Mumbai with kids and keeping them engaged – Part 2

Bandra – also known as the Queen of Mumbai’s suburbs has always fascinated me. From the quaint streets, residences, hip cafe and food joints, the roads spill into busy markets – a shopper’s paradise. While I can spend ages immersed in these shops and cafes, when it comes to kids you need to find that sweet equilibrium.

Following on from my earlier post on town area, here is my listing of some places to visit and things to do in Bandra, that I have noticed kids also enjoyed.

1) Bandstand Promenade

“Bandstand”. I just love the unique beachfront.

The gorgeous stretch of Bandra Bandstand

The gorgeous stretch of Bandra Bandstand

The Bandstand Promenade, popularly known as Lover’s point, is a 1 kilometer long walkway along the sea. It is a popular hangout, jogging track, and a hot date spot ! Due to its notorious reputation, it is also on the radar of moral police. In my opinion, its popularity is also due to the Bollywood stars like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Farhan Akhtar owning houses close to it. I have seen fans thronging in front of these security tight houses to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors.

When we visited, we had the place mostly to ourselves and the kids loved sitting on the benches, enjoying the rocky sea shore and attempting walking on the rocks under very watchful eyes !

Kids fascinated by the rocky beach

Kids fascinated by the rocky beach

Thank god for benches - all this running makes us tired

Thank god for benches – all this running makes us tired

There is a Barista and Café Coffee day outlet right across the road, where we settled for cold coffee with the glorious view of the sea. In the evening, there are options of street food like bhel puri and pani puri as well.

Apparently, this is a venue for various cultural events in Bandra.

2) Bandra Fort

Now, a visit to Bandstand can not be complete without a visit to the Bandra Fort – a fort by the sea.

Castella de Aguada - the fort overlooking the sea

Castella de Aguada – the fort overlooking the sea

Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada , is located adjacent to Hotel Taj at Land’s End. It was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay, the Arabian Sea and the southern island of Mahim. Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films, Dil Chahta Hai, probably making it most popular.

The Bandra Fort

The Bandra Fort

Though the fort is almost entirely destroyed, the ruins remain one of the few standing reminders of the days of Portuguese glory.

3) Bandra-Worli Sea Link

The Bandra–Worli Sea Link, officially the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, is a cable-stayed bridge which links Bandra and with Worli, reducing travel time from 45–60 minutes to 7 minutes ! A lesson maybe Bangalore can learn 😉 . Apart from obvious convenience, it is an architectural marvel. I never tire of watching it soar , curve and take the travelers across the Arabian Sea.

The sealink connecting Bandra to Worli - view from the Bandra Fort

The sealink connecting Bandra to Worli – view from the Bandra Fort

The kids loved the view of the sealink from the fort. Nothing beats sitting on the safer walls of the fort – gazing into the horizons while sipping juice, wind ruffled hair and the sweet sound of waves !

The view of the sealink from Bandra Fort

The view of the sealink from Bandra Fort

4) Worli Sea Face promenade

Once you cross the sea-link from Bandra, you land at Worli Sea Face promenade. It is great to visit this in the early morning for sunrise or late evenings for sunset. The pavement is broad and ample space for kids to run around and play. Be prepared to encounter joggers though, especially in the morning. No hawkers and almost no litter. Enough benches to sit on and spend time with your family. Of course, the glorious view of the Sea Link from here is an added bonus.

View of the fascinating sea-link from Worli sea face

View of the fascinating sea-link from Worli sea face

Things you may want to know before the travel (Travel tips)

  • For tips on when to visit Mumbai refer to my blogpost here
  • Avoid visiting Bandstand in the evening with impressionable kids in tow for reasons stated
  • Bandra Fort opens at 10 AM and closes by 7 PM
  • One major drawback of being in this area are the lack of basic amenities like restrooms
  • There are a couple coffee joints opposite the Bandstand for food and coffee
  • Wear sensible walking shoes to explore the beachfront and fort
  • Carry caps, sunglasses and use ample sunscreen
  • Stock enough water with you to stay hydrated

admin

A daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, IT professional and now - a travel blogger. I just love traveling, exploring new places and this inspired me to share travel experiences and memories with others.

38 Responses

  1. pushcase says:

    I loved marine drive which is the best and relaxing place in entire Mumbai, whenever I visited the Mumbai I must go to marine drive at night… Enjoy breeze front of sea whooo what a enjoy….

  2. Great photos! This looks like an amazing time and the kiddos look like they really enjoyed themselves.

  3. Marianne says:

    Awesome thing to do with kids. I will be taking my daughter to the beach, not as near fun as yours but if we ever go to Mumbai,we will have this in mind

  4. Pam says:

    We don’t get to travel abroad nearly as often as we would like to, but I would love to visit Bandra Fort! It looked beautiful and I love the history behind it!!

