Momaboard’s Pune Mombassador is Sonia Vaidya is the intrepid mother of a toddler and an infant. Here’s what she has to say about herself and the city she grew up in :
I was born in Pune and lived here until I was 17 years old. I have been living in the United States for the past 15 years, and recently headed back to Pune with my 2 year old son and 2 month old daughter when my husband landed a project in India for 6 months. (That is why I call myself a “local expat”!). I have described below places that we went and things we did that made Pune a fun place to be for me and my kids. I hope a visiting parent with kids will find the guide below helpful.
About Pune
Pune is India’s 8th largest city and is historically known as Maharashtra state’s “monsoon capital”. I grew up in Pune and consider it to have the best weather in the world! Barring a few weeks of extreme heat and monsoons in their respective seasons, you can be outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt year round. The temperature averages 25 degrees Celsius (77 F); a bit on the warm side for Westerners, but really “just right” for most people. It is located on the western side of India, and is about 180 km (112 miles) from Mumbai; the commercial capital of the country.
Pune is a fairly typical Indian city: buzzing, noisy, crowded, polluted, cosmopolitan yet traditional, and yet unlike the larger, “metros” (Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai) it has a “small city” charm to it. It has a population of 3.4 million (about that of Los Angeles) and is spread over approximately 15,000 sq. kms (slightly bigger size-wise than a city like Philadelphia). Unlike the Indian metros, it normally takes no more than 30 minutes to get from one part of the city to another, taking into account the longest distance and traffic.
Here’s some video footage of Pune:
Some of the things I have enjoyed doing with my young kids are described below. I always make it a point to never forget the following in my diaper bag, when in Pune (or anywhere in India for that matter):
2 bottled waters (Aquafina or Bisleri; bought at a decent store, not on the roadside
Toilet paper roll
Wet-wipes
Packaged food that will not spoil in direct sunlight
Any outdoor adventure in Pune means that you will be exposed to a fair bit of direct sunlight, so be prepared for that.
By Air:
If you arrive in Mumbai late at night, the next flight out will likely be early in the morning. You would need to take a 20-minute airport shuttle or taxi to the domestic airport in “Santa Cruz”. The flying time is less than 20 minutes. The Pune Airport is located in the city and is a 5-25 minute drive to most places in the city. If you have not been to India before and are not comfortable with the road traffic, I would advise taking a flight, especially if you are with kids.
By Road:
You could rent a car service at the airport at the several car agency counters on your way out. Rental cars in India always come with drivers. You should not have to pay more than Rs. 6,000 ($130) for a big car. The road trip should take about 4 hours. The cars are not equipped for car seats so you could either attempt strapping a car seat on the seat similar to how you would at home, or if putting the child in the seat without strapping it in. They average 30 miles/hour in the city and 50 miles/hour on the Expressway so you could request the driver to go slower than usual and sit next to the car seat to make it more secure. I strapped my infant in my baby carrier, close to my body, and made sure the driver drove slowly. My 2 year old sat next to me, un-strapped. The drive will be less stressful if you insist to the driver that he drives at a speed you are comfortable with (typically no more than 70 km/hour).
You could even rent a “Cool Cab”; an air conditioned, public taxi service. The “Cool Cab” is a very small car that can accommodate upto 4 passengers. It has a small booth and will not be able to fit large suitcases. It should not cost more than Rs. 2,000 ($43) to rent out the entire car. The public Cool Cabs are blue in color. You might have to take a 15 minute taxi to the Cool Cab stand as they are not always available at the airport.
There are 2 rest stops on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway with food and restrooms. One of the rest stops has a McDonald’s so look out for that familiar sign if you are not in the mood to experiment with the kids’ food. The rest rooms at the food courts are wet and dirty so carry your own toilet paper and get in and out as quickly as possible.
Besides renting a car or taxi service (Cool Cab), there is also a bus option. This is the most inexpensive option; it is less than Rs. 200 per ticket ($5). Neeta Travels or Volvo operates air- conditioned bus rides to Pune. They leave from Mumbai to Pune and vice-versa on the hour from 4-5 pick-up/drop-off spots in both cities. You will have to take a taxi to the Neeta bus stand in Boravili or Dadar. The last bus leave at 11pm and starts back up at 6am. It is a cheap and fairly comfortable ride for adults who are not looking for luxury travel. I would not do it with young kids however, as the bus has fixed stops, no bathroom on board, and you cannot get off for a bathroom or food break at your convenience (yikes!).
