On the west coast of Maharashtra State, Mumbai is the largest city in India with an estimated metropolitan population of a staggering 13 million people, making it one of the most populated cities on earth. Seemingly more relaxed at times than Delhi and Kolkata, Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is nevertheless a huge urban mass and a daunting prospect for visitors, especially those with limited time. Even so, this is an Indian destination that should not be missed.
South Mumbai is the main tourist area where you can find the Gateway of India at the waterfront and the city’s (and perhaps India’s) only bar district. The Hanging Gardens are a good place to head for a great view of the city and a chance to get your bearings. The Prince of Wales Museum is a slightly dilapidated but still worthy attraction dating back more than a century and featuring a huge collection of artifacts, most of which are Indian.
South Mumbai is also home to the city’s most popular beach, Marine Drive. Once you take a look, you probably won’t want to swim but the beach is an experience in itself and can get extremely busy. Outside of South Mumbai, the northwest district is well worth a look for its clean beaches and Sanjay Gandhi National Park which covers a huge area within the metropolitan Mumbai area. The park is best-known for the Kanheri Caves, carved out dwellings dating back more than 2,000 years.
Highlights
Gateway of India: the icon of Mumbai dating back to the British colonial era right on the waterfront of South Mumbai.
Marine Drive Beach: not particularly clean, but certainly a very interesting beach experience.
Prince of Wales Museum: Mumbai’s most popular museum with thousands of exhibits and artifacts, most of which relate to India and its heritage.
Hanging Gardens: picturesque green expanse with great views of the city.
Kanheri Caves: Buddhist caves and shrines dating back more than two millennia within Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
Bollywood: head for Goregaon if you fancy a walk-on role in a Bollywood film, with Filmcity being the heart of the Indian film industry.