India Travelogue-Mumbai

Our flight from Jaipur to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) was about an hour and 40 minutes, arriving around 11 AM. If you want to maximize your time in India, probably the best way to travel is by air. Internal flights are fairly inexpensive and frequent to most major cities. We spoke about the airports in India and the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is world-class, first-class and exceptional. It is the county’s second busiest airport and a main international gateway to India.

India’s largest, most cosmopolitan and fastest growing city is Mumbai. Although Delhi is the capital of the country, India really revolves around what happens in Mumbai, as it is presently the financial and cultural center of India. If you wish to make a quantitative comparison to other cities around the world, Mumbai is to India, as Tokyo is to Japan, Paris is to France, London is to England, Shanghai is to China or New York City is to America. In contrast to Delhi, Mumbai is much cleaner, friendlier and has much better air quality.

In planning our trip, we wanted to experience different parts of Mumbai, so we chose to stay at three different hotels in vastly different areas of the city. We started out in South Mumbai in the area known as Colaba with a two night stay at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Later, we moved more centrally to spend three nights at the Four Seasons Hotel in Worli, and on our flight back from Goa to return to the United States, we spent one night and a full day at the Novotel Hotel which is situated right on Juhu Beach in North Mumbai. This is a beach only to look at, not to swim in since it is polluted.

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel arranged for a driver to meet us at the airport and take us to the hotel. This was a real bonus since the airport is located quite a distance from downtown. The Taj driver was waiting for us in the arrival terminal holding a sign with our name. We were warmly greeted and whisked away to his car where cold drinks, a few snacks with dampened towels awaited to refresh ourselves. He wore white gloves and was decked out in traditional chauffeur garb.

As with virtually all the people we met, our driver was very engaging and extremely knowledgeable, giving us all types of fascinating information about Mumbai and pointing out places of history and interest. The drive into the city was particularly interesting because you could clearly see the diversity in population; poor to rich. This was made all the more evident when we saw luxury high-rise buildings either right next to or directly across the street from a slum. One of the more interesting facts about Mumbai and its diversity is the fact that it contains the country’s largest slums and also home to its wealthiest people.

When we asked our driver to take a bit of a detour from the route to the hotel, he obliged without objection. As it turned out, we traveled past some key historical areas, which he delighted in telling us about. During our stay, we were able to see and visit many of the places he suggested, such as the old Christian and Jewish cemeteries that are virtually located side-by-side.

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel: Almost every travel show about India mentions the splendor of Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. It is located right on the harbor of the Arabian Sea and directly across from the Gateway of India. If you wish to experience the Taj Mahal Palace at its finest, then you must stay in the Palace portion and not the Tower. This is an expensive hotel. If you wish to take advantage of any mileage or frequent flyer program of which you are a member, by all means do so, it’s worth the experience. And, that’s exactly what we did.

We reserved a Luxury Suite which was located on the one of the uppermost floors of the Palace section with a sea view overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India. The suite had a spacious bedroom and living room with a separate dining area. All Taj Club amenities include early, private check-in upon arrival and late check-out at departure. We were escorted directly to and from our room without having to stop at the front desk. There was 24-hour butler service; afternoon tea; evening cocktails; buffet breakfast, and use of the spa, in addition to several other amenities, included in our package.

Needless to say, we were not disappointed with the amenities offered at this first class, world-renowned five-star establishment. Shortly after being escorted to the room, our luggage arrived along with a cool beverage of our choice and some fruit.

Gateway to India: The view from our window of the Gateway of India was breath-taking so we took photos and video-taped it before walking over for a close up view. Although built by the British, the Gateway of India is a significant landmark because the last British troops to leave colonial India passed through it in 1948. Therefore, in some way, the monument can be viewed as a symbol of India’s struggle for independence and freedom from colonialism. Since we were traveling during Diwali, India’s most major holiday, there were throngs of people everywhere – families, groups of school children, groups of friends and, of course, many tourists. The huge gathering of people at this iconic site was no exception. As we would learn, many of the people we saw had a dual purpose in coming to this area because there is an important Hindu shrine nearby.

Afternoon Tea: We described in our Delhi post that the food, particularly the breakfast served at the Shangri-La Eros Hotel was superior to that served at the Taj Mahal, particularly the buffet breakfast. However, the afternoon tea served at the Taj was all that anyone could expect; simply superb!

