Even though Mumbai is a large metropolis, I’ve always bemoaned the lack of truly multicultural cuisine in Mumbai. There are tons of themed placed – Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French but most of the dishes are heavily adapted to suit local tastes. It makes good business sense, but you never truly get authentic world food.

This place was different. Sure, it was charming. But the food was really authentic too! We stuck to desserts on our visit, & I had the best half and half mint choco chip macarons & banoffee pie ever.

As luck would have it, the place sadly closed a couple of months after. These photos have been lying on my computer for a few years – it’s high time I shared them here, even if it’s just for a e s t h e t i c s.

Is there any restaurant or eatery you’ve been to just once, but you have fond (or unique) memories of? I definitely fondly remember places I’ve eaten at while travelling & sometimes I look them up years later to see if they’re still around. x

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So early one Friday morning, a bunch of us bloggers + vloggers got on a bus to start the (approximately) 6 hour journey by road. We started on the Mumbai-Pune expressway & then got on the road to Panchgani-Mahabaleswar. The last set of ghats can be kind of brutal, but I’m a heavy sleeper & blissfully slept through it all (missing some amazing views in the process, unfortunately).

Where We Stayed | Saj on the Mountain

When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted with refreshing welcome drinks & then got to see our rooms. Saj on the Mountain has 78 rooms on the property, divided into three categories. We stayed in a cottage, which is the largest & most luxurious of the three. The room is really large, (one double bed & two single beds) it’s especially designed to comfortably accommodate a whole family. I remember being forced to stay in a separate room when travelling with my parents because hotel rooms usually only accomodate two, so I think family rooms are a really nice option. They also come with a private back garden, which is enclosed for privacy – my mom loved relaxing on the swing during our time there. I did make a video (which you can watch below), which also includes a bit of our journey, a room tour & some other highlights from the trip, doing my best to showcase over two days in less than two minutes.

The resort is on the side of a hill, with the reception being on a lower level & the rest of the rooms higher up. It also has two restaurants, a couple of different kids play areas, a game room, Vyom spa, a pool & more.

Plus, there’s so much of pretty landscaping & flowers, that is was fun to get mom to pose by these purple ones.

What We Ate | Dining at the Resort ️

All food served at Saj on the Mountain is vegetarian, & they have two restaurants & one bar / gastropub.
Fasal is where we enjoyed our first meal, this delicious thali with some chilled buttermilk.

And here are some of the evening snacks they arranged for us all in the outdoor area we started our treasure hunt & zorbing.

I don’t have photographs from Wilson’s Cafe, but I loved the ambience there. I didn’t really enjoy the pastas too much but breakfasts were superb!

Finally, there’s Darwin pub, where we had a little sundowner on our first night. The chefs at Saj customise the menu according to the season & since we were there in peak strawberry season, strawberries were incorporated in interesting ways, like these delicious strawberry cosmopolitans.

The staff at the resort are also happy to arrange open air snacks / dinner for groups & we even had this great open air dinner on our last night there, complete with a bonfire & a fantastic telescope through which we got to see close super close ups of the moon! 

What We Did | Activities

Most of our downtime was spent within the resort itself, there was so much to do that I could stay within the premises without being bored!

Along with the standard pool & play area mentioned above & a game room with table tennis & more there were even some great activities like zorbing (where you basically roll around in this giant plastic bubble). There were also multiple trained people around us while we tried our hands at it, to demonstrate & see that we were doing everything safely, which is much needed when trying any adventure sports!

Where We Went | Places to See ️

Mahabaleshwar is an established tourist destination & does have a set of places you can visit. We did visit a couple of very historic temples (which I’d only recommend if you’re religious or interested in history).

We also went to see Lodwick point – it did offer nice views but was crowded & slightly underwhelming. You can also walk to Wilson Point from there.

Finally we finished our tour with a visit to Panchgani market, which is always bustling & a great place to pick up local snacks, chocolate or shop for Mapro goodies – I’d highly recommend their syrups & I did enjoy their Mazaana brand of chocolates.

Strawberry Picking 

People flock to Hill Stations in India mainly for the increased foliage & cooler climes – but Mahabaleshwar also has another (famous!) specialty – strawberries. Indeed, it’s said that 85% of strawberries in India are produced there, & there’s a strawberry field / garden at every corner.

Needless to say, if you are you’re heading to Mahabaleshwar during strawberry season, this is one activity you shouldn’t miss – which is primarily why I classified this as a separate activity!

We went strawberry picking just after breakfast, the fields were actually within walking distance of the resort.

Spotting some pretty sunflowers before we got to the picking.

