As the home of Bollywood and as one of India’s most eclectic cities, Mumbai is a city that sizzles with life. It’s not hard to give you an incentive to visit India’s most populous city, but just in case you need that little extra push, here’s the top reasons why Mumbai should be moved up on your bucket list.
History and Culture
With millennia of history, it goes without saying that Mumbai is a city that has a lot of history and culture. Its mix of local ancient culture with a splash of influence from the Portuguese and British colonial times has made it a city that is cosmopolitan and complex.
Mumbai is built on an archipelago, where archaeological evidence points to settlements going back to the Stone Age. Since then the city has built up to become India’s great metropolis.
An example of the city’s curious history, just head to Elephanta Island in the Mumbai Harbor and check out the Elephanta Caves, a network of temples, stone halls and sculptures to Hindu gods.
But even just taking a trip round the old city, you’ll feast upon sites marking Mumbai’s flamboyant history, like its famous Gate of India, Gandhi House, Haji Ali Mosque and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and more.
Seafront
Being surrounded by the Arabian Sea, beach life is a big part of Mumbai. The Marine Drive from Narimon Point to the Malabar Hills is one of Mumbai’s biggest scenic attractions and makes for a gorgeous drive. Also, there are the beaches. Chowpatty and Juhu are the city’s biggest seaside hangouts.
Juhu is the perfect location for dramatic sunsets and romantic walks, the same goes for Madh Island Beach and the picturesque Versova Beach.
Shopping
Mumbai is a shopper’s paradise, being filled with colorful and curious bazaars where shopping becomes an adventure in itself. You can immerse yourself in colorful Indian silks and embroidery through to spices and trinkets.
But your shopping options are not limited to local bazaars, since Mumbai is such a cosmopolitan city, you can find elegant malls and shopping centers carrying designer goods and standard international stores.
Food
Accented with aromatic spices, Indian food is one of the best in the world from tantalizing curries to sizzling tandooris.
Mumbai is a haven for foodies, and an excellent place to try the best of Indian cuisine. Local cuisine is based on rice, vegetables, coconut and fish. You’ll find a variety of spicy and delicious food both on the street and in fancy restaurants too.
Check out the famous Bombay sandwich, a dish of buttered bread, beetroot, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and mint. Akuri on toast, a concoction of scrambled eggs, onions, tomatoes, chili and cilantro, is great for breakfast.
Nightlife
Party monsters want to make a beeline to Mumbai, since the city boasts the best nightlife in India and is truly a city that never sleeps. It’s got a vibrant and glamorous nightlife, that’s spread out all over the street in the form of stylish bars and cafés, top clubs, cool saloons and comedy clubs, live-music venues and bustling street food stalls. You can find something for everyone in Mumbai!
Bollywood
Mumbai is the epicenter of Hindi cinema! Bollywood, which is the largest film industry in the country, is based in Mumbai. Experience the vibrant, colorful and melodramatic movies themselves in Mumbai’s many cinemas or if you really want to get involved, you never know, you might be able to take part in a casting or visit the studios.
