SWITCH OFF. UNWIND. EXPLORE All fun andgames adventures, at Vasind. Here, you row your way up the...

02 | HINDUSTAN TIMES, MUMBAIMONDAY, MAY 25, 2015

Anubhuti Matta■ anubhuti.matta@hindustantimes.com

Take a trip this No TV Weekend, withoutleaving the city.

There’s a Boeing 737 flight simulatorin Mumbai that will let you ‘fly’ almostanywhere you want to go, putting images on the windshield that’ll make you won-der if the city is really just outside.

“My wife and I flew over the Caribbeanislands and it was as real as it could get,”says 36-year-old management trainee PunitMehra. “I hope that saves me from burninga hole in my pocket,” he adds laughing.

The simulator is a replica of a cock-pit, complete with an array of dialsand controls.

Actual pilot views with intricate topo-graphical detail and a trained instructoras your co-pilot are part of the package.

“We were briefed on how the aircraftflies and what the different dials andcontrols mean. You get the whole experi-ence — from preparing the flight planto taxiing on the runway,” says Mehra.

If you’re scared of heights, on theother hand, you could stay groundedand celebrate the weekend on the many new indoor football turfs launched in thecity over the past year, scattered acrossAndheri, Malad, Kandivli, Worli, Lower Parel and parts of Navi Mumbai.

Enclosed by a rope mesh and a roofthat offers respite from the sun, these spaces are open till midnight. “We oftenplay a game of football after work. It’s a great stress-buster,” says geologistClarence Mendoza, 28.

Or, if you’d rather stay indoors, you could play board games such as Pandemic,

Dominion, Viticulture or Mage Knightwith members of gaming enthusiasts’group Meeples Board Gamers (MBG).

They have a collection of about 300games one doesn’t generally find in India.So you can play at being a scientist tryingto save the world from a pandemic, or build an estate in rural France.

“My wife and I have become big fansever since we discovered MBG four monthsago, through a friend who had attended a gaming event,” says businessman ChintanBuddhadeb, 30. “We love gaming, and now we no longer have to ask relatives to shipgames to us from the US. We’ve also mademany new friends over games.”

On the other hand, you could stay home and let the fun come to you.

Events and experiences company BlueBulb can turn your terrace, garden orparking lot into a lasertag ‘battlefield’for you and your friends.

On the other hand, a two-and-a-half-hourdrive away is Kelva, where you can lie back in a hammock and watch the waves hitthe shore, or go horse-riding, cycling, andkite-flying. You can also go on excursionsto the nearby Shirgaon and Kelva forts.

If you’re looking for an adrenalinrush, opt for wilderness rafting in theVaitarna river, also conducted by BlueBulb. This two-hour tour will take you

along forests while navigating narrow river and bouncing off rocky outcrops.

Big Red Tent also offers weekend kay-aking adventures, at Vasind. Here, yourow your way up the Bhatsai river, justoff the Mumbai-Nashik highway, pitch a tent on the banks, go fishing and endthe day with a barbecue feast.

For the less outdoorsy, there’s Purushwadi, where you can just sitback and watch a million fireflies lightup the night sky. “My husband and I gothere every May,” says Ruchi Khemka,a senior manager at a telecom company.“It’s the perfect break from the chaosand pollution of the city.”

SWITCH OFF. UNWIND. EXPLORE

The No TV Weekend is almost here. In the run-up, we suggest ways in which you can celebrate with friends and family.Don’t miss: HT’s exciting events and prizes. Join the celebration on facebook.com/htnotvday and twitter.com/htnotvday

All fun and gamesPLAY Turn off the box and take to the skies. You can fly a Boeing simulator this weekend, join a gaming group, head to the city’s indoor football fields or shoot at friends with lasers

CAMP AMID FIREFLIESWatch millions of jugnus lightup the sky, feast on freshmangoes, swim in a nearby river, and dine on ghar ka khana cooked by local villagerson firewood, at theGrassroutes camps inPurushwadi, Vanjushet,Sishwat and Kadki inAhmednagar district.

WHEN: Overnight campsavailable from May 29 to 31

COST: Rs 3,300 per person,including accommodation andall meals

CALL: 88794-77437

EMAIL: info@grassroutes.co.in

JOIN THE MEEPLESBOARD GAMERSEnact the entire Lord of theRings battle between theFellowship and the Shadow orvarious battles in World War IIwith this club of gaming enthu-siasts. Entry open to those 12and above only.

WHEN: May 29 and 30

WHERE: Bhau Daji Ladmuseum, Byculla

CALL: 98196-11004,99875-95564

COST: Museum entry fee ofRs 10 per head

ATTEND A GAMES MELATry your hand at a range ofcurated games, including ‘verbalkabbadi’ and a special version oftable-tennis

WHEN: May 29 and 30, 11 am to 5 pm; WHERE: Bhau Daji Ladmuseum, Byculla

COST: Museum entry fee of Rs10 per head (open to all ages)

PLAY VIRTUAL GAMESAT SMAAASHShoot at enemy aircraft, designyour own roller-coaster track ornavigate a secret transport route to avoid Mumbai’s traffic prob-lems — virtually, of course — inthe new games at Smaaash inLower Parel.

