Mumbai Holidays

Colaba

This horseshoe-shaped avenue is hugged by a bay-front promenade where most of Mumbai seems to gather at night. The lights along this avenue, also called Marine Drive, sparkle like a queen's necklace, thus the nickname. Walk the promenade and see Sikhs in maharajah costumes pedalling rides on their chrome carriages and watch children toss sticks of burning incense over the shimmering water.

Banganga Tank

The main tourist area of Mumbai, Colaba sprawls along the southern part of the city. The area is presided over by an amalgamation of colonial buildings erected over the past half millennium, reflecting English, Portuguese, and continental European styles. Wander past the art-deco style Regal theatre. Walk under the Gateway of India, a basalt arch overlooking the Arabian Sea, and go next door to explore the splendid Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel.

Tasty Cuisine

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Mumbai is an eclectic mix of Indian cuisines. While outside of India you may only have tried Indian Mughlai food (think kebabs, naan, and curries), Mumbai's food is influenced by Muslim, Parsi, Goan, Coastal, Gujarati, and South Indian cultures. Sample tasty parsi akuri cometh or ignore your diet entirely and try uber-rich butter chicken, a dish where chunks of chicken are marinated in yoghurt and spices, fried, and served with a butter cream sauce.

Bollywood

This historic railway terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) is a perfect example of the meeting of two cultures. The architecture blends England's Victorian Gothic Revival architecture with traditional Indian architecture, complete with turrets, high arches, gables, elaborate porches, decorative corbels, and jutting gargoyles. Besides being something stunning to look at, it serves as the headquarters for Mumbai's Central Railways.