Enjoy a vastly different holiday with a day’s trip to Elephanta Island, the place of caves.

Elephanta Island is a beautiful tourist spot in India which just has to be on the list of any travel itinerary, where one would like to just have a quick day trip and return refreshed at the end of the day. You get everything at one spot – a great time, fantastic souvenirs and good food.

History of Elephanta Island

There are a number of islands that dot the Mumbai Harbour, and the Elephanta Island is one of them. This island was earlier known as Gharapuri, and was renamed to Elephanta by Portuguese explorers in the 17th century, as they had seen a sculpture of an elephant at the entrance of the island. This island is now a popular tourist spot, especially for those who would like a quick break from the pressures of daily life.

Tourism on Elephanta Island

Explore beautiful cave temples, stroll down beaten paths, and stop off at a stall to have a bite and a drink. Elephanta Island is the perfect spot to fill yourself with nature’s beauty. It is thickly wooded and you can enjoy a walk among the palm, tamarind and mango trees. As you reach the islands, you will be met by hawkers selling souvenirs, which you can buy to preserve alive the memory of your holiday.

On entering this delightful travel destination, you can get on to a narrow gauge train which will take you to the steps at the entrance of the island’s renowned caves. There are 120 steep steps leading to these caves. There is a slight debate between the guard at the caves and the authors of some maps on the number of caves – the guard states that there are five, while the maps show seven caves. However, the primary beauty of these caves can be seen in the first two, which are large and very well developed.

Apart from exploring the caves, you can take a walk to the top of the island to a spot called Cannon Hill. While all that there is to see is an old cannon, the atmosphere is perfect to stop a while and enjoy nature.

While Elephanta Island is a great get-away, beware of the monkeys that are at large here. Some of them have been known to run away with the belongings of visitors if provoked. Their antics, however, can while away many a weary hour.