You may have come across many haunted stories in your life or heard of one from your grandma during your childhood. Once you listen to them, it’s pretty hard to get out of them easily. True Right? Most of these haunted stories involve ghosts, a woman in a white saree with a candle walking on the street and many more unusual and weird things like that.

In India, there are a plethora of places that are known to be haunted and one of the most popular among them is Bhangarh, Rajasthan. Apart from this, you will not believe that cities like Mumbai which is extremely famous for ‘Vada Pav’ and its ‘Marine Drive’ have also some places which are extremely haunted.

Let’s explore some of the haunted places in Mumbai that you should avoid going after the sun sets.

1. Sanjay Gandhi National Park

via: Wikipedia

It is a biosphere reserve and a trekking site. It is considered one of the most haunted places in Mumbai. Many peoples and the forest guards have told that they have seen a hazy shadow of a hitchhiker who vanishes in the air gradually. And you know that despite being the haunted place yet it is one of the most visited parks in the world.

2. IC Colony

via: DNA India

IC Colony is located in Borivali region, Mumbai. The haunted story behind this is that once a gardener has committed suicide in the playground in front of the colony building and it is believed that his ghost is still there who are protecting the region and haunting everyone therearound.

3. Santa Cruz West

via: Twitter

The most rumoured story about this place is related to a woman who resides on the second floor. People are not even dared to call her by her name, so they call her by using the phrase, ‘2nd-floor Ki Bhabhi Ji’ instead. It is also said that the sound of barking dogs is heard when the spirit of a woman is nearby.

4. Taj Mahal Hotel

via: Taj Hotels

It is one of the most luxurious and signature building of Mumbai. The architect who has designed the building has committed suicide as the building design deviated from the original plan.

It is, therefore, he decided to kill himself right away. So, his spirit is believed to wander here and there around the hotel building near corridors and staircases.

5. Vrindavan Society

via: PropTiger

Vrindavan Society is situated behind the Thane Creek and is believed to be one of the most haunted places in Mumbai. The night security guards have reported that they have encountered unnatural slaps on their faces while sleeping at night.

Even they have heard of whispers right into their ears when they use to perform their duty at night in the colony. Stories say that it is the ghost of an old man who has committed suicide in one of the buildings in the society.

6. D’Souza Chawl

via: YouTube

This place is said to be haunted by the spirit of an old woman who fell into the well and died unnaturally. Since then, her evil spirit roams around the well after the sunset.

7. Nasserwanj Wadi

via: Haunted

The place is located near Mahim Railway Station. The story behind this place is that a local Parsi, Nasser was burnt alive, 16 years ago. It is believed that his spirit is still protecting and keeping a watch on his property. A man is supposed to hold the entire possession of this property and no one dares to mess up with him.

Sweltering heat with oppressive humidity in Coimbatore was pushing us to find options to seek some respite. In addition to that, the haunting complaint of constant boredom by the kids. My wife and I then decided it was time for a break. With both of us working, we needed a short break just for one weekend.

Our plan was to head somewhere close and a cooler climate. That is when we decided to go on a weekend break to Ooty, the Queen of the Nilgiris. It was a sudden plan and we did not wish to drive in the oppressive heat.

Cooler climes for respite from the heat at Ooty:

via: Trip101

The only alternative was to take a bus or car. With kids, my wife thought it best to rent a car which would free us from the hassle of driving and help us to spend time with the kids too. My wife got onto the internet to book a top-rated cab in Coimbatore with an expert driver to ferry us around for our family trip.

Both of us did a lot of research to book a comfortable taxi from Coimbatore to Ooty. Savaari car rentals were one of the best options that gave a good choice of cars, rates and also had some good ratings from passengers. On contacting them, we had a Savaari executive spoke to us at length about our requirements and came up with a brilliant itinerary for the weekend.

Overview and daily activities:

via: Loud Wallpapers

To use every minute of our whole weekend productively, we decided to set off to Ooty early in the morning and made sure we highlighted that to our Savaari executive. The Savaari taxi arrived promptly in the wee hours of Saturday morning as since it was summer there was sufficient daylight to start the journey.

The Saavari chauffeur was not only punctual but equally courteous and even helped in stowing our luggage. We set off on the road and the driver told us that there were three different routes we could take but suggested that we take the NH181 which would take about two and a half hours. As we rode through the smooth highway, we stopped at a local joint to get some breakfast. We decided not to stop any further and reach Ooty as soon as possible with the kids all excited about the trip.

We reached our resort at Ooty by 9 am in the morning and checked into the hotel. The hotel had ample parking space but did not have any lodging facilities for the Savaari chauffer. The driver was kind enough to adjust and agreed to camp in the car for the two days that we planned to stay there.

