Sun, Sand and Sea: India’s Best Beach Escapes

India is well known for many of its its popular beaches like Goa’s Calangute or Kerala’s Kovalam beaches. But, just like any Asli Mumbai-chi Mulgi, my favourite beach is Juhu Chowpatty.

Juhu Beach is an ultimate weekend attraction for families, couples, friends, tourists, all the same. The Arabian Sea overlooks an assembly of plush hotels on one end and make-shift, crowded food stalls on the other end.

This beach meets with a wide variety of visitors every day, starting with morning walkers, joggers, runners and yoga practitioners at dawn, to groups of friends, stuntmen and privacy-seeking couples in the afternoon, to families with children and tourists in the evening.

Source: http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/9161/juhu-beach1.jpg

 

Apart from all the ‘legal’ stores at the rear end of the beach, there are many stray vendors selling local delicacies like Chana Chaat, Bhel and Kulfi. What’s more, one gets greeted by many ‘photographers’ and ‘mehandi designers’ in a single beach visit. The evenings also see a surge in balloon and toys vendors. My personal favourites are the monkey shaped balloons and the parachute toys.

A random stroll on this beach will easily bring you close to a couple of sand castles and some inscriptions in the sand. If luck favours you, you can also spot an exhibit of sand art! Sometimes, when the tide is low, one can scavenge for and find sea shells and small pieces of marble too.

 

Source: http://adamseo25.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/juhu-beach.gif

 

Additionally, having proximity to both Mumbai’s airport and helipad, one spots airplanes and helicopters from the beach all too often. Children oversee the sky in awe as these large metallic structures slowly vanish out of their sight.

Now, all this typically constitutes the ‘guilty pleasures’ of any Mumbai resident hanging out at the city’s favourite beach. However, there is another aspect of Juhu beach which is very exotic, a 5 star hotel experience.

‘Sun N Sand’, an appropriate name for a beachfront hotel, is a serene location overlooking the Arabian Sea. An extension to the sea is in the form of an outdoor saltwater swimming pool on the hotel’s premises. Resting on one of the recliners around the pool, one can sip on a cold fresh-fruit juice and enjoy the sun descend into the horizon of the vast sea.

Also, if you’re in luck, you can spot Bollywood celebrities or models engaged in professional photo-shoots around the pool. Incidentally, on my visit, I witnessed both!

Source: http://0.tqn.com/d/goindia/1/0/i/N/-/-/sunsand.jpg

However, Juhu Beach, to me, is an extra-ordinary place for every ordinary citizen and that’s what makes it so special to the local Mumbai resident.

The assortment of foods available, the potpourri of visitors from across the country and the constant calling from the vendors are typical of Juhu Beach. Running or sitting or getting dirty in the sand make up for a great leisurely get-away from the honking and sweating that Mumbaiites are accustomed to.

I rate Juhu Beach as India’s best beach escape, not because it’s the most beautiful coast, but because it has something to offer to everyone. In many ways, the beach mirrors the ying-yang mood of this city- its madness and chaos on one hand and its calm and beauty on the other.

*This piece was written as part of a writing contest.