RAPPELLING MUMBAI

Those who prefer the proverbial road less travelled, Maharashtra’s countless waterfalls make for great sites to explore. Hiking through the verdant Western Ghats, and discovering gushing cascades is enough of an adventure in itself, but the thrill of rappelling through the fast-flowing water is something else altogether. Madhe Ghat near Pune and the Madap Waterfalls in Khopoli are two sites for this teethgrinding sport. Both, the 70-kilometre drive to Madhe Ghat from Pune as well as the 65-kilometre route from Mumbai to Madap Waterfalls, are smooth and scenic, passing through peaceful green landscapes. The controlled descent down a cold and fast-streaming waterfall from a height of over 100 feet, though, is anything but peaceful. A word of caution: this activity should be performed under the guidance of reliable tour operators.

GETTING THERE Madhe Ghat and Khopoli are reachable from Pune (80 km) and Mumbai

(70 km), respectively.

STAY Grand Hyatt Mumbai (starts from `18,000/US$ 257, hyatt.com); Conrad Pune (starts from `24,460/US$ 349, conradhotels3.hilton.com)

PLAN IT WITH Thrillophilia (thrillophilia.com)