If you have one day
Visit Colaba,
Sassoon Dock, Afghan Church
and Crawford Market. Try to fit
in Chor Bazar.
If you have two days
On the second day visit Matharpacady
and spend a half day at Elephanta.
If you have five days
On the third day visit Bhuleshwar
or try to visit one of the countless sets where Hindi films being shot.
Or go to the Banganga Tank. And
visit All Saints Church> nearby. Or
head out to Mahalaxmi and visit the race course,
Haji Ali and the Dhobi Ghat,
all within easy reach of each other. Or see Matunga.
On the fourth day take a day trip out to Bhaja Caves
or Kanheri Caves or Mahuli
or Ambernath Temple or Bassein or Mandwa. Alternately,
spend the fourth and fifth day at Jawhar
or Manori or Matheran
or Murud Janjira or Kondana Caves
or Rajmachi Forts.
Suggested areas for a walking tour to take in the flavour of
Bombay
- From the Gateway of India, past the grand facade of
the Taj Mahal hotel, down the waterfront to the Radio Club. Turn
right onto Colaba Causeway and walk
up to the Regal cinema.
- A trip to any of Bombay's colourful bazaars is recommended,
but always in the company of an Indian friend or guide. A tour
of either the Bhuleshwar Market or
the Crawford Market (and the surrounding Lohar Chawl) may
be an unforgettable experience.
- Down Marine Drive: Start from the promenade opposite
the Oberoi Tower hotel in Nariman Point, India's central business
district, and walk north along the seaface to the Chowpatty
beach. Best times for a brisk walk: Early in the morning, around
7am, or in the evening.
- Juhu beach: Not very clean, but the year-long
carnival on the beach is worth checking out.
- A walking tour of Bombay's interesting buildings: Architecturally,
the city is a pastiche of many different styles. Each of her conquerers
added a bit of their flavour to the landscape. The most dramatic,
of course, are the buildings with a Gothic facade along the length
of DN Road in south Bombay. Even though some of these buildings
are crowded and dirty inside, visiting a building like the Victoria
Terminus, home of the Central Railway, can prove an enchanting
discovery.
- Other buildings worth a look: the Taj Mahal Hotel (Apollo Bunder);
the Prince of Wales Museum (Kala Ghoda;
a sample of hybrid Indo-Saracenic style); the Institute of Science
(near the Regal cinema; Renaissance style); Bombay University
with its imposing Rajabai tower; the High Court; St Thomas Cathedral
at Horniman Circle (which is a mix of Classical and Gothic styles);
the Asiatic Library (also at Horniman Circle; Doric); many buildings
at Ballard Estate; the General Post Office.
A tour of Bombay's religious spots Visit the Babulnath Temple or
the famed Siddhi Vinayak temple at Worli. And the Haji Ali
mosque. Drive north to Bandra and stop at the Mount Mary church,
venue for a ten-day-long religious carnival in September.
A Victoria ride Hire a horse-drawn carriage from near
the Taj Mahal hotel or the Oberoi and ask the driver to take you
on a ride along Marine Drive to Chowpatty. Bargain down the price
before you embark on the tour. Best time to travel: After the
rush hour traffic subsides, at about 2100 hours.
Museum Tour
You have four good choices: Mani Bhavan,
Jehangir Art Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum,
and Prince of Wales Museum.
Harbour ride
For Rs 300, (the price of a round trip),
buy a seat on the hovercraft travelling from the Gateway of India
to New Bombay. A chance to see the famed harbour and islands nearby.
Alternately, book a seat on a catamaran going to Mandwa to see
the coast across the bay. One can hire any of the boats anchored
at the Gateway for a day. Negotiations can ensure an appropriate
bargain.
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