There was enough time to explore the hotel and take a short stroll around the Colaba area. We would be exploring more of the neighborhood the next day, so we headed back to the Taj. After a day of travel and sightseeing, it was so relaxing to have a leisurely swim in the pool. The other bonus was having access to the spa and using the stream room after our swim.

Leopold Cafe: This is still one of Mumbai’s popular restaurant and bar founded in 1871 where tourists and locals hang out. It well represents the diversity or multiculturalism of modern Mumbai. The place was packed when we arrived and we were lucky to get a table. The food and ambiance were great, the wait staff was friendly and the food was quite good. Like the Taj, the Leopold Cafe was attacked by terrorists in 2008, but one would never know since both places showed no evidence of that horrific event.

After dinner, we again wandered through the lower Colaba area and were were pleasantly surprised that it was not at all crowded. Many of the streets are lined with trees, small palms and flowering plants and scrubs, so there is a calming effect you while strolling through this interesting part of Mumbai. Chocolates and cognac were being served in Taj Club lounge on our return, but we just grabbed a few chocolates and headed up to our room. A great first day in Mumbai!

Crawford Market and Colaba: After the excellent buffet breakfast (though excellent, not quite as good as the Shangri-La-Eros-Delhi), we were off again to see the sights.

The downtown area of Mumbai, as with other areas of the city, is very distinctive. Downtown or Colaba, as it’s known locally, is populated with buildings that date back to the early British colonial era, hence, very interesting tropic-colonial architecture. We walked all over this area, as we did almost continually during our travels. As in many places in this country, there is something captivating around almost every corner. You will not see any bicycle rickshaws or tuk-tuks in the Colaba area. Because of the many narrow streets and large numbers of people, these vehicles are prohibited.

The first place we visited was the Crawford Market. It is now known as the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market and had been one of the principle market places in the city for over 100 years. However, over the past several years, due to the rapid growth and expansion of Mumbai, this market has lost much of its status as the pre-eminent place to go for fruits and vegetables. The market is still known as the place to purchase parrots and exotic songbirds. In traveling around the city, you will find many large outdoor neighborhood food markets that have everything imaginable on an Indian grocery list.

Nearby is the Mani Bhavan Museum, the house in which Mahatma Ghandi lived for over fifteen years while working towards gaining India’s independence from Great Britain. It is now home to many of his memoirs and artifacts.

The harbor area near the Gateway of India is where you find a few of the sights for which Mumbai is famous. One of these attractions is the Elephanta Caves on Elephanta Island. There are regularly scheduled ferries that leave from a pier adjacent to the Gateway of India. The caves are in two groups: one consisting of five caves and dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva; the other made up of two caves and generally referred to as the Buddhists caves. The Hindu caves are adorned with relief sculptures carved into the rock that possibly date back to the fifth century.

We were fortunate to have had a late check-out at the Taj because we were moving on to the second hotel, the Four Seasons in Worli. After a delectable lunch and a quick swim, we packed and took a taxi to the Four Seasons.

Worli is located in what can be considered central Mumbai. One of the first things you notice is the difference in the amount of traffic. It becomes much more intense because unlike Colaba, all types of vehicles are allowed on the roads. It became rather evident why rail transportation in the city is so important and popular, and why we became fans and frequent users.

The Four Seasons is located on Dr. E. Moses Road, one of the main passages through Mumbai. The exceptionally spacious corner room with floor to ceiling windows we had on the 25^th floor, offered panoramic, stunning views facing south and southeast, looking out onto the Arabian Sea, as well as portions of central and downtown Mumbai. Now, we said India was fascinating and here’s some of the evidence. This hotel is an ultra-modern, high-rise structure with 34 floors that is situated directly across the road from a large slum called Dharavi, the second largest slum in Asia and the place where the movie Slum Dog Millionaire was filmed. The hotel is superior in quality with an excellent staff. The Concierge was outstanding and no matter what time we stopped by, the staff gave us interesting details and insights about the city and laid out a comprehensive sightseeing itinerary for us to follow daily.

