One weekend, in May, we decided to try the newly opened Malabar Hill Forest walkway as our toddler’s summer break was coming to an end. There was a lot of buzz around this spot – being hailed as a haven for biodiversity lovers, a delight for birdwatchers, and a peaceful escape – we thought, why not? A forest walk with a wooden bridge where we could soak in nature and get moving sounded perfect.
Booking was easy, though most of the early slots were full. That only added to our anticipation (and expectations!).
The drive to Malabar Hill forest walkway on a Sunday was lovely, even if the location is quite far. But here’s the first heads-up: there are no signs leading to the walkway. Thankfully, some friendly locals pointed us in the right direction.
The good part? The walkway is stroller-friendly – a huge relief when you have a toddler in tow. As we stepped onto the trail, it did feel like a refreshing experience, almost reminiscent of the forest walkways in Singapore. Unfortunately, that’s where the excitement dipped.
The trail stopped before it started and there were not that many trees to call it a forest. The only thing we saw that was slightly naturistic was a big lizard that changed colour, we were looking for some interesting birds and trees and did not see much. We also didn’t get a great view from the viewing point, of either the city or the beach.
And then came the biggest letdown: garbage. For a newly built walkway, seeing trash strewn around was shocking. It completely took away from the charm of being in a “natural” space.
A few tips if you still want to check it out:
- Go early – we went around noon, and it was unbearably hot. Don’t expect the “forest” to offer any cool shade.
- Pair it with something else – don’t make a special trip. Combine it with an errand or another outing in that part of town.
Thankfully a stop at Café Mondegar salvaged the day– great beer, great vibes, and just what we needed after the disappointment.
To be fair, the walkway is baby-friendly (Ziva’s stroller glided through without issues), and the intention behind creating green spaces in Mumbai is commendable. But intention alone isn’t enough. The execution falls flat, and calling it a “forest” is misleading. The architect must feel disheartened seeing how quickly garbage has marred the space.
We need more such initiatives, but we also need holistic planning, better maintenance, and responsible usage. Until then, this one’s just a convenient morning walk path for locals – not the nature escape it’s hyped up to be.
To read about some more places to take kids, check this out: https://ideapromoters.net/a-wonderland-of-play-box-zone-borivali/
