This is going to be a touristy kind of post. So this is not for those who live and work in Mumbai… because I’m sure they’d have seen and done these things every time an out of town relative or friend popped by. This is for those who come to Mumbai for a holiday or for those who like me needed to put together a touristy plan for visiting relatives.

I had friends and family from abroad visiting Mumbai for 4 days. In order to make the most of those days I got on to Google, Facebook, and Twitter and got a ton of suggestions on what to do in Mumbai. Below are the some of the highlights of the ‘Fun Plan’ that I put in place!

Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel

Built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, the Gateway is like the Statue of liberty… the first sign of Mumbai for travelers coming from afar. It’s a beautiful structure and the usual melee of tourists, pigeons, hawkers and the majestic view of the famous Taj Mahal Hotel makes it a nice starting spot for a Mumbai Darshan. Also the whole angle of 26/11 shootings adds to the touristy value and now guides there will tell you where they saw the terrorists, how the gunshots reverberated through the air, how the Taj burned on that fateful day etc. Worth one visit for all non Mumbaikars.

Walk to Flora Fountain and CST station (And Shopping at Causeway)

The whole allure of South Mumbai is this old world charm that exudes from the buildings there. Just walking down from the Gateway towards the CST station is a pleasure. On the way are street vendors selling everything from paintings on a leaf/ bus tickets/ rice grain to collages, handmade jewelry and all kinds of other artsy stuff. Flora fountain itself is a little bit of a disappointment, with all the algae stuck over it and without water it just looks like a lonely warrior in a sea of human traffic. The CST building is impressive with its stain glass windows and impressive architecture. A must photo op for the visiting folks.  

Dhobi Ghats

So this is where ‘Munna Bhai’ is supposedly shot…. But after I saw the place, I wasn’t sure there was enough place for the cast and crew to even stand. The place is a bunch or rectangles filled with water and half naked men beating the hell out of clothes. The clothes line where the clothes dried was interesting… it seems as if the clothes were clubbed according to their shades!

More tips on what to do in Mumbai coming up in Part II of this post!