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5dina.y..s
Though it’s not the capital, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the financial,
commercial and entertainment centre of India. Home to Bollywood, the
city of 20 million pulsates with energy and its heart beats strong and steady.
DAY ONEeaving the airport, I find it difficult to breathe. The atmosphere is thick
and the humidity sits on my skin. I quickly make my way to the hotel, the
Lemblematic Taj Mahal Palace (tajhotels.com) and, after an invigorating
shower, I am ready to explore this intriguing city. Right next to the hotel is
Mumbai’s most famous monument, the Gateway of India. It was through this
striking early 20th century gateway that Mahatma Gandhi passed after returning
from South Africa. It is noon and I stop for lunch at Delhi Darbar (delhidarbar.in).
The biryani was a real treat. I wander around the shops of the Colaba Causeway,
gazing at antiques and jewellery. With Gandhi still in my mind, I stop a taxi and
ask to be taken to where the spiritual and political leader once stayed, the Mani
Bhavan Gandhi Museum (+30 22/2380-5864), an unimposing two-story building
featuring photographs, books and famous sayings by the great pacifist. In the
evening I have a reservation at the highly acclaimed new restaurant The Table
(thetable.in). The design and gourmet cuisine do not disappoint.
DAY TWOskip breakfast at the hotel to try some of the street delicacies, including vada
pav, spicy fried potato in a soft white bread bun. I again head for the Gateway,
Ithis time to take the boat to Elephanta Island. In about one hour I am admiring
the island’s complex of cave temples carved out of the basalt rock, with Hindu
and Buddhist reliefs and sculptures, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I return to visit the Jain temple on Malabar Hill (+30 22-2369-2727), where I am
‘greeted’ by two stone elephants; inside I find a colourful place of worship. But time
is running out, because this evening I have a date with Bollywood in one of the
city’s retro cinemas. I dine early at Trishna (+30 22/2270-3213), a posh restaurant
offering fusion Indian cuisine and the elite of local celebrities. After the movie I
return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, enchanted by the elaborate spectacle.
DAY THREEothingIhaveseeninmyfirsttwodaysbearsanyrelationtomyfavourite
movie, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which was shot in Mumbai.
NLooking for a more intense experience, I get in touch with Reality Tours
(realitytoursandtravel.com), which organizes visits to Dharavi, the largest slum
in India, with over 1.5 million people packed into an area of just 1.7 km2. The
contrast with the more upmarket districts of Mumbai is profound. I gather myself
with a meal at Indigo Deli (indigodeli.com). Next on my list is Dhobi Ghat, an
open-air ‘laundry’, where the washers – or Dhobis – wash clothes in outdoor
concrete pens. This city has so many faces, I think as I sip a cocktail in the Aer
Bar (fourseasons.com), with a sweeping view of Mumbai.
DAY FOUR
After breakfast, it’s time for the Mumbai Museum (themuseummumbai.
com), the largest in the city. After wandering around for hours among
the exhibits – Tibetan art, ivory statues and exquisite porcelain – I make
a brief stop at the Jehangir Art Gallery, which showcases the work of young artists
and has an interesting coffee shop, the Samovar. Sunset finds me at the endless
beach of Chowpatty. Happy families, couples, children running about, as I enjoy
a bhelpuri, a savoury snack of puffed rice, vegetables and tamarind sauce. As
the sun disappears and lights are switched on, the scene resembles a modern
art painting. I sip a drink in the rooftop Dome (intercontinental.com) at the
cosmopolitan Marine Drive area and return for my last night’s sleep in the city.
42
Though it’s not the capital, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the financial,
commercial and entertainment centre of India. Home to Bollywood, the
city of 20 million pulsates with energy and its heart beats strong and steady.
DAY ONEeaving the airport, I find it difficult to breathe. The atmosphere is thick
and the humidity sits on my skin. I quickly make my way to the hotel, the
Lemblematic Taj Mahal Palace (tajhotels.com) and, after an invigorating
shower, I am ready to explore this intriguing city. Right next to the hotel is
Mumbai’s most famous monument, the Gateway of India. It was through this
striking early 20th century gateway that Mahatma Gandhi passed after returning
from South Africa. It is noon and I stop for lunch at Delhi Darbar (delhidarbar.in).
The biryani was a real treat. I wander around the shops of the Colaba Causeway,
gazing at antiques and jewellery. With Gandhi still in my mind, I stop a taxi and
ask to be taken to where the spiritual and political leader once stayed, the Mani
Bhavan Gandhi Museum (+30 22/2380-5864), an unimposing two-story building
featuring photographs, books and famous sayings by the great pacifist. In the
evening I have a reservation at the highly acclaimed new restaurant The Table
(thetable.in). The design and gourmet cuisine do not disappoint.
DAY TWOskip breakfast at the hotel to try some of the street delicacies, including vada
pav, spicy fried potato in a soft white bread bun. I again head for the Gateway,
Ithis time to take the boat to Elephanta Island. In about one hour I am admiring
the island’s complex of cave temples carved out of the basalt rock, with Hindu
and Buddhist reliefs and sculptures, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I return to visit the Jain temple on Malabar Hill (+30 22-2369-2727), where I am
‘greeted’ by two stone elephants; inside I find a colourful place of worship. But time
is running out, because this evening I have a date with Bollywood in one of the
city’s retro cinemas. I dine early at Trishna (+30 22/2270-3213), a posh restaurant
offering fusion Indian cuisine and the elite of local celebrities. After the movie I
return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, enchanted by the elaborate spectacle.
DAY THREEothingIhaveseeninmyfirsttwodaysbearsanyrelationtomyfavourite
movie, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which was shot in Mumbai.
NLooking for a more intense experience, I get in touch with Reality Tours
(realitytoursandtravel.com), which organizes visits to Dharavi, the largest slum
in India, with over 1.5 million people packed into an area of just 1.7 km2. The
contrast with the more upmarket districts of Mumbai is profound. I gather myself
with a meal at Indigo Deli (indigodeli.com). Next on my list is Dhobi Ghat, an
open-air ‘laundry’, where the washers – or Dhobis – wash clothes in outdoor
concrete pens. This city has so many faces, I think as I sip a cocktail in the Aer
Bar (fourseasons.com), with a sweeping view of Mumbai.
DAY FOUR
After breakfast, it’s time for the Mumbai Museum (themuseummumbai.
com), the largest in the city. After wandering around for hours among
the exhibits – Tibetan art, ivory statues and exquisite porcelain – I make
a brief stop at the Jehangir Art Gallery, which showcases the work of young artists
and has an interesting coffee shop, the Samovar. Sunset finds me at the endless
beach of Chowpatty. Happy families, couples, children running about, as I enjoy
a bhelpuri, a savoury snack of puffed rice, vegetables and tamarind sauce. As
the sun disappears and lights are switched on, the scene resembles a modern
art painting. I sip a drink in the rooftop Dome (intercontinental.com) at the
cosmopolitan Marine Drive area and return for my last night’s sleep in the city.
42
