Mumbai

Travelers usually tend to explore the district of Colaba first, which lies on the southern most cape of Mumbai. It offers excellent restaurants and hotels, while serving as the landmark doorway to India. Mumbai is a metropolis with an estimated population of 20.7 million. Mumbai is without a doubt India’s economical capital and it also supports the most predominant port in the country.

From melodies of Bollywood to traditional music, a holiday in Mumbai offers entertainment to everyone. Thane and the North Western suburbs offer many water sports activities like H20 at the Girgaum Chowpatty. The city also has 2 golf courses; the most famous one being in Chembur area of the Harbour suburban area. Mumbai also showcases a vibrant live-theatre scene, which features plays in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. Although South Mumbai sees performances more often, the most organized theatre can be seen at the Prithvi theatre in Juhu of the Western Suburbs. You will also find number of opportunities for enjoying classical Indian dance and music. If you want to experience Bollywood, you just need to take a trip to the Film City in Goregaon. You will get to enjoy the experience of watching live Bollywood movie shooting. You may even come across your favorite Bollywood celebrities here. If you’re lucky, you may even get a chance to dress up in traditional Indian costume.

Cricket is like a religion to the Indians, and the Mumbai folks cherish it throughout the year. You can find some intense cricket action at the Azad Maidan or Azad ground, located near the C.S.T. Railway stop. There is another major cricket ground on the opposite side of Ruia College, Matunga. Shivaji Park, Dadar West is also one of the great places for watching cricket for free. Chances are, you may even find yourself in the midst of some street cricket too while you are navigating through the city on your holidays to Mumbai.

Slums are also a unique place to visit. Most of the agents organizing these tours donate 80% of the fee to the people living in slums, so it is actually serving a cause too. Trips in Mumbai slums include a tour to the Dhobi Ghat, which is world’s largest laundry that is open-air and to the red light district of Mumbai. Chor Bazar, literally means "Thief Market", which is a vernacular term for referring to a market of stolen goods. It comprises of many by-lanes that inter connect, where street vendors offer a huge variety of goods from shoes to antiques to automobile accessories, etc. This is an ideal place for bargain shopping and showcasing your bartering skills. Colaba Causeway always stacked with locals and tourists and a must visit place during your Mumbai holidays. This place is the ideal spot for finding a number of authentic and special Indian souvenirs, carpets, antiques and chandeliers. Be careful however as these shops and stall are all on the side of the road.

Diversity is prevalent is this Mumbai and this is visible with the number of churches, temples, mosques, Parsiagiaries, even some synagogues, reflecting of rich history of India and its inhabitants. One of the most popular of these attractions is the Haji Ali Dargah. This Dargah sits upon a small island 500 meters off the coast, near Worli Bay and is visited by people from all religions and cultural backgrounds. A walk within its white walls allows you to to cherish the Muslim face of Mumbai. To the North West suburban area of Mumbai there is a notable monument known as Global Vipassana Pagoda. It’s a meditation centre with seating capacity of 8000 people.  Siddhivinayak temple is a Hindu temple exclusively dedicated to Hindu god Ganesh with a very unique architecture. You could also visit the Jewish quarters in Byculla.

Although Mumbai is known as a jungle of concrete, you can still find pockets of vegetation and greenery inside the city such as Borivali National Park, located within its boundary. It offers a break from the bustle and hustle of the city. The 2,400 year old Kanheri Caves, also located here, were dug out of rocky cliffs. There are some other parks in the city like the Malabar Hill "Hanging Gardens", which offers stunning panoramas of Marine Drive. The Kamla Nehru Park is famous for its shoe-shaped outlook, and has been featured in many Bollywood movies. South Mumbai has the Mumbai Port Trust Garden.

One thing that you need to know before a holiday in Mumbai is that the weather will never get cold here, and there are no real winters.

It stays humid and hot through the year. There are 3 general patterns in Mumbai weather; the cool and dry, the humid and hot, and the monsoon.

December - March – The High Season

There is a 1-month stretch in Mumbai between January and February where the weather becomes clear and breezy. It offers a break from the hot and humid or the rain that the city witnesses otherwise, for a change. The weather is cool and normal through this time of the year.

April - mid-September – Low Season

The first summer in Mumbai starts by the march’s end. The heat and humidity hikes up before the monsoon shatters this cycle and cools things off by mid-May usually. The rain season goes until the mid-September, followed by another humid and hot season. These times aren’t particularly pleasant. It is hot and humid, then it pours buckets, & then humid and hot again.

September – November – Shoulder Season

This is the season of Hindu festivals. It begins in late August and intensifies by September. This season attracts the most audience for holiday to Mumbai. The Ganpati festival is one of the most notable of festivals held during this season. The weather in this season comprises of a bit of both, humidity, heat and showers. So be prepared for anything.