That first evening, we swam in the outdoor pool and used the spa before heading up to the Four Season’s AER lounge. Perched atop the hotel, one of Mumbai’s tallest buildings, the lounge is 35 stories above ground level. The AER Lounge is one of modern day Mumbai’s popular nighttime hotspots. It features pulsating music, dining, dancing, but best of all, has a breathtaking, 360 degree panoramic view of Mumbai. Because Diwali was still being celebrated, there was lots of music, chanting and activity that could be heard coming from the surrounding neighborhood and streets below. We were hungry so we stayed in and ate at the Hotel’s Cafe Prato which had excellent food.

The next morning after breakfast, we decided to go across the road to visit the slum area. There is so much poverty in India and it is impossible not to be deeply affected by what you see. What set the slums of Mumbai apart from those of Delhi and Agra was the particular pride and dignity people had in maintaining what little they had with cleanliness and order. While walking through the streets and interacting with the people, you get the feeling of hope and not despair, and that you were being welcomed. We know there are guided tours of Dharavi, but on this particularly day, we were the only tourists there. When you view the video below of our room at the Four Seasons, you will see views of the Dharavi Slum.

Dhobi Ghat: Next, we ventured to one of the prominent attractions in the city, Dhobi Ghat, the open-air laundry that is unique to India and especially Mumbai. It’s right next to the Mahalakshmi rail station and a short walk from our hotel, just past the Mahalakshmi Race Course. The Dhobi Ghat has been a long-standing tradition in Mumbai. The people who work in the laundries are from families who have done this work for as many as three to four generations. Although there are some large washing machines and dryers, much of the washing is done by hand (and feet) by several hundred workers. It’s fascinating to watch so take a look at our video below. These folks are serious about what they do and the work is very strenuous. We were fortunate to have been allowed into the site and get a close up view of the complexity of the work being done; washing, drying, folding and delivery systems that work seamlessly with human energy and ingenuity. Be sure to get there fairly early because the majority of the work is done in the morning before 11 AM.

Haji Dargah: Another landmark in the Worli area, which we could see from our hotel window, is the Haji Dargah, a complex that houses the tomb of Sayed Peer Ali, Shah Bukhari. The complex sits in the Arabian Sea and is only accessible at low tide. However, this site was a bit out-of-the-way for the day’s itinerary so we hopped on the train at Mahalakshmi Station and were off to another traditional “must see”, the Dabbawala.

Dabbawala: A dabbawala is described as one who carries a box (lunchbox). “Dabba” is traditionally a tin box or “tiffin” that is configured as three stacked containers and “wala” is the carrier. Dabbawalas have delivered lunchtime meals for workers in central Mumbai for over 125 years. There are varying degrees of circus, ballet and athleticism at play in the work these people do. Traditionally, the dabbas are collected from the homes of individuals and contain the homemade lunch prepared with care by a wife, mother or another member of the family. In recent years, this tradition has expanded where meals are also prepared by a favorite restaurant for specific customers. About 400,000 lunch boxes are delivered to office workers every day using trains, bicycles and other modes of transportation. Most of the meals are delivered to Churchgate Station for delivery.

The dabbawalas balance dozens of lunch boxes at a time on huge flats trays, never dropping one! Special markings, color-coding and/or numbers are used to determine ultimate destination and return. Of the thousands of meals delivered daily, everyone always seems to get whatever was intended for them. It has been determined that only one mistake is made for every eight million deliveries. It’s simply amazing to watch. At the end of lunch, the tins or “dabbas” are returned to the places of origin, homes or restaurants. In some cases, back on trains to destinations far outside the central city area. The action begins west of Churchgate Station about 11:30AM and continues until around 1:00-1:30PM.

Watch a delightful Indian movie on YouTube, “The Lunchbox” starring Irfan Khan, where the lunchbox prepared by a wife for her husband was repeated delivered to another man. The notes delivered back and forth between the two about the taste of the food was funny, but also warm and touching as the movie went on.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai (Victoria Terminus), is the main railway station in Mumbai which is a huge complex containing several buildings. After watching the Dabbawala, we went to the Terminus because we had to confirm our train tickets from Mumbai to Goa. The exterior of the main building is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic architecture and is simply stunning. Never have we seen passenger trains with as many cars as we did at this station. If you intend on making a long-distance journey by train, be sure to arrive early and whenever possible, book well in advance. Ticket lines are usually long and finding the correct ticketing booth or building within the terminal can be a challenge. We were directed to four different places within the terminal complex before finding the correct place to confirm our reservations. Another must see is the large market under the station. This place has amazingly great deals on casual clothing, electronics and household goods. Needless to say, we shopped.

