh. The other notable areas in Ladakh are Kharu, Khaltse and Tangtse, that boast of similar ancient rock carvings. The shapes chiseled on the rocks speak of a different time&mdashline drawings of animals on a dark surface, to give us a hint of the past and cultural migration patterns. It is believed that the rudimentary script on the rock surface is similar to those found among tribes of Central Asia, who lived a nomadic life 2,000 years ago.