{"id":7959,"date":"2025-02-26T10:37:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T10:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/?p=7959"},"modified":"2025-05-28T12:07:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T12:07:28","slug":"elephanta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/2025\/02\/26\/elephanta\/","title":{"rendered":"Elephanta"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The final day of India 2025! Another boat trip, this time to Elephanta Island and more caves. As usual I was up early and headed for the Gateway of India. As is also usual, there was no definitive information about the first ferry to Elephant. I got to the ticket office about 8:15 and the man there sold me a ticket and told me the first ferry left at 9 but could be earlier if there were enough people and indeed we set off at 8:30 for the hour trip. On the island there was a long pier and most people were waiting for the toy train which takes people to the entrance. I fancied a walk and so was easily the first person to get a ticket and ascend rather a lot of steps to the actual cave. In fact I was there even before the stallholders.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3IV5cvt5AaA?si=EkjDZl_sgviZbaY4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I have to say the cave itself was not a patch on those at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/2025\/02\/13\/ellora\/\">Ellora<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/2025\/02\/11\/ajanta-caves\/\">Ajanta<\/a> but I suppose its closeness to Mumbai made it a World Heritage Site and it was still quite impressive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7963\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-5.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-5-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-5-358x270.jpg 358w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7964\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-5.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-5-300x273.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-5-297x270.jpg 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7965\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-5.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-5-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7966\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-5.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-5-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There was one main cave with the carvings above and then a smaller cave just off it:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6MRgGx4ha7k?si=lwscaFoR2WeZpZzv\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After seeing the cave I stopped outside to write my diary and have some fruit. I didn&#8217;t see one of the &#8220;wild animals&#8221; a monkey, appear from no where and grab my bananas. As an old India hand, I should have known better!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7967\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey-271x270.jpg 271w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/monkey-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7968\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dogs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dogs.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dogs-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dogs-446x270.jpg 446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I then descended the stairs again and most of the stall holders were now open selling the usual tat which I managed to avoid. I had to stop at one place for a quick snack though, an onion uttapam. Very nice it was too.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7969\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap-300x293.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap-277x270.jpg 277w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/uttap-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Back on the pier, I still preferred to walk rather than take the train.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7970\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/toy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/toy.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/toy-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/toy-472x270.jpg 472w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>More photos of Elephanta <a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/ULB3GBXcqP9Qt82P6\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And here is a map of the India 2025 journey:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=1UH9vp0AHFIcPwwPH2h8RppmHGqq5tp8&amp;ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The final day of India 2025! Another boat trip, this time to Elephanta Island and more caves. As usual I was up early and headed for the Gateway of India. As is also usual, there was no definitive information about the first ferry to Elephant. I got to the ticket office about 8:15 and the man there sold me a ticket and told me the first ferry left at 9 but could be earlier if there were enough people and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/2025\/02\/26\/elephanta\/\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-5.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7959"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7971,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7959\/revisions\/7971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}