Next, we walked to an area just south and below the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus wandering through the streets in the direction of Colaba. Here, the tree-lined streets became narrower giving cooling and shade from the sun. This area contains many buildings that are and have been significant to Mumbai’s history; Indian, Portuguese and British.

Generally, as we traveled farther south on the western side of the country we encountered more Portuguese influence. This is reflected in the names of places, as well as, names of people.

While venturing through the area, among the many intriguing facts we learned was the presence of the Parsi culture. These are people of Persian origin who were followers of the Zoroastrian religion. They left Persia (now Iran) and came to India to avoid persecution by the Muslims. Although the Parsis, also called Parsees, have for centuries been Indian by nationality, they have a very distinct culture they have persevered to preserved.

Along the way, we again experienced some of what makes up the social, economic and cultural dichotomy of the city and the country. Amidst the broad streets, beautiful park, historic and modern buildings, you see families living on the street, struggling to make ends meet.

It had been a busy day of immersion into Mumbai city life, but before heading back to the hotel, we stopped off at the Jewish and Christian cemeteries. In order to get into the Jewish cemetery you had to be Jewish, so for half hour, we were. We weren’t allowed to take photographs, but we managed to snap a few of the tombstones. The Christian cemetery was impressive with large mausoleums. We were free to take photos there. We then headed back to the hotel for some relaxation before going out to dinner. The hotel concierge informed us that there were a number of restaurants located in a mall nearby and that it might be an interesting place to visit.

High Street Phoenix Palladium Mall: Almost surrounded by slums, we discovered a “mall culture” exists and is thriving in Mumbai. The city is home to possibly some of the grandest malls found anywhere on the planet and we were amazed at the size and how influential mall culture has become. An example of this is the High Street Phoenix Palladium Mall. This sprawling complex is located in central Mumbai at Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, and was within walking distance of the Four Seasons.

The mall, like those in America, is quite popular with younger folks, but one had the sense that many of the people visiting this particular mall were on an adventure. Not being people who frequent malls ourselves, but somewhat familiar with them, we were rather awe-struck, as it seemed we had never left the United States. Brooks Brothers, DKNY, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry, and Zara’s are just a few of the stores along with high-end restaurants to pedestrian eateries like Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, Subway, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King and, of course, McDonald’s (no beef or pork served).

Again, as with the malls in America, they are largely patronized by the young people. But, a fairly good number of families could also be seen venturing into the many shops. There were fewer people wearing the traditional clothing associated with Indian culture. Also, more western fashions, entertainment and fast foods are available. In visiting the malls, you can see how quickly India and its people are changing.

We had dinner at the Punjab Grill on the third floor of the mall. The meal was exceptional!

Bandra: We decided on a trip to Bandra, located in the northwestern part of the city and known as Mumbai’s other downtown area. Before boarding the train to get there, we walked around Worli a little more. While walking, we came across some boys playing cricket on the sidewalk alongside the street. They invited my husband, Rick, to take a few swings. They were quite surprised Rick was a good batsman and they cheered him on. The boys’ willingness to allow him into their game was another example of the friendliness we encountered everywhere.

Whenever possible, take the opportunity to utilize the train system in and around major cities. It’s possibly the quickest, easiest and most fun way to travel. There is a large outdoor market about one-half mile from the train station. If you have the time, it’s a nice walk and you’ll have a chance to get a feel for the area, particularly if you walk through the back streets which are tree-lined and have all types of interesting buildings. Most of the buildings are residential; some are modern in design while others have some degree of the older Portuguese influence. It’s also home to one of the city’s largest Christian communities and one of the city’s most famous churches, Mount Mary.

Bhaji Galli Market: Just a short walk west from the Grant Road train station is the Bhaji Galli outdoor market which has over 300 licensed vendors. This is one of the absolute finest outdoor fruit and vegetable markets we’ve ever encountered during our travels in all the countries we’ve ever visited. Every fruit and every vegetable was perfect in shape, size and color. We could not find a flaw on anything. Check out the video below. We had to walk through the market to get to the other side where we took a tuk-tuk to Swati Snacks.

