Tired of your elaborate vacation plans (where you go for fancy Instagram-worthy brunches during the day and party till 4 AM in fairy-light strung shacks) not working out because your college offers no long weekends and you spent all your money on Pizza Pringles the last time you went grocery shopping? Leave the hard work to us for we have curated the perfect weekend getaway trips for you that offer the perfect blend of adrenaline and serenity and are just a stone’s throw away from Bombay and Pune!

Lavasa

Who said you need visas and big bucks to get a taste of Italy? Inspired by the picturesque Italian town of Portofino, this planned township is snugly tucked between lush green hills and the azure waters of Warasgaon lake. The myriad of colors that the high walls of this city host make the perfect backgrounds for the snaps with your besties that you can put on the walls of your TribeStays room. Additionally, the new Christ University Lavasa campus has made sure that the city has made itself student-friendly. Whether you’re an old soul looking for cozy getaways in hoodies and warm socks or an adrenaline junkie who wants to make the most out of every day, Lavasa has something for everyone. Stay in the luxurious pastel palette studio apartments of Waterfront Shaw or the air conditioned tents of XThrill Adventure Academy and have an activity planned for every hour. More places to explore in Lavasa include the Lakeside Promenade, Bamboosa and Temghar Dam. Sound exquisite, don’t they?

Kamshet

Just a short drive away from the overcrowded hubbub of Lonavala and Khandala, Kamshet is the paragliding mecca of India. Located between the hilltops of the Western Ghats, this scenic village offers morning and afternoon paragliding sessions for everybody who’s above 6 years of age. Depending on weather conditions, customers receive precise Google map locations of their takeoff points and upon reaching there, certified pilots take you paragliding over the gorgeous Sahyadris. The cool breeze lapping against your face and the bird’s eye view of the entire town is sure to make you feel like a kid in a candy store. If you’re not somebody who likes too much adventure, you may even go sightseeing in the numerous tiny villages that surround Kamshet and revisit your childhood summer vacations when you roll tires with sticks with the children of these mountains. Karla Caves, Bedsa Caves, Bhandar Dongar and Raikar Farms are other destinations to explore that offer opportunities for rock climbing, trekking, boating, angling and several other exciting activities.

Matheran

A name that literally translates into “Forest on the forehead (of mountains)”, Matheran boasts of being located a whooping 2516 ft above sea level in the land of fluffy clouds. It is one of India’s oldest hill stations and is well protected from the rapid concrete-jungle globalization that plagues most other holiday destinations. All motor vehicles are banned in this scenic town and it is only accessible by the 1907 Keral-Matheran narrow gauge toy train that runs between these two platforms. The iconic Parsi architecture and red laterite lanes are sure to bewilder the minds of all who visit. Louisa point offers the best wide angle view of the famous Prabalgad fort and the charming waterfalls of this town. Unwind with valley crossings and horse ridings as you breathe in the essence of Echo Point, Panorama Point, Heart Point, and Charlotte Lake. Matheran, once visited, is sure to become one of your favorite weekend getaways.

Raigad

We’re sure that our history buffs have read all about this town that was Chhatrapati Shivaji’s capital back in the 1600s. This epicenter of the Maratha empire has been talked about in leaps and bounds in all our 10^th grade history books and now it’s finally time to go see it in flesh and blood. Termed as the “Gibraltar of the East”, the controversies and history that surround the fort throng in thousands. Don’t forget to explore the Rani Vasa, the six chambers of the queen, or the Royal Bath with hidden underground cellars that were once used for top secret activities like worshipping Bhavani Mata and storing loot from numerous wars. Takmak Tok is a steep cliff that plunges 1200 ft deep and it is believed that this is the point from where wrongdoers were pushed off to their deaths by Shivaji himself. And then there’s the legend of Hirakani Buruj, of the woman named Hirakani who came to sell milk inside the fort one day but got trapped inside when the doors got locked. But we’re not going to ruin it for you, visit this iconic monument in person to hear the full story of how she made it out from the local travel guides who say it the best after climbing the 1737 steps that lead to the fort or taking a cable car up to it.