Getting around Pune with Kids:
The best way to get around Pune is to rent a car service. I have listed local contacts of the car service that I used fairly regularly; when I needed a bigger car or wanted to make a day trip outside the city (at other times I drove myself or had a driver). The other means of getting around are auto-rickshaws and public buses. Auto-rickshaws are “okay” to get around for locals and those who are familiar with rickshaw travel in India. They are not “safe” by Western standards but I used them with my 2 year old son as he could sit next to me (as opposed to on my lap, which would make it very uncomfortable and unsafe) and I could hold him tight. I would not advise travelling by rickshaw with a child under the age of 2. Rickshaws are cheap and can navigate through busy traffic so I used them for short distances with my son when we did not have a car and he used to enjoy the ride. Public buses in Pune are neither clean nor punctual so I wouldn’t recommend using them.
1. Car agency name: Asset Car Service Owner: Sachin Patwardhan (he speaks decent English)
Cell Phone number: +91 98-224-75570
If you google “Pune car rental”, there are at least 8 car rental companies that show up for you to reach out to. If you are staying at a good hotel, the concierge is your best bet to rent a car and driver of acceptable quality.
Where to Stay in Pune with Kids:
If you want a hygienic and safe place to be with kids, it is best to stay at the better (aka “5-star”, aka “luxury”) hotels. The rooms, service and restaurants at most of the best hotels in the city is excellent. Room rates range between $100-200 per night. The best hotels that I know of are listed below. There is also the Oakwood Premier (listed below) which is known for its service apartments.
Address: North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune 411001
Things to do with Kids in Pune
Kamla Nehru Park
Located in the heart of Deccan Gymkhana, this is the best, public park in the city. It has a large playground area with swings, slides and bars for kids under 10. The gravel surface is not really conducive to playing barefoot but still you see more than half the kids kicking off their shoes and socks before entering the park, and then seeming oblivious to the pokey surface. My 2.5 year old for one, insists on playing barefoot in the park. He loves climbing up the “rocket” all the way to the top, and then sliding down on the slides that are really meant for older kids. The park is very crowded and there is often a line of kids waiting to get on to the slides. It is not toddler-friendly or even 3-year-old-friendly by any standard but thank goodness my son has never fallen or got badly hurt in the half a year we have been going to the park (while in Pune we went here almost 3 times a week!).
Besides the playground area which is crowded but fun for kids, there are 3 large lawns, a small fountain, an aircraft model at the north end, and throngs of vendors selling food and cheap toys outside the park. The lawns and benches are good places to park yourself with babies/toddlers. They can crawl around in the grass, and your pre-schooler and you can get some rest from the craziness of the playground.
Kamla Nehru Park is located near “Prabhat Road”, and can be easily reached by auto-rickshaw, no matter where you are in the city. The furthest distance should take you no more than 30 minutes even in traffic, and should cost you less than Rs. 150 ($3).
Note: A new, public park has recently opened in Pune opposite Wadia College (at 19 V.K. Joag Path) and has been met with rave reviews from moms of young kids. It is a 5-10 minute rickshaw ride from Koregaon Park. Ask for “Wadia College” which any rickshaw driver would know, and then look around for a public kids park.
Chatturshingi Temple This is a well preserved Hindu temple dedicated to the Goddess Chatturshringi. It was built by Pune’s ancient ruler, Shivaji Maharaj and is located in a central part of the city, on Senapati Bapat Road, right by the newly constructed Marriott Hotel (which you should visit before or after the temple visit!) I have been here several times with my son and enjoyed each visit. The temple has 100 stairs to climb to reach the top. My son usually climbs the first 50 stairs and I carry him up the rest. The climb with young kids is manageable and fun. You have to take off your shoes after a certain level and then climb a short distance barefoot; as is the custom with any Indian temple for the sake for respect and cleanliness. The hill behind the temple is usually green and a great place for a quiet walk. The view of the city from here, especially early in the morning, is beautiful.
Miniature Railway Museum
This museum has been built by a local, model train collector. Miniature trains are really a hobby for adults, but the trains have drawn more attention from the younger population. The miniature city (think Madurodam; if you have seen the miniature city in Amsterdam, Holland) includes miniature diesel engines, steam engines, an underground train, trolley, buses, a fair with merry-go-rounds and ferris wheels, a swimming pool with people actually swimming in it, a fire engine putting out a fire, signals, fences, flyovers, and so on. The museum is located in a central, crowded part of the city, in an area called Kothrud. You can get here by auto-rickshaw.