  5. Sara says:

    We do a lot of travelling as a family but I have to admit we haven’t done India at all! Would love to think we will get there one day so thank you for your insight. Looks like the kids had fun!

    • admin says:

      Thanks Sara. You must visit India if you are looking for diverse things to do. History, nature, wildlife, temples, mountains, snow, beaches 🙂

  6. Vicky says:

    I would have never guessed that there was so much to do in Mumbai for kids. Good tips about the restrooms. Sounds like everyone should go beforehand.

  7. I would absolutely love to visit Mumbai one day. I have also learned the value of great walking shoes because I am the one that is always prone to slipping!

    • admin says:

      A great, comfortable shoe is so important. I sometimes see women in high heels exploring a place and I feel for them. I do not believe that someone can be comfortable doing that ! And if you are prone to slipping (or tripping , as I am) – a nice, anti-skid shoe is a must 🙂

  8. This looks like such an amazing place to see. It’s so pretty and the kids look like they had so much fun.

  9. Amrita says:

    The sea link looks stunning .Will keep your tips in mind while visiting. It looks so serene.Would love to visit the fort and Worli.

    • admin says:

      Thanks Amrita. You will love the view to sea link and I loved Bandra Fort and Worli. Worli in the early mornings will be bliss

  10. Deepa says:

    Your post reminded me of the time when we went to Mumbai. We are planning to take our kids soon. Will use your tips.

  11. traveling with kids can be a challenge, but it is so great that you are making memories like this with them. Your tips are also useful for everyone too. It looks wonderful there!

    • admin says:

      Thanks Mimi. Yes, it can be a challenge but my kids just rose to the occasion. Tips are based on my experience and would have loved to know before I went on this trek. Hopefully some of my readers are better prepared/aware than I was 🙂

  12. Ami Bhat says:

    Bandra has always been a favorite for varied reasons. And I love zipping through the Bandra Worli sea face. It is so liberating in a lot of ways to zip through those roads with the sea lashing on both sides. I can see that Arnav and Aarohi with Prisha had tons of fun, 🙂

    • admin says:

      Thanks Ami. The kids had fun and lot of bonding (also read fights) happened :). Totally love Worli sea face. Haven’t been there early in the morning but can imagine what a cool place it would be.

  13. Bandra is a beautiful place. I love walking through the lanes of Bandra. I used to live there in pali naka a few years back. I have very found memories of the promenade at bandstand, the fort and gazing at the skyline on the worli side from bandra. It came as a surprise to see that Dil Chahta Hain was shot there. Now to back and identify which scene was shot there 🙂

  14. Sandy N Vyjay says:

    Reading your post brought back some lovely memories. Have stayed in Bandra for long periods and it used to be a pleasure walking around this queen of suburbs. Have spent may an evening walking along the rocks near Bandstand and feeling the sea breeze on my face.

    • admin says:

      That is good to know. I have lived in Chennai and I really miss the proximity to the sea. Especially when kids enjoy the ocean so much 🙂

  15. Arnav Mathur says:

    I was in Pune for 6 years, which meant frequent weekend trips to Mumbai. But no matter how many trips I took, I never got the feeling that I have explored Mumbai properly.
    I guess thats what Mumbai is all about. Only who stay there, are able to experience Mumbai in different shades.

    • admin says:

      That’s true for any city Arnav. When we stay in or close to one, we take it and all it has to offer for granted.I try and visit new places each time I am in Mumbai, so I get a chance to explore it well enough.

  16. Joanna says:

    The seafront promenade of Mumbai looks so pretty and it’s great the children can plsy around on the rocks along side it. That bridge is really impressive, I love how it courves around. It’s astonishing to read how it shortened the travel time to 7 minutes from 40.

    • admin says:

      Thanks Joanna. They have created that space (promenade) around bandstand. It is even more fun in the evenings when there are food hawkers and (if) music festival is on.

  17. Karie says:

    Reading your post made me nostalgic as Banda is like my second home.My Aunt lives there and we have visited many times especially when I was a kid. I love the Bandstand promenade ,though I agree on your tip of not taking kids in the evenings. I’m not sure if you’ve visited Joggers Park but you should take your kids there next time 🙂

    • admin says:

      Wow, that is good to know Karie. I haven’t been to Joggers Park, didnot have time during the last trip. Will plan for it next time. I love Bandstand myself. The view of the ocean crashing against those rocks is pretty romantic !

  18. Lee says:

    I actually enjoy thesenkind of scenery. Taking photos in a port, beach coast etc however I cannot stand if I am in the water! You have an amazing country by the way

  19. Marge says:

    I must say this picture of Mumbai is so different from what I’ve seen in the past. I didn’t know any of these destinations and I agree that they look beautiful especially Bandra-Worli and Worli Sea Face. I can definitely see myself being there, taking a stroll, taking in the view, taking pictures. I hope I get to go there.

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