It is also extremely hot, but even so it is the most fascinating city!
Stay in the historic centre of “old Bombay” and you’ll be offered a plethora of experiences.
Whether you are a night owl or someone who loves to explore architecture and old buildings, Mumbai has all you need for a good holiday.
When we reached Mumbai we got out of the Victoria train station, which is right in the centre of Mumbai’s old quarters. This busy hub on the Indian State Railway System was built in 1887.
The immense gothic-style colonial building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and only a few areas are open to the general public.
On our way to the hotel we could make out that the city is a contrast of considerable wealth and poverty, with the most infamous slums in the country and a surprising number of billionaires. But somehow in this super busy city where drivers follow very few rules, we reached our destination.
We arrived on the Sunday, which happened to be my husband Mayank’s birthday.
With his birthday surprise waiting, we quickly got ready and headed to Marine Drive where huge crowds come out to watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea.
The boulevard pavements and seawall were crowded, but within no time we found Mayank’s surprise — his childhood friend with whom we had planned to celebrate his special day.
The next day was dedicated to shopping.
Mumbai is widely known as the number one shopping destination in India.
The fashion capital of the country offers some of the best markets with a varied collection of fashionable yet affordable wares.
The stalls sell everything from formal clothing to accessories, jeans, tees and shoes. For a good deal, bring your bargaining skills to the fore; it will surely help.
With Colaba Causeway, Linking Road, Crawford Market and Fashion Street, we not only enjoyed affordable shopping, but relished some of the best street food in Mumbai.
After we were finished shopping we went for a drive to the Bandra-Worli sea-link, which looked majestic as the cable wires were lit up.
Our next stop was the Gateway of India, but on way we stopped at the Prince of Wales Museum.
It is a magnificent 20th century building, set in formal grounds with a huge Buddha head statue on the front lawn.
Unsurprisingly this is Mumbai’s Art, Natural History and Archaeology Museum.
After visiting the museum we reached the Gateway of India, which is located beside the harbour, a few streets away from the Prince of Wales Museum.
The colossal structure was constructed in 1924 to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Bombay — the first British monarchs to visit India.
Opposite the magnificent Gateway of India and facing the expanse of the Arabian Sea, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, or Taj Mumbai as it’s commonly referred to, is one of the most iconic hotels in Mumbai.
The colours pop and the design is compelling. Taj Mumbai is huge, impressive, luxurious, Edwardian, world famous and it suffered an unbelievable tragedy.
Every time we see this landmark hotel, we are reminded of the brutal terrorist attack that occured there on November 26, 2008.
As it was our last day in the city that never sleeps, we did not want to miss out on a chariot ride.
With a refreshing new look, a Victoria 2.0 Electric Carriage (E-Buggy) is the “in-thing” to make you feel nostalgic about the almost century-old “Tonga” or “Horse Buggi”, a horse-drawn carriage that ended its journey a few years back for the welfare of animals.
We clambered aboard a carriage and the battery-operated e-buggy gave us a taste of the colonial city as we rode past the city’s landmarks and edifices, albeit in their upgraded avatar.
Another thing not to miss, we drove past the houses of a number of cricketers and actors, although there was no chance we could meet or see any of them.
Late in the night, when the city was immersed in the hundreds of glittering street lights, we bid goodbye to Mumbai and flew to our next destination — home sweet home — Bangalore.
