Mumbai is the centre for India's thriving Bollywood scene. Bazaars, fantastic bars and restaurants are stark contrasts from the local slums. Check out Elephanta Island, a labyrinth of cave temples located in the middle of Mumbai harbour. Chowpatty beach is also a good place to go.
Five more Mumbai must
1. Shop at Colaba Causeway
Just behind the Gateway to India with is street performers and wandering salesmen pushing postcards and the same tat you find in every large city (giant balloons and mini etch-a-sketch) lies Colaba Causeway. The city's prime tourist area is crammed with clothes shops, stalls bars, restaurants and an open-air fruit and vegetable market. Even though it can be overwhelming, it is worth visiting for the hustle and bustle of a bazaar. As a tourist, be prepared to be patronised, haggle hard and aim to leave without too many pairs of sandals, sunglasses and knock-offs DVDs.
2. Eat vada pav at Chowpatty Beach
Mumbai has been a melting pot for migrants from all over India for centuries and the street food sold on every corner sums up this mish-mash. If you are going to eat only one thing, make it the signature street snack, vada pav, a spicy fried potato burger in a soft roll. Take a walk north up the seafront on Marine Drive, with its battered pastel-coloured art-deco buildings made infamous bu countless Bollywood movies, and you will end up at Chowpatty Bach. It is crowded and dirty, so is not a great place to swim or sunbathe but it does boast an outstanding array of food stalls, tuck in with the hand-holding couples and after-school kids.
3. Take a day trip to the Elephanta caves
An hour by boat off the coast of Mumbai are the Elephanta caves, home to a seventh-century temple carved out of rock and dedicated to Lord Shiva. The city can get a little hectic and the boat journey to Elephanta Island is a chance to chill out as well as get a spectacular view of the Mumbai skyline from the bay. The temple sits in the rock face at the top of the island and is spread over 60000sp ft. The intricately carved pillars and images of gods and goddesses have been damaged over the years but one of the best preserved is a 20ft-high bust of the three faces of Lord Shiva. Boats go every half hour from the Gateway of India from 9am-2.30pm.
4. Get blessed at the Siddhivinayak Temple
In go-getting Mumbai, Ganesh, the elephant-headed god and "remover of obstacles", is the city's most popular idol. The Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai's richest, is dedicated to Ganesh and flooded with worshippers from Bollywood stars to street vendors who come to ask for his blessings. Outside the tall, white temple, stalls sell garlands, fruit and Indian sweets as offerings, and the crowds queue noisily for their turn to catch a glimpse of the small, colourful statue at its centre.
5. Hit the bars
As India's party capital, Mumbai plays hard and bar trends fall out of fashion fast. For a safe bet, start out early and catch the sunset at Dome Bar on the roof of the Intercontinental Hotel (135 Marine Drive). Sit on the white sofas and check out the outstanding views of the sea and skyline before heading over to perennial South Mumbai favourote Indigo (4 Mandlik Road, Colaba) to get squashed and dance until the early hours.
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