WHEN: Daily, 11 am to 12.30 am

CALL: 4914-3143; COST: Pricesstart at Rs 100 per round

GO KAYAKING AT VASINDKayak up the Bhatsai river, somefishing, camp on the banks andend the day with a scrumptiousbarbecue meal at this weekendtrip organised by Big Red Tent.

WHEN: May 30 – 31

WHERE: Vasind

COST: Rs 4,000 per person,including transport, dinner and

breakfast; additional charges ofRs 300 per person for lunch

CALL: 99305-82878

EMAIL: camper@bigredtent.in

CHECK OUT THECITY’S INDOORFOOTBALL VENUESKick-Off, OshiwaraWHEN: Daily, 7 am to 11 pmCOST: Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000per hourCALL: 98207-67123,98190-97603

Astro Park, at Worliand Lower ParelWHEN: Daily, 7 am to midnightCOST: Rs 3,500 per hourCALL: 88782-29996

Kick, PowaiWHEN: Daily, 7 am to 1 amCOST: Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,250per hourCALL: 98193-35701

Dreamfields, at Kandivli,Malad, Andheri, Ghatkopar, Vashi and KalyanWHEN: Daily, 7 am to 1 am

COST: Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,250per hour

CALL: 76668-84422

■ (Clockwise from left) Try some wilderness rafting at Vaitarna; indoor football atKick-Off astroturf, Oshiwara; unusual board games at the Meeples meet; laser tagcourtesy Blue Bulb; or climb into the cockpit of a Boeing simulator at Kurla’s PhoenixMarket City mall, for Rs1,750 for 30 minutes and Rs2,950 for an hour per couple.

MAP YOUR DAYSWould youlike to gokayakingin Vasindor play footie inPowai?Take yourpick thisNo TVWeekend

HINDUSTAN TIMES OFFERS YOU...We have lots lined up for you throughout No TV Weekend. Here’s a look at the schedule for Friday

To register for these events, go to notvday.hindustantimes.com

TREASURE HUNT Do you know your city well enough? Here’s a fun chal-lenge to test your knowledge of Mumbai. Starts at 6 pm, at Shivaji Park, Dadar

OPEN-DECK BUS RIDE Breeze through south Mumbai atop an open-deck bus for a unique view of the city. Register on the same day and collect passes at the Coomaraswamy Hall gate of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum between 3 pm and 3.15 pm. Hop on for an hour-long ride at 4.30 pm

MUMBAI CYCLOTHON Join us for fun bike rides! Do bring your own bicycle and cycling gear. Assembly time is 6 am, at Lucky Restaurant, Bandra

FOOTBALL DRILL CHALLENGE& PICTIONARY FOR KIDSA mixture of your dribbling skills and mind games, your child’s ball-playing skills are sure to be tested with this unique take on Pictionary. 6 pm to 7 pm, at Kick, Powai

HARRY POTTER MAGIC WORKSHOP FOR KIDSIs there science to Harry Potter’s Magic? Find out at this workshop with science experts. 10.30 am to 11.30 am, at Kitab Khana, Fort

RUNNING AND LIVINGRun for 5 and 10 km, make newfriends, explore your neigh-bourhood and your city. Assembly time is 6.15 am, atJogger’s Park gate, Bandra

STAND-UP COMEDYGet ready to laugh your heart out with Arzan Khambatta and Neville Bharucha. 8 pm to 8.30 pm, David Sassoon Library, Kala Ghoda

COCKTAIL-MAKING WORKSHOPLearn to shake it like youmean it, with Woodside Inn’sbartenders. 4 pm to 5 pm,at Woodside Inn, Colaba.Entry based on availabilityof space.

OJO DE DIOS MANDALA WEAVING COURSE FOR KIDSJoin Amisha Shroff for this creative craft activity. Each vibrant pattern is a colourful new creation. 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum

BOOK SWAP FOR KIDSRefresh your child’s library at this event by Xchange-It. Just bring a book you’ve read and take home one you haven’t. 3 pm to 6 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum

ZUMBA FOR KIDSWITH SUCHETA PALLet your child explore kid-friendly routines based on zumba choreography, coupled with games and activities. 5 pm to 6 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum

KK NIGHTCelebrate Bollywood music with KK. 7 pm to 9.30 pm, at Richardson & Cruddas in Byculla

TOUR OF THE GPOMumbai’s General Post Officeis one of the biggest in theworld. This is your chance totour the heritage building. 8.45am to 11.30 am; startingpoint GPO main gate, Fort

MARATHI PLAY BAAKI EKAAKIA compilation of four short stories that offer a lighter take on loneliness. 6 pm to 7.30 pm, David Sassoon Library, Kala Ghoda

MUMBAI

Astro ParkWorli

Kick,Powai

Dreamfields, Kandivli

The Guide

Dreamfields, Ghatkopar

Kick-Off, Oshiwara

Dreamfields, Andheri

Astro ParkLower Parel

Smaaash,Lower Parel Bhau Daji Lad

museum, Byculla

Dreamfields, Malad