Places To See, Things To Do

Look at any one of the numerous travel guides for the touristy stuff: the Gateway of India is interesting but basically a big grubby monument. Don’t be tempted to go on a boat ride to Elaphantia – it’s shit. If you do go, pop into the Taj Hotel and have a drink. Better still stay there if you can and, if it’s late, go to Indigo for supper and a dance at Polyesters at the Gordon House Hotel. See the Bars and Restaurants bit.

The following are my recommendations for a more unique Bombay experience. The like of which you won’t find in any other city in the world.

Chor Bazar – Thieves Market
Mutton Street, Opp. Shafi Masjid, Churchgate.
Full of any kind of shit you can imagine. Whole truck chassis to antique furniture to stolen Nikes. Any time is good, but the ‘hot’ items land on Friday mornings, 6am. Just go and wander about. You’ll be fascinated.

Crawford Market
Lokmanya Tilak Marg and Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Rd. Churchgate.
Go. Buy a goat’s head or a ‘pet’ or, better still, avoid getting all upset and go into the following street markets instead.

Zaveri Bazar & Nagdevi Bazar
Abdul Rehaman Street to Mohammed Ali Road
I find these streets absolutely fascinating. They are alive with activity. Shops and stalls selling everything in bulk. People moving, people delivering, people collecting. It’s the closest thing to being an ant I can imagine.

MJ Market
West of Sheik Memon Street Opposite Mirza Lane
You’ll find a set of ‘Gallies’ (passageways) leading into MJ Market, the largest wholesale fabric market in the world… possibly. It’s facinating and you can get some cracking suit fabrics, silks, cottons, upholstery, etc. etc.

Open Air Laundry – Dhobi Ghat
Dr E Moses Road by Mahalakshmi station.
A huge manual open air laundry. A real visual treat. Watch from the bridge, it’ll keep you captivated, but probably not for more than 10 mins.

Marine Drive
On Marine Drive!
An evening promenade down marine drive can, if you time it right, be the closest thing to a little peace you’ll get in a public space in Mumbai. At the Southern tip, there’s the now famous Oberoi, and at the northern tip, Chowpatty Beach…

Chowpatty Beach
North end of Marine Drive
I’ve not been, but I’ve driven past plenty of times. It’s really just a family evening wander. Some food stalls, some tat, some kiddy rides. Sand. Etc.