56 October 2014

Mumbai, still often referred to, even by locals, as Bombay, is noisy, busy and at times daunt-

ing. Yet in recent years the chaos has been slightly tamed with better infrastructure such as a modern airport, the striking Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge and road project and the Mumbai Metro, an underground railway that opened this year.

Settled since the seventh century, what we know as Mumbai existed as a collection of fishing villages on seven islands. It came to international prominence after Portuguese explorer Francisco de Almeida saw its natural harbour in 1508. The area was ceded to Portu-gal in 1534 and then presented to King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland as part of the dowry of his queen, Catherine of Braganza.

Its important role in the British Empire and,

after 1947, as the commercial centre of an in-dependent India, contributed to its growth into a city of more than 10 million people. Visi-tors are increasingly curious about this most cosmopolitan of Indian cities and new hotels, restaurants and nightspots are opening almost weekly.

Unlike many South Asian cities, downtown Mumbai is compact and walkable. One start-ing point is Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, popularly known by its old name as Victoria Terminus, or VT. This iconic railway station, designed by Frederick William Stevens, is a mixture of Mughal, Italianate and Gothic Revival architecture. From there, Dadobhai Naraoji Road, the “Heritage Mile” with its echoes of the Raj, runs south down to the or-nate Flora Fountain. Nearby is the arty district of Kala Ghoda with its numerous Gothic build-

ings, boutiques and galleries such as Tasveer, the contemporary photography collective within ICIA House in Rampart Row.

More historic reminders surround the great green space of Mumbai – the Oval Maid-an (divided into the Azad Maidan and the Cross Maidan by Mahatma Gandhi Road) – such as the Old Secretariat, University Library and Bombay High Court. Veer Nariman Road (formerly Churchgate Street) runs across to Marine Drive and the Arabian Sea. There lies Nariman Point, the business centre of Mumbai (though that status is being eroded due to traf-fic congestion and a shortage of commercial space).

Further to the south is Apollo Bunder, site of the Gateway of India monument, ritzy Cuffe Parade and the tourist district of Colaba, home to backpacker meccas such as Leopold Café

Marvellous MumbaiHonnus Cheung, Institute member and CFO of Travelzoo Asia Pacific navigates her way through India’s bustling commercial metropolis

Business travel

October 2014 57

Business travel

and Café Mondegar and art galleries such as the inspiring Chemould, which launched the Progressive school led by the late M. F. Hu-sain. Colaba Causeway Market is geared es-pecially towards tourists. Vendors do pester visitors offering balloons and maps but there’s also cheap and cheerful clothing, shoes and souvenirs to be found.

Serious shoppers who want to know where the locals go have some options such as Craw-ford Market, an old-style bazaar housed in a historic colonial building, which specializes in fruit and vegetables and other produce. It has a large section devoted to pets. Further north is Chor Bazaar, a 150-year-old labyrinth of crowded streets and crumbling buildings in the heart of the Muslim Mumbai. Its name means “thieves’ market.”

For modern shopping try Linking Road in hip Bandra. East meets west in a profusion of street stalls, familiar brand name stores and exclusive boutiques. You can also buy tradi-tional Indian apparel, children’s wear, shoes and accessories. Younger visitors might prefer the stretch of Mahatma Gandhi Road opposite Azad Maidan known as Fashion Street with its 150 stalls of western clothes at bargain base-ment prices.

Being a city of migrants, Mumbai has ev-ery imaginable Indian cuisine and the best Chinese and East Asian food outside of Kol-kata (Calcutta). Being originally a string of is-lands, Mumbai has a long history of seafood. Popular local dishes include fried bombil, also known as Bombay duck, and spicy fish koliwada.

Previous page: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. This page (clockwise from above): Gateway of India; Elephanta Caves; Prince of Wales Museum; Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

Mumbaikars are inveterate snackers and the local variety is known as chaat, which includes aloo chaat (fried potato with chut-ney), pani puri (semolina balls filled with potato and chickpeas) and dahi vada (frit-ters with yoghurt). Exercise your sweet tooth by trying gulab jamun or laddoo. One of the most popular desserts is shrikhand, sweet-ened yoghurt and nuts flavoured with carda-mom and saffron.

Mumbai has numerous beaches such as Chowpatty, more famous for people watch-ing than swimming in its polluted waters and Juhu, which has become a getaway location for celebrities.

Day trips from Mumbai include the hill sta-tions of Lonavala and Khandala, the coastal resort of Alibaug and the historic temple town of Nashik. Madh Island is a retreat destination just outside Mumbai with a beach and the his-toric Versova fort seized from Portugal by the Maratha Empire in 1739.

Where to eat• Britannia Grand dame of Parsee cuisine. 11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate. 2261-5264.

• Dum Pukht Renowned for service, Awadhi cuisine. ITC Maratha Hotel, Sahar Road, Andheri East. 2830-3030.

• Leopold Café Famous South Mumbai meeting place. Colaba Causeway, Colaba. 226665-0808.

• Trishna Queen of seafood restaurants. 7 Sai Baba Marg, Fort. 2270-3213.

• Yauatcha Popular interpretation of a Chinese teahouse. Raheja Tower, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East. (800) 0266-1000.

Where to stay• Abode Bombay Swish little boutique in the middle of things. 1st Floor, Lansdowne House, M.B. Marg, Colaba. (080) 8023-4066.

• JW Marriott Hotel Comfort amid chic Juhu Beach. Juhu Tara Road, Juhu.

6693-3000.• Le Sutra Ravishing “art hotel” near trendy Bandra. 14 Union Park, Khar West. 2649-2997.

• The Oberoi Mumbai Business district splendour. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road, Nariman Point.

6632-5757.• Taj Mahal Palace Hotel Iconic century- old palace. Apollo Bunder, Colaba.

6665-3366.

What to see• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Former Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. 159-161 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort.

2284-4484.• Elephanta Caves Labyrinth of carved temples. Elephanta Island, Mumbai Harbour.

• Gateway of India Basalt arch honouring the Raj. Apollo Bunder, Colaba. 2202-3585.

• Haji Ali Mosque Spectacular white landmark. Dargah Rd, Haji Ali.

2352-9082.