India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (48 page)
BY TRAIN
Train travel in the city is strictly for the adventurous, but then again, a ride on a train in the afternoon (or on Sun) gives you the opportunity to see how the other half lives, as the tracks wend their way through some of the city’s most squalid slums. Extending northward of Churchgate is the Western Railway local train line, and moving north of Victoria Terminus (or CST; see below) is the Central Railway network. Together, these two suburban train systems transport over six million commuters each day. A first-class return ticket from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (aka Victoria Terminus or VT) to the suburb of Thane costs about Rs 210. Travel only during off-peak (noon–3pm is best) times and leave luggage and valuables in your hotel room. I don’t advise this, but if you really want to get a feel for the way of life experienced by the millions of people who commute into the city each day, you could probably survive the 30- to 40-minute ride from VT to Bandra during the after-work rush hour (although some don’t, literally—it’s rare, but people have been crushed to death in the sardine-packed compartments)); the cheapest tickets are around Rs 8.
ORGANIZED TOURS & TRIPS
You will be offered tours of various descriptions by at least half the people you meet on the streets of Mumbai; everyone from your taxi driver to the man who asks you for the time will have a contact in the tourism industry who’ll be more than happy to take you “sightseeing.” Use your discretion, watch your wallet, and remember that Mumbai’s traffic makes it impossible to see everything in 1 day.
To arrange a legitimate tour of the city, set it up through your hotel, which should have access to the best guides (meaning those with the best English and best knowledge); better still, check out some of our favorite tours and specialist guides discussed in the “Into the Belly of the Beast: Getting Beneath Mumbai’s Skin” box).
Dealing with Beggars
When long-time BBC India Bureau Chief Mark Tully was asked: “How do you cope with the poverty of India?” he responded, “I don’t have to; they do.” As a first-time visitor, you will no doubt be struck first by the seemingly endless ordeal of the impoverished masses. Families of beggars will twist and weave their way around the cars at traffic lights, hopping and even crawling to your window with displays of open wounds, diseased sores, crushed limbs, and starving babies, their hollow eyes imploring you for a few lifesaving rupees. Locals will tell you that these poverty performances are Mafia-style rackets, with protection money going to gangs, and sickly babies being passed around to gain more sympathy for their “parents.” In the worst of these tales of horror, children are maimed to up the ante by making them appear more pathetic (a reality, you will recall, that is dealt with on quite a visceral level in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire). Begging is now officially outlawed in Mumbai, and for anyone returning to the city there are noticeably fewer taps at taxi windows—sadly, though, nearly all begging that happens at traffic lights involves children. Many of the kids who might otherwise be outright begging for money are now selling low-priced literary paperbacks at intersections; surely you can spare a few dollars for a good book? But, if it’s just a hollow-eyed face staring through the glass, the choice is stark: Either lower the window and risk having a sea of unwelcome faces descend on you, or stare ahead and ignore them. To salve your conscience, tip generously those who have made it onto the first rung of employment.
3 What to See & Do
Mumbai doesn’t have the wealth of historical attractions of, say, Kolkata or Delhi. Rather, it is a city that revolves around its commerce, its manic pace, and the head-spinning energy exuded by the millions of diverse people who have settled here. This is a city you
experience
rather than sightsee, and sampling from the fantastic restaurants (and trying a few recommended street food stalls) described later in the chapter should be highest on your must-do list. Mumbai does have some one-of-kind attractions you should make time for; and be sure to set aside time to explore at least part of the
Colaba-Fort area,
described below, on foot—do this at the beginning of the day before the heat becomes suffocating. Another good area to explore on foot is the
Marine Drive/Chowpatty Beach stretch,
possibly after a boat trip to
Elephanta Island.
You may also wish to visit
Malabar Hill,
also in the South Mumbai area and home to two top attractions (see below), as well as the
Hanging Gardens
(also known as Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens). Laid out in the early 1880s, the terraced park at the top of Malabar Hill covers (or “hangs over”) the city’s main water reservoir, but unfortunately it fails to live up to its spectacular-sounding name. The best reason to visit here is to wander over to
Kamala Nehru Park
(across the road from the Hanging Gardens), from where you have a great view of Nariman Point’s skyscrapers and the sumptuous curve of Marine Drive.