The Marriott Hotel in Pune is a luxury, 5-star hotel that opened its doors to the public in late 2010. It has a large variety of reasonably priced restaurants ($20-30 meal without drinks) including a bakery called the Pune Baking Company which has fun gummy bears, candy, pastries, and sandwiches displayed attractively for kids. I have enjoyed coming here just to lounge around the lobby, have a coffee at the bakery while browsing through their library of travel books, while my son runs around the waterfalls and keeps busy with a lollipop. Pune does not have a huge offering of air conditioned indoor spaces (there are 8-10 large, indoor shopping malls but the food courts there are too crowded for me) so the Marriott does a great job of proving a beautiful, indoor space to loll around on a hot day. They have a spectacular Thai spa and salon for the public, and a fitness center and swimming pool with a small, toddler park for hotel guests only.
The Westin Hotel is probably the next best, luxury hotel after the newer Marriott. It is located in a posh, residential area of the city called Koregaon Park. It overlooks the Mula Mutha river, and is a 5 km (2 mile) drive from the airport. It offers a “family-friendly” Sunday brunch at two of its restaurants: the Italian restaurant, Prego, and the multi-cuisine Seasonal Tastes. Seasonal Tastes has a play area for kids with activity such as painting and hair braiding so the kids can keep busy while you can enjoy champagne and the dramatic buffet offerings.
Where to Eat in Pune with Kids
Although they do not have a special kid’s menu, here is a list of restaurants in Pune (outside of the ones listed in the luxury hotels above) that are spacious, clean and have food options on the menu that the kids would enjoy:
Address: Shop No G14, Ground Floor, South Block, Sacred World Mall, Wanawadi, Pune 411040
Phone: (020) 2680-6933, (020) 2680-6944
Hard Rock Cafe (American / Burgers)
Address: 81/82 Pyramid Complex, Koregaon Park Extension, East Main Road, Koregaon Park,
Phone: (020) 6725-8888, (020)6725-8899
Tertulia (European)
Address: 393 Sanas Corner, South Main Road, Koregaon Park
Phone: (020) 2605 2180, (020) 2615 1100
Shopping for Kids in Pune and Mall Entertainment
Some of the malls that you can hang out at with kids are listed below. Most of these have kids’ stores, as well as things to do for the kids including food and play options.
Close to the Hyatt Hotel on Nagar Road in Viman Nagar, Inorbit has a good cinema that often shows kids’ movies. It also has a Mc Donald’s, cookie/candy stores, and a trampoline outside for the kids to jump on!
The SGS Mall is opposite Pune’s oldest and largest (and best, in my opinion) grocery store; Dorabjee, on Camp / Moledina Road. A store in here called Landmark has a huge selection of toys and books for kids including strollers, backpacks, etc. The mall also has a maternity store.
The mall has the British kids brand, Mothercare, here including cribs, bottles, bedding sets, etc. I personally like Mothercare for its international styles and quality.
This a new, national retailer for kids and moms-to-be has a good selection of clothes, strollers, cribs, and maternity ware with multiple locations across Pune (Aundh and Viman Nagar).
This mall often has a flea market on weekends with kids activity such as painting.
Where to Run/Jog with Kids in Pune:
If you want to exercise, have a jogging stroller, and want to run / walk with your kid there are 2 places that you can go to:
Pune University, Ganeshkhind(close to the Pune Marriott on Senapati Bapat Road). There is a 3-4 mile stretch with limited traffic that I used to run on with my 2 year old in the jogging stroller. Mornings before 8am are best. Evenings are do-able but have more traffic and crowd than the mornings.
The Royal Western India Turf Club (#1 Sholapur Road, Pune 411001); Race Course
I have not run here myself but there were several people in my running group who ran here with strollers. It is Pune’s horse racing field that is open to the public when there are no races (which is a lot of the time).
If you would like to know more about running in Pune, look up “Pune Running” on Facebook to reach out to the organizers. They usually run on weekends at the Pune University and are a bunch of very helpful running enthusiasts who might be able to provide you with more running spots for you and your stroller.
This was by far our favorite activity during our 8-month stay in Pune. My son, Raihan, loved coming here and playing with the farm animals. My soon-to-be toddler, Aria, enjoyed sitting around and soaking in the fresh air and farm life. We even plan to celebrate Raihan’s 3rd birthday here before we leave!
