Top 10 things to do in Mumbai

I assure you, there is a lot more than slums and Bollywood in Mumbai than you have ever thought of.

1. Visit the heritage

The Fort and Colaba area are the regions you should start with.

The Fort area has historical buildings that are worth your visits. The Flora Fountain, the Prince of Wales Museum, the Rajabai Clock Tower, St Thomas' Cathedral, High Court building, etc will sure fill your day with satisfaction.

In Colaba, you can visit the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which has been restored to its former glory after being almost destroyed by a terrorist attack in November 2008. It was built in 1903 by Parsi Industrialist, J. N. Tatta, supposedly after being refused entry to one of the European hotels because he was a "native". The Gateway of India, which is the city's top tourist attraction, is also nearby.

2. Bollywood

Take a behind the scenes tour of Bollywood. Visit an old heritage cinema, peek inside a film star’s makeup room and pose for souvenir snapshots with some of today's Bollywood stars if you are lucky enough!

3. Explore the caves

Take a boat from Ferry Wharf and visit the Elephanta Caves, which is a network of sculpted Hindu and Buddhist caves.

4. Visit Dharavi slum

Slums are found in many different places in the world! What's so special about this slum? Dharavi slum is one of the largest slums in Asia, it's home to more than 500, 000 people. But there is much more to this historic area of Mumbai than poverty. The thing is that it has an annual turnover of more than US$ 665 million.

Just join a local tour and explore the area by engaging in recycling, pottery-making, embroidery, bakery, soap factory, leather tanning, poppadom-making and many more. Most of these things

5. Join the festival!

Enjoy one of the many festivals - Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi - no matter when you’re in Mumbai, there’s a local festival! Interact with Mumbaikars (locals) and learn more about their culture. The list of festivals can be found here!

6. Visit the local bazaars

Explore the bazaars of Mumbai and navigate the labyrinth of narrow lanes. Buy masala, a spice mix at the Lalbagh Spice Market, cooking utensils in Null Bazaar, or antiques and other gems in Chor Bazaar.

7. Visit the fish market

Visit Sassoon Docks, the largest fish market in Mumbai. See travelers and boats haul their catch in at dawn and learn about Mumbai's fish trade from the Kolis, the original seafarers of Mumbai.

8. Dhobi Ghat

Explore Dhobi Ghat, the largest open air laundromat in the world. Then ride the trains with the dabbawalas, the people who transport hot food in lunch boxes from homes and deliver them to their offices everyday.

9. Marine drive

Take a walk along Marine Drive (aka "Queen's Necklace" because the street lights resemble a string of pearls in a necklace if you view it at night along the drive). The Queen's Necklace features excellent views of the Mumbai skyline.

10. Ride the local transport!

Last but not list, ride the local transport! I always believe that the prosperity of a city lies on its transportation system, so always spend some time and try out different means of travelling in the city when you go to a new place! Mumbai is famous for its double-decker buses and notoriously crowded local trains, but it's the best way to get around and explore the city.

#India #Culture #Exchange #Mumbai