For a time trip experience, and a taste of a much-older Mumbai, head towards the center of the city and check out the
Worli fishing village,
populated by descendants of the original Koli community that inhabited these islands when they really were still islands; they still eek out an existence in much the same way as they’ve been doing for centuries. Well, almost. Ironically, this idiosyncratic peasant colony—often abuzz with foul-mouthed, hot-tempered fishwives—occupies the northern tip of Worli Sea Face, a stretch of prime real estate and part of one of Mumbai’s hottest emerging neighborhoods. At the southern end of Worli, the strikingly designed
Nehru Centre
houses the city’s unexceptional
Planetarium,
as well as an exhibition covering the entire history of the nation in fairly absorbing detail (even if its displays are very old fashioned). Not far from here is
Mahalaxmi Race Course,
an alternative place to hobnob with certain kinds of Mumbai socialites; it’s in close proximity to the Mahalaxmi
dhobi ghat,
the world’s biggest open-air laundry, and one of the city’s most fascinating scenes—you can watch the laundrymen for hours from the bridge above the railways of Mahalaxmi Railway Station.
Finally, although not necessarily for the squeamish, it must be said that perhaps the most eye-opening insights into Mumbai life are to be garnered from a tour of
Dharavi,
recognized as Asia’s largest slum, and likely to change your way of looking at the world forever (see the box below for details on slum tours).
Into the Belly of the Beast: Getting Beneath Mumbai’s Skin
For all its chaos and controversy, Mumbai’s diversity, along with its fascinating history as a cultural melting pot, makes it an incredibly nuanced destination, well worth investing a little time getting to know beyond the obvious and touristy confines of the Colaba-Fort precinct; these days, it’s also possible to venture into Dharavi—the largest slum in Asia, colorfully documented and dramatized in the hugely popular Slumdog Millionaire—where you discover, instead of misery, an extremely industrious and vibrant community. Several exceptionally enthusiastic people offer an assortment of escorted tours, and we highly recommend that you sign up for at least one such outing. While most companies do offer standard sightseeing excursions, the best trips tend to be specialist tours themed around a specific aspect of Mumbai’s dynamic personality; you can also ask most of these companies to design a tailor-made tour based on any specific interests.
The most in-depth
slum tour
offered in Mumbai is by good-value, community-oriented
Reality Tours & Travel(1/26 Akber House, Nowroji Fardoni Rd., Colaba;
022/2283-3872
or 98-2082-2253;
www.realitytoursandtravel.com
). After stopping at the famous
Mahalaxmi dhobi ghat
(apparently the world’s largest open-air laundry) and driving through the city’s
red-light district
(where you’ll hear harrowing stories about some of the girls who find themselves imprisoned here), you arrive at the edge of the slum and set off on foot to meet some of the people who live and work there. You’ll see a plastic recycling operation, visit inside a tiny, one-room family home, explore a variety of neighborhoods, and see one or two schools run by charitable trusts (including a kindergarten started by Reality Tours). It’s one of the most riveting tours we’ve been on anywhere in the world—you can either join a group (never more than five people; Rs 800) or opt for a private tour (Rs 3,200). Try to specify that you want Krishna, one of the cofounders of the organization, as your guide—he’s utterly charming, filled with insights, and has a magnificent rapport with the people in the slum. Krishna also arranges
market tours, village tours,
and more traditional
sightseeing tours.
Doing it in style and offering a very wide array of well-packaged and impeccably delivered tours (from sightseeing walks through historic Fort to tours of the bazaars, and visits to Worli fishing village) is
Mumbai Magic
www.mumbaimagic.com
), a true labor of love from the multitalented, super-sophisticated Deepa Krishnan. She aims to single-handedly transform the face of tourism in India—city by city, she’s launching her own brand of high-grade guiding services throughout the country. Not only that, but she’s probably the single biggest authority on what’s hip, happening, and worthwhile in this, her home city, with delicious opinions and well-researched knowledge on just about everything that’s going on here—she’s even serves as TripAdvisor’s resident expert on Mumbai. Using only expert “Deepa-certified” guides (all women), she puts together
highly specialized
escorted sightseeing trips,
many of them themed in unusual and interesting ways, such as her
Jewish heritage tour.
Deepa offers a
Spirit of Dharavi
tour, but it is not a walking tour through the slum, but rather a chance to see Dharavi in its wider context as a part of the rapidly evolving city—for example, you’ll see a gold market in the slum and compare this to a nearby middle-class South Indian market in Matunga. If you have time for just one of Deepa’s experiences, though, make it the
Mumbai Local