Japalouppe is a a horse farm that houses 50 or so horses, along with pigs, goats, ducks, geese, talking parakeets, fish, and 5-6 beautiful dogs. There are pony rides available for younger kids until 11am. A 20-min pony ride around the farm costs Rs. 200 (less than $5 USD). The adults can do horse rides on the stallions for about Rs. 500 per ride or a short lesson (less than $11 USD). The owners are horse riding instructors themselves. The entire staff is very friendly and treat you like you have been coming there for years, even if it is your first time there. They offered Raihan fish food so he could feed the fish in the pond and aquarium. One of the staff members even carried him around showing him the parakeets, letting him pet the pigs and goats and took him to the horse shed to pick his pony and get his kid-sized riding helmet on. Try to get here no later than 10am as the last pony rides end around 11am. They have a small canteen (cafe) there that serves breakfast food; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, pancakes and some Indian breakfast meals like upma and poha at a very, nominal cost. Bring your own snack in case the canteen is closed or you do not like the menu.
Japalouppe is in Talegaon on the old Pune-Mumbai highway. It is about a 35 minute drive from the Pune University. The best way is to get here is by car.
You should know before hand that this is really no match for nicer zoos such as in Singapore or San Diego. In fact it is just about a zoo. It used to be a snake park housing reptiles and rats and has slowly evolved into what it now known as the “Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park”. What is nice about the zoo is that it is a clean, large, outdoor space to walk around with your little ones. Bringing your stroller along is a must as you will have to walk a fair bit to see the entire park. They have the usual child-thrillers such as tigers, elephants, bears, deer & reptiles.
There is a popular blog about the zoo, about the writer’s personal experience with pictures. My experience was more positive than this blogger, and most of the people I know here with young kids have had an enjoyable experience.
One of the things worth mentioning is that once you get on the path there are only one or two exits to leave the path, which means you have to walk all the way back to the exit. So, be prepared to walk for at least 2 km (1.2 miles). Carry water, snacks and hats with you. The bathrooms are semi-decent for Indian standards.
Katraj is a 30 minute drive outside Pune. The best way to get here is by renting a car and driver service (see Getting Around).
How Kid-Friendly is Pune?
Momaboard’s Child-Friendliness Rating: Low
(ratings are based on ease of getting around, things to do with kids, general accessibility,costs and overall attitude towards kids).
I was born in Pune and lived here until I was 17 years old. I have been living in the United States for the past 15 years, and recently headed back to Pune with my 2 year old son and 2 month old daughter when my husband landed a project in India for 6 months. (That is why I call myself a “local expat”!). I have described below places that we went and things we did that made Pune a fun place to be for me and my kids. I hope a visiting parent with kids will find the guide below helpful.
This is a well preserved Hindu temple dedicated to the Goddess Chatturshringi. It was built by Pune’s ancient ruler, Shivaji Maharaj and is located in a central part of the city, on Senapati Bapat Road, right by the newly constructed Marriott Hotel (which you should visit before or after the temple visit!) I have been here several times with my son and enjoyed each visit. The temple has 100 stairs to climb to reach the top. My son usually climbs the first 50 stairs and I carry him up the rest. The climb with young kids is manageable and fun. You have to take off your shoes after a certain level and then climb a short distance barefoot; as is the custom with any Indian temple for the sake for respect and cleanliness. The hill behind the temple is usually green and a great place for a quiet walk. The view of the city from here, especially early in the morning, is beautiful.
Japalouppe is a a horse farm that houses 50 or so horses, along with pigs, goats, ducks, geese, talking parakeets, fish, and 5-6 beautiful dogs. There are pony rides available for younger kids until 11am. A 20-min pony ride around the farm costs Rs. 200 (less than $5 USD). The adults can do horse rides on the stallions for about Rs. 500 per ride or a short lesson (less than $11 USD). The owners are horse riding instructors themselves. The entire staff is very friendly and treat you like you have been coming there for years, even if it is your first time there. They offered Raihan fish food so he could feed the fish in the pond and aquarium. One of the staff members even carried him around showing him the parakeets, letting him pet the pigs and goats and took him to the horse shed to pick his pony and get his kid-sized riding helmet on. Try to get here no later than 10am as the last pony rides end around 11am. They have a small canteen (cafe) there that serves breakfast food; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, pancakes and some Indian breakfast meals like upma and poha at a very, nominal cost. Bring your own snack in case the canteen is closed or you do not like the menu.
