Bombay - What to see
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An aerial view of Asiatic Library

If you have one day

Visit Colaba, Sassoon Dock, Afghan Church and Crawford Market. Try to fit in Chor Bazar.

If you have two days

On the second day visit Matharpacady and spend a half day at Elephanta.

If you have five days

On the third day visit Bhuleshwar or try to visit one of the countless sets where Hindi films being shot. Or go to the Banganga Tank. And visit All Saints Church> nearby. Or head out to Mahalaxmi and visit the race course, Haji Ali and the Dhobi Ghat, all within easy reach of each other. Or see Matunga. On the fourth day take a day trip out to Bhaja Caves or Kanheri Caves or Mahuli or Ambernath Temple or Bassein or Mandwa. Alternately, spend the fourth and fifth day at Jawhar or Manori or Matheran or Murud Janjira or Kondana Caves or Rajmachi Forts.

Suggested areas for a walking tour to take in the flavour of Bombay

  • From the Gateway of India, past the grand facade of the Taj Mahal hotel, down the waterfront to the Radio Club. Turn right onto Colaba Causeway and walk up to the Regal cinema.

  • A trip to any of Bombay's colourful bazaars is recommended, but always in the company of an Indian friend or guide. A tour of either the Bhuleshwar Market or the Crawford Market (and the surrounding Lohar Chawl) may be an unforgettable experience.

  • Down Marine Drive: Start from the promenade opposite the Oberoi Tower hotel in Nariman Point, India's central business district, and walk north along the seaface to the Chowpatty beach. Best times for a brisk walk: Early in the morning, around 7am, or in the evening.

  • Juhu beach: Not very clean, but the year-long carnival on the beach is worth checking out.

    The Queen's Necklace

  • A walking tour of Bombay's interesting buildings: Architecturally, the city is a pastiche of many different styles. Each of her conquerers added a bit of their flavour to the landscape. The most dramatic, of course, are the buildings with a Gothic facade along the length of DN Road in south Bombay. Even though some of these buildings are crowded and dirty inside, visiting a building like the Victoria Terminus, home of the Central Railway, can prove an enchanting discovery.

  • Other buildings worth a look: the Taj Mahal Hotel (Apollo Bunder); the Prince of Wales Museum (Kala Ghoda; a sample of hybrid Indo-Saracenic style); the Institute of Science (near the Regal cinema; Renaissance style); Bombay University with its imposing Rajabai tower; the High Court; St Thomas Cathedral at Horniman Circle (which is a mix of Classical and Gothic styles); the Asiatic Library (also at Horniman Circle; Doric); many buildings at Ballard Estate; the General Post Office.

A tour of Bombay's religious spots

Visit the Babulnath Temple or the famed Siddhi Vinayak temple at Worli. And the Haji Ali mosque. Drive north to Bandra and stop at the Mount Mary church, venue for a ten-day-long religious carnival in September.

A Victoria ride

Hire a horse-drawn carriage from near the Taj Mahal hotel or the Oberoi and ask the driver to take you on a ride along Marine Drive to Chowpatty. Bargain down the price before you embark on the tour. Best time to travel: After the rush hour traffic subsides, at about 2100 hours.

Museum Tour

The Trimurti at Elephanta cavesYou have four good choices: Mani Bhavan, Jehangir Art Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Prince of Wales Museum.

Harbour ride

For Rs 300, (the price of a round trip), buy a seat on the hovercraft travelling from the Gateway of India to New Bombay. A chance to see the famed harbour and islands nearby. Alternately, book a seat on a catamaran going to Mandwa to see the coast across the bay. One can hire any of the boats anchored at the Gateway for a day. Negotiations can ensure an appropriate bargain.


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