Mom showing me how it’s done. Aren’t those the juiciest, most luscious looking strawberries you’ve seen?

If you’re in a hurry you can just buy some from many vendors like this, who set up beside major roads.

I also put together another small video of our strawberry picking, & now Strawberry Fields Forever will play in my head… forever.

I really enjoyed my stay at Saj on the Mountain, I’d love to thanks the folks at Saj Resort & DeTales Communication for being really gracious hosts.

Saj on the Mountain is a very versatile space – great for couple, families, groups of friends etc. I think they have enough facilities to keep every kind of traveller comfortable & happy. It’s also a great place to have a party or even an intimate destination wedding!

Mom & I just spent most of our downtime sleeping, the wonderful air & cool climate just makes you want to wind down & relax. We did have trouble getting cell phone reception & got almost no mobile internet, also the resort doesn’t have wifi. It’s a great place to shut off from the outside world, but if those are necessities, this might not be the place for you.

You can find out more about Saj Resort Mahabaleshwar (Saj on the Mountain) & book on their website, they also have a second property, Saj on the Lake at Malshej Ghat, near Pune.

Mahabaleshwar is a fairly convenient weekend getaway option from Mumbai, you can drive or even take a bus from Mumbai (& it’s even closer to visit if you’re in Pune!) If you’re planning a trip to Mahabaleshwar anytime soon, I hope this post gave you some ideas! Fell free to share your own experience or tips in the comments below. x

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I love tea – I love it cold, hot, masala or plain, any time of the day & any day of the year. Longtime readers will know the depth of my love for the famed beverage, I even have a separate category of this blog dedicated to TEA.

I also love eating out & visiting cafés, & a high tea is one of my favorite excuses to get out of the house (second only to breakfast / brunch). In Mumbai, there are a great dearth of places that do a truly nice high tea. So when I discovered Taj Lands End had started serving their own spin on high tea at Atrium Lounge, I had to go & suss it out for myself.

Their high tea is not the traditional English one – it’s said to be inspired by both the Portuguese Princess Catherine de Braganza (& Goan / Portuguese food & culture) along with Bandra’s historical culture.

As many of you may know / recognise, I am Goan & so a lot of the dishes were very familiar to me. I also went to college in Bandra for four years, it’s a suburb I know better than my home of Andheri. When Anirudhya Roy, the Executive Chef at Lands End talked about the places they went to research, they were my old college haunts that I went to almost daily, when the canteen got too boring or stuffy (also the canteen never served roast chicken or fugiyas!)

They have both an alcoholic & non alcoholic version of the high tea. I was a little skeptical about drinking in the afternoon, but the sparkling wine & shandy that I tasted were light, effervescent & refreshing, perfect for a chilled out afternoon by the sea.

They have a selection of teas, the one I tried was made in Portuguese style, strong, sweet with some spices & made fully in milk (no water!)

Taj Lands End has also associated with the cool cats at Kulture Shop to display some of their beautiful artworks in Atrium Lounge, I even *finally* bumped into co-founder Jas while there. On that note, do check out this post from Pondicherry where I wore what still remains my favorite Kulture Shop tee.

The food was a mix of classics high tea fare with some unconventional stuff. Think British, Goan, Bombay, all in one. I’m still kicking myself at not trying the Scotch Egg but I did enjoy the bebinca – it brings back all childhood memories of being in our ancestral home in Goa, watching mom help the caretaker painstakingly prepare each layer under a fire of coconut husk (you know, the same bit coir is extracted from).

It’s a rotating menu, so that you don’t get bored even if you choose to visit on subsequent days.
All in all, the Bandra Hi Tea at the Atrium Lounge at Taj Lands End left me feeling all happy inside, I do look forward to visiting again soon! x

Atrium Lounge, Taj Lands End, Byramji Jeejeebhoy Road, Band Stand, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050

• website

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It’s week 2 of my #MagalicTurns7 celebrations (confused? You should check this out) & this week’s giveaway is about tea.

I shopped for a bunch of stuff from Teabox & am sharing some of it in the form of a giveaway. Do enter, it’s open all India & closes this Thursday. You can enter on the video page directly (not this blog post).

You can also join Teabox here & get 50% off your first order.

