With a staggering 16 million people all living in a city the size of London travellers coming off their Mumbai flights might – at first glance - expect nothing less than a chaotic and unwelcoming place; quite the contrary. Under its tough exterior lies an intriguing and fascinating place begging to be explored.
India's capital can intimidate the first-time visitor, so the best way to overcome this is by walking through Mumbai’s neighbourhoods, interacting with the locals and just getting immersed in its wonderful sights, sounds and smells. The best way to begin touring the colonial city is at the Gateway of India which was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary. From there most tourists take boat trips to Elephanta Island, where holy temples were carved out of rock between 450 and 740 AD. Another day trip is to the northern suburb of Borivli home of the Buddhist Kanheri Caves which were once used for meditation by the monks during the seventh century AD. Travellers coming off flights to Mumbai in search of a little more excitement needn’t look far, the glitzy restaurants and bars are filled with Bollywood stars and well-heeled Mumbaiians partying till the wee hours of the morning.
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Mumbai has a dry season from November to February with moderate humidity and temperatures in the 20s (Celsius). March to October is the humid season with temperatures reaching the upper 20s (Celsius). The monsoon season is July to September, and the heavy rains bring relief from the heat.
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Peak Season:
The weather from September to April makes this the best time to book flights to Mumbai. If you want to experience a big event, come for the Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day Hindu festival in August/September.
Off Season:
The monsoons and summer heat make June through September the low season.
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Pre-paid taxis are available outside Arrivals (journey time approx 60 min).
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- The Gateway of India was built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s visit in 1911. It is traditionally the first thing that visitors to Mumbai see and it was the last thing the British troops passed through when they left India in 1948.
- Elephanta Island in Mumbai harbour: the island’s caves contain rock-cut temples dedicated to Shiva Mahadeva that date from the fifth century. It's also a Unesco World Heritage Site.
- The Prince of Wales Museum of Western India was built in the 1900s to commemorate a visit by the Prince of Wales. It has a fine collection of miniature paintings and a Maritime Heritage gallery.
- The Haji Ali Mosque houses the tomb of the Muslim Sufi saint. The mosque lies out at sea and can only be reached at low tide. At high tide the causeway is submerged and it looks as if the mosque is floating.
- Kamala Nehru Park sits at the top of Malabar Hill. The park extends over 3300 square metres and has beautiful views of the city, Chowpatty Beach and Marine Drive.
- Pherozsha Mehta Gardens, dating from 1881, are known locally as the Hanging Gardens. Look out for the fun animal-shaped hedges.
- The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (or Borivili National Park) covers nearly 9,000 hectares. It houses more than 1000 species of plants and 40 types of mammals as well as native birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish and insects.
- Chowpatty Beach in the evening when locals come out to stroll and the hawkers and entertainers buzz around. It’s a good place to pick up dinner to go, especially the local favourite - Bhelpuri (puffed rice and semolina with chutneys served with deep fried wheat bread)
- Crawford Market dates from colonial times and is popular for fruit, vegetable and meat.
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