Some of the best travel memories aren’t the ones planned weeks in advance with itineraries, bookings, and spreadsheets. They happen on an ordinary evening when a casual conversation takes a sudden left turn into: “Why don’t we just drive to Marine Drive right now?”
Here is the story of how a regular evening of playing Garba and discussing future weekend getaways turned into a 300-kilometer nocturnal road trip filled with missed exits, F1-style tunnel runs, shared midnight coffees, early dawn darshans, and non-stop laughter from start to finish.
The Spark: From Konkan Plans to a 12:15 AM Rollout
It started simply enough. We had gathered for a great evening—some of us playing Garba, while I took on the self-appointed role of official spectator. Between rounds, the conversation drifted to life, work, and plans for an upcoming trip to Konkan. We were looking into booking a homestay at Ganeshgule, browsing resorts, and checking reasonable rates. Swapnil even went ahead and created a WhatsApp group so we could coordinate.
Then, out of nowhere, an impulse hit the circle: Why not drive down to Marine Drive tonight?
Gaurav immediately backed the idea, pushing the momentum forward. Naturally, an impromptu plan like this never goes off without a bit of friction. Swapnil couldn’t join because relatives had arrived at his place, and he couldn’t leave them behind. Meanwhile, the kids decided they were far too exhausted and preferred sleeping at home. Shweta had her doubts about whether everyone would actually follow through, and Gaurav’s wife was initially hesitant, but soon the crew assembled: Rohith, Abhishek, Gaurav, Neha, Shweta, and the rest of our impromptu convoy.
We originally intended to take our car, but Abhishek insisted on bringing his newly bought vehicle. Since he was still relatively new to driving long stretches and unfamiliar with Mumbai roads, I hopped into his car to navigate, while Gaurav took the lead in the other.
By 12:15 AM, the engines were running, and we rolled out into the cool night air.
The Expressway, Formula 1 Tunnels, and the “3-by-8” Starbucks
Late-night highway driving has a distinct personality. The traffic thins, headlights cut through the dark, and conversations wander into old memories.
While navigating, Abhishek got a little eager through the ghat tunnels, driving as if we were qualifying for a Formula 1 grid position. I had to remind him to hold his horses, let Gaurav lead, and drive with patience, especially with tricky cuts and curves along the route.
By the time we hit the food mall on the expressway for a pitstop, almost everything was closed for deep cleaning. The only doors open belonged to a Starbucks. Now, paying high-end prices for midnight coffee wasn’t something any of us usually did, but desperate times call for caffeinated measures. In classic desi fashion, we balanced the budget by doing a “3-by-8” split—sharing a few cups across the entire group. Overpriced or not, the warm cups and laughter under the bright fluorescent lights set the mood for the rest of the night.
Atal Setu and the Midnight Calm of Marine Drive
Crossing onto the Atal Setu (MTHL) was a special milestone—it was our first time driving across it since it opened. The sheer engineering and scale of the sea bridge at night were breathtaking, though not without a classic navigational hiccup. Coming off the bridge, Gaurav missed a turn and stopped right in the middle of the roadway, visibly bewildered by the flyover exits. After a few moments of map recalculation and collective direction-shouting, we sorted ourselves out and pointed the cars toward South Mumbai.
Arriving at Marine Drive late at night brings a wave of nostalgia. Walking these streets brought back vivid memories of taking the train into Churchgate, grabbing roadside vada pav, and browsing used book stalls on the pavement.
Gaurav got completely lost in his own college memories while we looked for parking. We grabbed bhel and cups of hot tea, coffee, and Boost.
The Arabian Sea was at low tide, completely flat and quiet. Sitting on the promenade benches, watching the small, gentle waves break against the tetrapods without any force, brought a profound sense of stillness. In a city that is notorious for constant chaos, that pocket of night-time silence was deeply grounding—a quiet reminder to pause and de-stress.
Diving Into the Coastal Road Undersea Tunnel to Siddhivinayak
After taking in the quiet sea breeze by the promenade, someone threw out a fresh idea on the spot: Why not head to Prabhadevi for morning darshan at Siddhivinayak?
That brought our second first-time experience of the night: driving through Mumbai’s Coastal Road undersea tunnel. Zipping through the freshly inaugurated tunnel cut our travel time drastically. Experiencing Atal Setu and the undersea tunnel on the exact same night felt like watching Mumbai transform right before our eyes.
We arrived outside the Siddhivinayak Temple around 4:50 AM. The gates were set to open at 5:20 AM, so we joined the early queue.
Soon, the temple began its morning Kakad Aarti. Having been awake for over 24 hours, fatigue was starting to creep in; the girls sat down to rest their legs while waiting for the Aarti to conclude so darshan could begin. When our turn came, we got a peaceful, unhurried 60-second darshan right in front of Bappa—far more intimate than the usual crowded rush on festival days.
Outside, a local caretaker who looked after our footwear offered to take us for a quick darshan at a small neighborhood Devi temple nearby, handing us fresh mosambis (sweet limes) as prasad. It was one of those small, warm human touches that unplanned travel often delivers.
(Of course, we had one mini-scare: Shweta temporarily got separated from the group in the crowd outside the temple, but thanks to modern smartphones, we located her within minutes—sparing us a trip to the temple lost-and-found announcement booth!)
The Food Plot Twist: Ram Ashraya vs. DP’s Fast Food
No trip to Mumbai is complete without breakfast, and our plan was firmly set on Ram Ashraya in Matunga for classic South Indian fare.
However, spontaneous road trips thrive on last-minute changes. Just as we arrived near Matunga, the Ruia College alumni in our group saw that DP’s (D.P. Fast Food) was open. For anyone who studied around Ruia, DP’s isn’t just an eatery—it’s an emotional archive of teenage arguments, shared meals, and college friendships.
Plans instantly flipped. Shweta was already lost in nostalgia, reminiscing about her old college gang, and ordered her favorite idli-vada sambar. Even for someone like me—who isn’t usually the biggest fan of ordering idli-vada when visiting Mumbai—the food and coconut chutney were genuinely delicious. We topped it off with traditional filter kappi before finally pointing the cars back toward Pune.
The Drive Home, Endless Punchlines, and Roadside Chai
Just as we thought the drive was winding down, Shweta added one final request: “We need to take a group selfie right outside DP’s!” By that point, we had already crossed the flyover towards the highway, so we had to promise to capture it on our next visit.
On the return leg, heavy eyelids and fatigue began catching up with everyone. Abhishek was eager to power straight through to Pune without stopping, but I insisted we pull over at a highway food mall for one last round of hot tea to keep the drivers sharp, refreshed, and alert.
Truth be told, what kept all of us awake through the entire journey wasn’t just the caffeine—it was Rohith. From the moment we pulled out of Pune past midnight, through the confusing highway interchanges, right up to the final breakfast table in Matunga, he was cracking jokes non-stop. His quick wit, spontaneous observations, and effortless punchlines had the entire car in stitches for hours. By the time we were having our last cup of expressway chai, we were all half-laughing, half-pleading with him to seriously consider pursuing stand-up comedy full-time. The guy is a natural entertainer.
Looking back, a huge heartfelt thank-you goes out to everyone who made this whirlwind drive happen—Rohith, Abhishek, Gaurav, Neha, and Shweta. You made a midnight whim feel like an unforgettable adventure. We truly missed Swapnil and the friends who couldn’t join us this time around, but the Konkan plans are already taking shape.
Sometimes, the best journeys are the ones where you just turn the key, leave the itinerary behind, and let the road surprise you.