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• ½ teaspoon honey
• ¼ Cucumber (small dice)
• 1 lemon (cut into 4 wedges)
• 4-5 Fresh Mint leaves
• Crushed Ice
• 1 cup of Lipton Mint Burst Tea (prepared as per instructions on pack & cooled)
• Soda to top

• 375 ml Green tea extract
• Juice of 1 fresh Orange
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Sugar syrup- to taste
• Vanilla essence

• Add orange juice , lemon juice and 1 drop of vanilla essence.
• Blend with  250 ml cold water.
• Add sugar syrup or honey to taste*
• To garnish, Add 2 thin slices of a fresh orange .
• Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour and serve cold

• 2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
• 10 ml lemon juice
• 5-6 ginger juliennes
• Ice cubes
• 1 cup of Lipton TulsiNatura Green Tea (prepared as per instructions on pack & cooled)
• 60 ml pomegranate juice
• 1 sprig of tulsi for garnish

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Apple juice
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Star anise
• 2 Cloves
• 2 Lipton Honey Lemon Tea Bags
• 2 Lemon slices

• 3 cups (750 ml) boiling water
• 6 Lipton Green Tea Bags
• 1 cup chilled cranberry juice [or pomegranate juice]
• 1 medium apple, cored and sliced
• 1 medium orange, cut into wedges

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I opted for the Relaxing Aromachologie massage, a full body massage that used Swedish strokes, Chinese acupressure & Balinese massage techniques to stimulate circulation & relieve tension. The main essential oils used were Lavender, tea tree & geranium, a combination I knew I would love as soon as I heard it.
My room was wonderfully decorated & created the perfect ambiance for the relaxing massage that was to follow.  I was provided a safe cabinet to keep all my belongings & asked to change into disposal undergarments & a bath robe.

I was asked to lie face down on the massage table while the area was spritzed with lavdender pillow mist, one of my favorite products from their range. I asked the therapist to concentrate on my neck & upper back, as that’s where I carry all my tension thanks to long hours spend hunched over my laptop in bed.
I remember thinking at the start of my massage that I’m glad I had a good sleep the night before, otherwise I would surely nod off during the massage & nevertheless towards the end of it, I dozed off anyway, let that be a testament to how relaxing it was.
After my hour long massage was over I was given the option of taking a shower or bath but my therapist suggested I don’t so the oils have a chance to get absorbed.

love,
Magali

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Watching… I finished Friends (finally!) & am very, very hooked on to Supernatural. Kinda sad that Back in the Game got cancelled, it wasn’t half bad. No tv during travel though.

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The box itself is one of the best I’ve seen in a while (& I’ve seen a lot of boxes!) It’s quite sturdy & can be reused. And it’s completely ready for gifting too, just tie on a gift tag.

Let’s peek inside, shall we?

Pico Sweet Chilly Jam This jam is the perfect blend of sweet & spicy. I’ve already been through a jar of this stuff (see a picture here) that I got at the launch of Café Pico. I like it enough, but my dad loves it, so this bottle went to him.

Under The Mango Tree Honey UTMT sells ethically sourced, organic certified mono floral honey from many different areas of India. This one is Litchi honey, it’s subtly flavored, so mild & I can never go back to Dabur honey again (not that I liked it much to begin with!)

Dryden & Palmer Rock Candy Sticks These flavored sugar sticks are double duty. You can use them to sweeten your drink & stir! Haha! But seriously I really they’re unique & really fun to use.

Chai Diaries Blood Orange Caffeine Free Tea Another brand I had heard of & was itching to try. This tea has the flavors of blood orange, apple, vanilla, rose, hibiscus, safflower & lemon. I honestly haven’t tried this yet (too many teas, too little time). I’m proper intrigued though, I might just save this for a tea discovery post.

Mug I don’t really have any information about this stoneware mug, it’s just a little bonus product in the box. It’s pretty large, matte on the outside & glossy on the inside & incidentally both parents think it’s tops.

Chocotella Health Bars (from the top: kids, protein & health). These homemade bars are yummy, healthy, home made & guilt free. They got nommed first (like a minute after I took this photo). They’re very satisfying yet light & oh-so-tasty. I just wish they came in bigger sizes!
Orgran Apple & Cinnamon Gluten Free Pancake Mix This mix can be made like regular pancakes (add milk & water) or completely vegan (just add water). I confess I haven’t tried this yet, but the flavors are my favourites so let’s see. The box even included a little cookie recipe that you can make with leftover pancake mix.

As I said, this was July’s Breakfast themed box. August’s was Japanese themed & this month’s is Moroccan. Although there’s no facility to directly order previous month’s boxes on the website, Janice (the co-founder of this lovely enterprise) assured me they’ll make past boxes available to anyone who asks nicely. Just email them! (You can see the content of past boxes on the facebook page, link can be found below). Oh & currently this service is available in Mumbai only but they’re looking to expand 

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