After checking in and settling down, we decided to head out to enjoy some cool weather and nature at its best. We were keen on getting the kids to do some trekking so we took the cab and drove up to a point to head on a trek to the Dodabetta Peak.

As we reached there, we caught some panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and also took some great pictures of the foliage around. It was evening by the time we trekked down and came back to the resort. We called it a day after dinner.

The next day we headed to the Botanical Gardens to spend time in the picturesque garden and also had a small picnic of sorts with the children. The children were amazed to see the varieties of species of plants and trees, especially the fossil tree that was over 20 million years old.  After that, we headed to the Avalanche lake, another haven for nature lovers.

The place was set amidst some captivating landscape with flowers in full bloom. We indulged in some horse riding, fishing and boating for a couple of hours. It was time to head home and we had already checked out of the resort in the morning so we got the Savaari chauffer to drive straight back home.

How to reach Coimbatore from Ooty?

via: Zooka Travels

Ooty can be reached by train, bus or car. Since we were travelling with children we decided to book a comfortable taxi from Coimbatore to Ooty to save time travelling to and from the train or bus station. Our Savaari driver was a polite gentleman who made all the arrangements to make our travel comfortable and safe. He was particularly mindful about the comfort of the kids.

Savaari gave us a car that was in impeccable condition. We made our bookings online and every penny we paid was worth it. Savaari also offers the convenience of offline bookings. Their transparent billing system and zero cancellation charges set them apart from their competitors.

Distance and the time took:

via: Wild Trails

The distance between Coimbatore and Ooty is 86 km and it takes about 2 and a half hours to cover the journey. The distance and time may be subject to change owing to the start time of the journey and the traffic en route.

Ooty is a great place to visit over the weekend and there are plenty of things that you could do, either with your partner or with your children.

What comes into your mind when you heard of Jaipur? The pink city right? But to be brutally honest, Jaipur also reminds you of its forts, museums, Rajasthani culture and of course its tasty food. It is the city which is full of experiences if you want to explore.

If you are planning to visit Jaipur the next time either with your family or friends, then don’t be confused as I have made things easy for you which you can do there whenever you visit the next time or maybe for the first time.

Have a look at some of the best things to do in Jaipur which can make your trip an unforgettable and memorable experience.

1. Get a taste of Rajasthani culture at Chokhi Dhani

via: Orbitz

Chokhi Dhani is one of the best places to visit in Jaipur if you want to enjoy Rajasthani cultural activities. Chokhi Dhani is a village themed resort where you can enjoy a variety of local experiences. Apart from this, you can also go on a camel, elephant and bullock cart rides.

And yes there is an arrangement for lip-smacking Rajasthani meals also which you can try out besides enjoying local cultural programs.

2. Explore Whole Jaipur on a Camel Ride

via: Rawala Narlai

I bet this is the coolest way ever that one could use to explore Jaipur. Sit and relax on the back of a camel and enjoy the beautiful views of the city. You can hire a camel ride from the market area and start your mini ride.

3. Visit Local Villages taking Jeep Safari

via: Klook

You can also try visiting local villages in Jaipur with Jeep Safari if you want to feel that real Rajputana royal glory. One can notice village houses, occupations, agriculture farms, the life of people and visit school and local panchayats to have a glimpse of how is life there? You can also have fun with the kids for playing gully cricket and other games rather than sticking on mobile phones!

4. Try Hot Balloon Safari at Jamnalal Bajaj Road

via: Holidify

If you are an adventure enthusiast person, then you must try hot balloon safari at Jamnalal Bajaj Road. This will help you to have a glimpse of various beautiful attractions of the city like City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Jai Mahal etc. This is surely one of the fun things to do when you visit Jaipur to make some memorable moments.

5. Trekking on Chour Ghati in Jaipur

via: Thrillophilia

Are you a trekking lover? What are you thinking then just pack your bags and go on a trek on Chour Ghati in Jaipur? Chour Ghati is a beautiful trek in the remnants of Aravalis surrounded with plush green beauty from all the sides.

6. Visit Elephant Farms

via: Memorable India

Nothing can be better than visiting an Elephant farm if you are a big animal lover. Experience meeting the elephants in real and feed them with your own hands and have fun.

7. Taste Cutting Chai at Tapri- the Tea House

via: HashTag Classified

Imagine it’s raining and you are in Jaipur, then what could be better than having a cutting chai along with a mask bun at Tapri – The Tea House which is a beautiful little cafe started by a couple of friends after coming to their corporate jobs. It is one of the favourite and most crowded places in Jaipur.