What: Bar week, part of bpb’s Secret Mumbai initiative, join the Facebook group here, for queries email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , free.

Why: bpb puts Mumbai in the Secret Cities running. In a bid to get you to share your favourite hangouts on our Facebook page, we’re planting gifts at partnering bars all over the city, beginning with Bandra. So visit Bonobo this Thursday, The Den on Friday, Salt Water Café on Saturday, Mocha Mojo on Sunday, Soul Fry on Monday, and you might get lucky!

When: You want a shhh(ot) on the house. From Feb 25 to March 1.

bpb freebie: Awesome deal on memo tiles and other products by Asta Couture, exclusively for subscribers. For this and other discounts, along with a FREE weekend guide in your inbox every Friday, enter your email in the subscription box.

What: Live in a tree house, The Machan, 20 kms past Lonavla, call +91 8080877420 or visit www.themachan.com, Rs 10,000 a night including breakfast and dinner.

Why: Newly opened Machan boasts four gorgeous, eco-chic tree houses that rise 40 feet above the lush Jambulne forest. Bpb loves: glass-walled hanging rooms, outdoor baths, and 360° views, which compensate for the lack of room service, air conditioning and fancy food.

When: You need to let off some neem.

What: Made-to-order psychedelic travel bags by Maverick Inc, call Priya Bohra on 9820374284 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 2,000.

Why: Trip out with these happy trolley bags sporting jazz trumpets, star bursts and airplane doodles. You can even have them customised with prints that suit your case.

When: You want to be a high roller.

What: Skype with top British filmmakers, From Blightly with Love, in multiple cinemas, book tickets on www.bookmyshow.com and visit www.fromblightywithlove.com for more details.

Why: Move over fish and chips, there are starrier Brit imports in town. Catch movies like Man on Wire, Rage and Genova at this UK film festival, after which you can Skype with renowned filmmakers. To get a free pass from bpb, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Going fast!

When: March 5 to 18. Jolly good!

Quick fixers, copy cats and upcyclers: we round up six of the city’s quirkiest tailors to dress you up. Read our complete list and view the photographs on CNNGO.com.

Upsykle Cotier: Ring Out the Old

When National Institute of Design (NID) graduates Nitya Amarnath and Juhi Pandey turn old saris into 2,000 rupee totes, they call it upcycling. "Recycling is associated with inferior quality. We take old swatches and turn it into superior satchels," explains Nitya. The design duo will also buy old fabrics and antique tapestries you don’t need. Look out for their Upsykle Cotier label, launching soon at some of the city’s swishest fashion stores.

Call Nitya or Juhi on +91 9819212065 or +91 9820039110

What: bpb’s Flying Solo week at Prive, Colaba; Bonobo, Bandra; Mocha Mojo, Bandra; Tulips, Kemps Corner; and Kino108, Versova.

Why: bpb’s initiative to get you to spend more time with yourself. This week, visit any of our abovementioned partners alone, and receive a bpb incentive: check out the deals here. One-derful!

When: You want to be singled out. From January 29 to February 5.

What: Star suds for men and women from Soap Opera, call 9930842861 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to order, start at Rs 70.

Why: These soaps are hand-crafted with notes from the renowned Grasse perfumeries in France, and can be customised to carry the scent of your favourite cologne. Available in over 100 shapes from Dali-ish lips to fun chappals, cast these Soap Opera specials in your next shower scene. They’re naturals!

When: You need a lather figure.

Trading one big city for another, we escaped Mumbai for a weekend in Kuala Lumpur, complete with shopping sprees, Starbucks coffee, and dazzling views of the Petronas Towers. But even surrounded by massive malls, drowning in flavourful ramen soup and dizzy from the heady pleasure of shopping at Dior, we didn’t forget about you. Here are our recommendations of what to do in KL, a metropolis slick with oil money and urban cool.

Eat

KL features a ton of international chains, including Chili’s, Burger King and – lo and behold! – California Pizza Kitchen. But the city’s indigenous food scene is just as vibrant. Street corners all over the city have local kopi tiams or coffee shops that serve like Nasi Gorang and drunken noodles, fast and on the cheap.

bpb Freebie: Rich discount on Shocolaat confectionary (call 65174138), exclusively for subscribers. For this and more cool discounts, along with a free weekend guide in your inbox every Friday, enter your email in the subscription box.