Going by the invasion of travel brochures that showcase lesser-trod getaways and itineraries, it’s clear that the average Mumbai traveller is looking beyond plain vanilla vacations. These days, tour operators and travel companies have managed to sell cultural and heritage destinations, particularly in Europe and South America. Images of Barcelona’s stunning Gothic district are fast becoming a popular visual to market such ‘heritage/cultural holidays’, with Peru’s historic Machu Pichu site coming a close second.

While a European vacation often forms the high point of the middle-class majority, never mind the mind-boggling cost of overseas travel, perhaps now, is the time to draw notice to the nouveau and the seasoned traveller, to look within. And, to bring small joy to those who’d rather skip the bandwagon in these Must-Save-Or-Perish times. Believe it or not, but Mumbai can boast of enough sites and sounds to satiate the urge for a different escape.