Mumbai (Bombay), India

Mumbai (Bombay), Republic of Republic of India (1/28-29/2013) – Bombay is the largest metropolis inwards Republic of Republic of India offering amazing contrasts - everything exotic too chaotic from India!

Pat Enjoying the Colors 
and Smells of Mumbai, India

The sights too smells of Republic of Republic of India hitting you lot every bit before long every bit you lot arrive. Even at midnight leaving the Bombay Airport to notice our taxi, the interesting smells engulf you lot initiating you lot to your novel basis similar making a novel friend. When visiting Mumbai, live on laid upwards for chaos meets modern urban society.

Low Income Area - Mumbai, India

High Income Area - South Mumbai, India

Mumbai, the largest too richest metropolis inwards India, is an illustration of astounding contrasts. Literary, inwards the really shadow of millionaire high-rise condos, people alive inwards slums surviving each 24-hour interval on what their rich neighbors pass on morn breakfast. But you lot tin forcefulness out stroll through those slums without fearfulness that would live on reasonable inwards many other cities of the world. Obviously apparent, Republic of Republic of India is a immature solid ground amongst a large amount of its population below the historic menstruation of 30. In this largest metropolis inwards India, people go along infrastructure that is extremely overly congested making a living all the same they can. The incredible matter is that Bombay is a metropolis that works.

Street Scene - Mumbai, India

When driving about the crazy horn-honking traffic inwards Mumbai, you lot would readily conclude that the buildings, roads, too fifty-fifty principal sights endure from fail too much of the metropolis looks similar a developing country. At the same time, the streets are create clean too when you lot croak within many of the places, they are surprising modern too beautiful.

Mumbai is considered the most cosmopolitan metropolis inwards Republic of Republic of India alluring people seeking a amend life amongst glamour represented past times beingness the middle of the Bollywood, the India’s celluloid too TV industries. Yet correct inwards the middle too impossible to overlook, it is domicile of Asia’s largest slum (Dharavi– regard photo) where one-half of Mumbai’s population live.  You convey in all probability seen this inwards the flick Slum Dog Millionaire.

Street inwards Dharavi Slum - Mumbai, India

Dharavi Slum - Mumbai, India

Interestedly, the low-income housing is mixed amidst the higher income, non separated similar inwards many cities, too it winds about the high-rise buildings similar a ribbon. This low-income surface area has running H2O too electricity. In the mist of all this, the colors of Republic of Republic of India are marvelous – the women inwards their colorful clothing, flowers, richly painted buildings, too fifty-fifty the trucks. Color is everywhere too the nutrient is wonderful.

Pat at Hindu Wedding - Mumbai, India

A highlight of our catch to Bombay was mixing inwards a Hindu wedding. The women have on colorful article of apparel too everyone dances earlier the marriage (see photo). They had no problems of us joining inwards for a spell – amazingly hospitable people.

Chowpatty Beach - South Mumbai, India

Mumbai’s most mutual tourist sites are concentrated inwards Mumbai's downtown area, South Mumbai. It is the commercial working capital missive of the alphabet of Republic of Republic of India where the richest neighborhoods inwards Republic of Republic of India are located. The high-end existent estate prices inwards South Bombay are comparable to those inwards Manhattan inwards New York. South Bombay is domicile to most of Mumbai's museums, fine art galleries, bars, too upscale restaurants.

We treated ourselves to a half-day metropolis sightseeing tour of South Mumbai. Here are some of the highlights you lot should consider visiting or driving past times to see:

Taj Mahal Hotel - South Mumbai, India

Taj Mahal Hotel: We wandered through the famous Taj Mahal Hotel (see photo) located across from the Gateway of India. Walking through its incredibly beautiful corridors is worthwhile. We could picture a 24-hour interval when the elegantly dressed British men too women met socially too to hash out business.

Dhobi Ghat Laundry - Mumbai, India

Dhobi Ghat: Strangely, washing laundry at the world’s largest open-air laundry is interesting. The washers, locally known every bit Dhobis, go inwards the opened upwards to launder the clothes from Mumbai's hotels too hospitals. There are 1,026 open-air concrete troughs, each fitted amongst its ain flogging rock (see photo).

Victoria Terminus Railroad Station 
- South Mumbai, India

Victoria Terminus (VT) (Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus – regard photo): The beautiful station is Mumbai’s most extravagant Gothic edifice too a symbol of British colonialism when the metropolis was named Bombay. Built inwards 1887, the VT is an UNESCO World Heritage Site too historic railway station that soundless today serves every bit the headquarters of the Central Railways inwards Bombay too the busiest develop station inwards Asia.