Swati Snacks: The concierge at the Four Seasons recommended we visit Swati Snacks, an eatery of singular distinction located in the Tardeo District. We took the train from Bandra to the Grant Road station, then took a tuk-tuk to the restaurant. There was a staggering amount of people on the train and you must be prepared to almost fight your way to the exit, so stand near the doors as your stop approaches. Swati Snacks has been around for about 50 years and the menu features a variety of delicious, vegetarian food from Gujarati, Rajasthani and South India. The restaurant has a fresh take on traditional Indian cuisine that’s simply delicious!

Zaffran Restaurant: After another exciting day, we went back to the hotel for a swim and use of the spa before going to dinner. With seven locations throughout Mumbai, Zaffran is a restaurant chain that is quite popular with the people who live in the city and with visitors. We were unaware this was a restaurant chain until coming back to America. However, we can tell you it far exceeds any upscale restaurant chain you might find in the USA. The Zaffran we visited had a well-planned layout, beautiful décor and exceptional food, which made for a first-rate dining experience. After dinner, we went back to the hotel to pack for our trip to Goa, but first a bit about Juhu Beach.

Juhu Beach: Mumbai was our departure city from India, so we took a plane back from Goa to the city and stayed at the Novotel Hotel in Juhu Beach. We’ve read that a lot of movies and commercials are shot at this hotel because of its location. During our stay, a movie trailer was being filmed. There is not much to say or recommend about this hotel, other than it’s a place to stay and the restaurants within are fairly good. We chose this hotel because we had a view of the ocean. Also, if you are on a tight schedule, it’s good area of the city in which to stay since the international and domestic airports are located conveniently nearby.

Juhu Beach is adjacent to Bandra where you find the homes of the upper middle-class and several Bollywood stars. However, from a historical perspective, much of the city’s colonial heritage, both Portuguese and British can be found within its environs. As with every major city in India, there are large outdoor markets. Not being the exception, but the rule, there is a large outdoor market in this part of the city where you can find most anything and everything you can imagine.

What we would not recommend doing at Juhu Beach is going for a swim. No one goes in the water because it’s rather dirty and the beach has quite a bit of litter. These things notwithstanding, walking along the beach can be enjoyable particularly walking south with the views of Mumbai. As with all of Mumbai, the Juhu Beach area is bustling with activity.

One of the more fascinating aspects of India is how everything seems to seamlessly meld with everything else. As an example, in the area of Juhu (Juhu Beach) there is an impressive temple complex, the ISKCON temple, officially known as Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Ji Temple. We know them in the West as Hare Krishna. When we visited, there was a cricket match taking place in the adjoining field or parking area which seemed to attract as many people as the temple. The restaurant at the temple offered good food so we ate there before returning to the hotel. Our flight was later that evening, so we packed up our suitcases for the last time and headed to the airport for our long trip back to New York.

We’ve presented only a few of the highlights of Mumbai and hopefully, interesting aspects of the city and its people. However, as stated previously, Mumbai is a huge, fascinating, vibrant and still growing metropolis, which would take even the experienced, seasoned traveler at least a week to ten days to explore most of the city.

Mumbai to Goa: We had an early morning departure from Mumbai to Goa on the Mandovi Express Sleeper train. We left the hotel at 6 AM for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to board the train at 7:10 AM. The Four Seasons packed us two food boxes for our train trip which came in handy and you can read about it in our Goa post.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

You can get a taste of Mumbai in this compilation of photos. Remember to turn on the volume to listen to some interesting music. Click on this link to view – A Taste of Mumbai Video

Photo of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station.

The Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai is a large outdoor laundry located by the Mahalakshmi train station. The washers are known as Dhobis and large concrete containers used for washing are known as Ghats. Laundry collected from homes and large institutions like hospitals and hotels are returned to the owners washed and neatly pressed. This industry traces its roots back hundreds of years.

———————————————————————————————————

Dabbawala is a lunch delivery system that was started in 1890 in Mumbai (formerly Bombay). The name Dabbawala also refers to the people who perform this service. Each year, millions of lunches prepared by family members and some restaurants are delivered to office workers via various modes of transportation.

Click on this link to view the video – Dabbawala

Photo of the Dabbawalas

——————————————————————————————————-

We stumbled upon this vegetable market, Bhaji Galli, when we got off at Grant Road train station in Mumbai. It is said to have over 300 licensed fruit and vegetable vendors.

Click on the video to view the Bhaji Galli Market