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Inspiring images from Brussels Airlines’ destination, Mumbai
Images Corbis, Magnum Photos, Photolibrary.com
The worker above is using a glowing light bulb to see whether a drum that’s being recycled is clean
Traditional fishermen in shallow water
Snake charmers are a tourist attraction on Chowpatty Beach
10 Reasons to visit… Mumbai
Text Tabitha Lasley, Jaswinda Kaur Gill
Images Corbis, Photolibrary.com
1 The buzz
Mumbai is a city of superlatives. It’s known as Maximum City, and everything here is bigger, louder, faster, higher and hotter. Like a sub-continental Manhattan, people from all corners of India move here to seek their fortune; it has 14m people packed onto an island the size of London. So there’s a buzz about the city that translates into a breathtakingly intense experience for any visitor.
2 The nightlife
Mumbai works hard and parties even harder. In the past few years, new bars and clubs such as the Blue Frog, Dragonfly and Poison have been springing up every three months. First-time visitors should head straight to the stretch along Waterfield Road in fashionable Bandra.
3 The shopping
Mumbai was built on trade, as Jewish, Parsi, Arab and Armenian merchants descended on the city to sell spices, silk and precious stones, and it’s still got loads of atmospheric bazaars and markets. Try Thieves Market (Chor Bazaar) for flowers, Crawford Market for food and Mangaldas Market for cloth. Head here to pick up unique gifts or simply to soak up the cacophony of sights, sounds and smells. A great way to ensure bagging the best bargains is to hire a personal shopper from somewhere like Greaves Travel (www.greavesindia.com), who can help you haggle and dig out hidden gems.
4 The dabbawallas
A minor miracle of efficiency, Mumbai’s dabbawallas have been transporting 200,000 lunchboxes every day for over 120 years. Studied by business schools at Yale, Princeton and Harvard, visited by Prince Charles (although they were so busy he had to fit around their schedule) and awarded the Forbes Six Sigma Award in recognition of the fact that they only make one mistake in every 6m deliveries, they’re a marvel to watch. Tour groups such as Mumbai Magic (www.mumbaimagic.com) organise trips to see them at work.
5 The cricket
Mumbai is India’s cricket capital. And anyone with even a passing interest in its national sport needs to squeeze in at least one game at either the Wankhede or Brabourne stadiums.
6 The ? lms
Home to Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world, Mumbai churns out 1,000 films a year. Some tour operators offer private trips to the studios; failing this, you should try to catch a home-grown movie at Liberty Cinema (New Marine Lines, near Bombay Hospital).
7 The wine
India may not be first place that springs to mind when you think of wine producing, but it soon could be. Proof of this came at the birthday party of one Elizabeth Hurley, who shipped a crate-load over for her guests to try. Fiona Caulfield, author of the Love Travel Guides to India (www.lovetravelguides.com), recommends visiting the Sula Vineyards in Nashik Highlands, which produce some of India’s best wines.
8 Its caves
An hour’s flight from Mumbai are the magnificent caves of Ajanta and Ellora, which are adorned with Buddhist and Hindu art, some of which dates back to the 2nd century BC. Closer to Mumbai, an hour’s boat ride from the city’s Gateway of India, are the surreally sculpted Elephanta Caves. Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, they probably date back to the 6th or 7th century and still draw pilgrims from all over India.
9 It’s the gateway to Goa
With its broad, golden beaches and laid-back pace of life, Goa has been exerting a siren-like pull on travellers since the first wave of hippies flocked there in the ’60s. And it’s just an hour’s flight away from Mumbai with Jet Airways.
10 Pune is just a train ride away
Mumbai is the largest city in Maharashtra and its capital, but its second city, Pune, is the cultural capital - and (just) near enough for a day trip. It’s famous for its museums, and it’s not too far from the Buddhist caves of Bhaja and Karla. The food here is also excellent - try delicately spiced dishes like vada pav (potato patties seasoned with chilli and ginger) and mastani, the city’s signature milkshake.
A round-up of exciting travel news from Brussels Airlines’ long-haul destination, Mumbai
Hotel with a view
The Leela Palace
Where is it? Sahar, Mumbai, , theleela.com What’s the view? You can choose between a panoramic view of the Mumbai skyline, or the tranquil palm-fringed pool and immaculately manicured gardens.
What to expect Design-wise, there’s quite an Oriental sense of extravagance – there are lots of ornate curlicues and cornicing. Rooms come with richly patterned carpets, flowers everywhere and crimson-coloured cushions. Royal Club Rooms are enormous, with massage showers, Molton Brown goodies and custom-designed mattresses.
Need to know There are four restaurants here, including The Great Wall, which serves up Szechwan and Cantonese dishes – useful if you fancy a break from the local cuisine. There’s also a club – Bling – which is, fittingly, decked out with shiny silver disco balls. Head here for house music and a high celeb headcount – it’s a favourite with Bollywood royalty.
Why go there? Because it somehow manages to be close to the Central Business District and yet still feels blissfully quiet – probably something to do with the 11 acres of verdant lawns and lotus ponds that surround it. It also
offers guests a personalised programme of yoga, meditation and naturopathy, so is a good bet if your chakras are in need of re-aligning. What does it cost? Rooms from €175 per night.
Frog march
Head straight for the Blue Frog (D/2 Mathuradas Mills Compound, ), which is probably the best live-music venue in the city. Set in a converted warehouse, it stages big-name acts six nights a week, and also does good food. Dishes are mostly pan-Asian, for example, Indonesian chicken with papaya and pineapple sambal, and tamarind and lemongrass mushrooms with wasabi.
The last laugh
Tanya Dalton of Greaves Travel (greavesindia.com) recommends taking a class in laughter yoga. The brainchild of Dr Madan Kataria, a Mumbai native, the classes combine the breathe-and-stretch mechanism of yoga with forced laughter, which – so the theory goes – quickly segues into the real thing. The body can’t distinguish between fake laughter and a genuine fit of the giggles, so it’s got the same psychological benefits. What started as a class of five people has become a worldwide phenomenon, with 6,000 social laughter clubs in 60 countries, and many of the classes in Mumbai are free.
Insider tip
Dome, Marine Drive Hotel
Hotfoot it to Mumbai-based blogger Deepa Krishnan’s favourite, the Dome, one of the current crop of sleek new bars springing up all over the city. It’s perched on the roof of the Marine Drive Hotel (135 Marine Drive, ) and serves up amazing views alongside some lethal cocktails. Try their signature drink, the Bullfrog – Bacardi, vodka, gin, tequila and blue curaçao, mixed with lots of ice and Red Bull. Probably best stop at one, though!
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