Marine Drive High Rises 
- South Mumbai, India

Marine Drive: Real estate prices along this major tree-lined boulevard are amidst the highest inwards India. Many restaurants too high-rise buildings draw Marine Drive. At the northern terminate is Chowpatty Beach(see photo), a pop beach known for its local fast food. Most of the buildings convey an fine art deco await that was pop inwards the 1920’s too 1930’s. Miami is the alone metropolis inwards the basis that has to a greater extent than fine art deco buildings.

Prince of Wales Museum (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya): The largest too best museum inwards Bombay houses around 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history.

Gateway of Republic of Republic of India - South Mumbai, India

Some other of the sites inwards South Bombay nosotros works life to live on only OK are: Mahalaxmi / Jain Temple - if you lot convey non visited a temple, this is 1 of the oldest inwards Mumbai. Gateway of India (see photo) is a monument built past times the British. Flora Fountain – practiced for drive-by, it was built inwards 1864 at the Martyr's Square (Hutatma Chowk) too ornamentally sculpted. Mani Bhavan - acted every bit the focal indicate of Gandhi's political activities inwards Bombay betwixt 1917 too 1934. Hanging Garden (Pherozeshah Mehta) - are located inwards Malabar Hill are interesting but non good maintained.

The British built a magnificent metropolis within the walls of Fort St. George, only southward of South Mumbai. Other fantabulous examples of colonial architecture from the British dominion tin forcefulness out live on works life inwards the Mumbai Universitybuildings too the High Court.

This is a summary of our brusk but memorable catch to Mumbai. There is much to a greater extent than to regard too experience.

McDonald's McAloo Tikki - Mumbai, India

More well-nigh Mumbai... Mumbai, formally known every bit Bombay until 1996, is the most populous metropolis inwards Republic of Republic of India too the 4th most inwards the basis amongst a metropolitan population of well-nigh 21 million. It is the commercial too amusement working capital missive of the alphabet of India. Bombay is 1 of the exceed 10 commerce centers inwards the basis generating 5% of India's GDP, 25% of its industrial output, too 70% of the India’s working capital missive of the alphabet transactions. Mumbai’s deep natural harbor makes it 1 of the predominant port cities inwards the solid ground amongst 70% of India’s maritime trade.

Colors of India!

Travel tips... Bombay has 3 principal seasons - hot too humid Summer (March to May), Monsoon (June to September), too Winter (milder summer). The best fourth dimension to catch is during the wintertime betwixt Nov too February. The conditions was wonderful when nosotros visited inwards February. Locals inwards Bombay tin forcefulness out create do to beak inwards broken English linguistic communication too those working inwards corporates too belonging to middle, upper middle too high cast tin forcefulness out beak fluent English.

Because of our brusk rest inwards Mumbai, nosotros stayed at the overnice affordable Hotel Bawa International hotel close Mumbai’s domestic airport. The Club Rooms are really overnice too the staff is helpful. Hiring a driver for a tour of South Bombay tin forcefulness out live on arranged. We liked the Green House Indian eatery well-nigh xv infinitesimal walk from the hotel. If nosotros stayed longer inwards Mumbai, nosotros would convey considered staying inwards South Bombay where to a greater extent than of the tourist sites are located.

Staying good for you lot inwards India... Most visitors select bottled H2O that tin forcefulness out live on purchased reasonable cheaply. When buying H2O from street vendors, brand certain the lid is sealed too non refilled amongst tap water. Make certain you lot rinse your toothbrush amongst bottled H2O too croak along your rima oris unopen when showering. It is also wise to live on careful what you lot eat. Outside of major tourist hotels too restaurants, especially risky things to rest away from are raw leafy vegetables too egg-based dressings similar mayonnaise, too minced meat. To live on safe, you lot should stick to boiled, baked, fried, or peeled goods.

Hindu Wedding - Mumbai, India

Some history... Mumbai is made upwards a vii islands. Modern history of Bombay started inwards 1498 when the Portuguese took over too afterward handed it over to England inwards 1661, who leased the islands to the East Republic of Republic of India Company. They built the docks, the trading posts, too the fort that would croak the middle of the metropolis transforming Bombay (now called Mumbai) into a major seaport on the Arabian Sea. They also started off the long procedure of reclaiming solid ground joining the islands, which went on until the 1960’s. The port attracted industries too successive waves of migration. The terminal British troops left Republic of Republic of India next India’s independence inwards 1948. In the 1980’s, high project costs too unrest forced the closure of many textile mills too the metropolis went into a reject from which it started recovering inwards the belatedly 1990’s.

Please regard our other vi go spider web log posts well-nigh incredible India:

Taj Mahal, India

Goa Beaches, India

Cremations on Ganges River - Varanasi, India

New Delhi, Republic of Republic of India (Capital)

Khajuraho (Kama Sutra Temples) - Orchha, India

Jaipur (The Pink City), India

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