jeansread

My husband and I, along with another couple, are going to Bombay for about three days later this year. Does anyone have a suggested itinerary? We have never been. Also, my husband is a diabetic and getting sick from food and water is always a concern. With the usual precautions is that an issue in Bombay? We have visited Egypt and Kenya repeatedly and no matter how careful we are, there is always a day or two in there that one of us is feeling pretty bad with stomach issues.

dogster

Mumbai is a huge, contemporary Indian city. Relax.

Stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel [in the old wing]. It's right opposite the Gateway to India in the Colaba area, a fascinating scene all the time, and a classy joint, to boot.

If your budget doesn't quite run to that try their Towers wing - make sure you ask for a RENOVATED room.
There are a dozen terrific restaurants within walking distance - or, if want to grossly overpay, within the property. You should be absolutely fine on health matters.. just don't drink the water etc - usual rules.

You could go on the slum tour to Dharavi [I did, I have many reservations about it - but if it's your first trip to India, it's an instructive experience]

The museum/art gallery are within walking distance, as are the High Courts and host of interesting street life - and some great shops. There's tons to do - you'll find three days [really two] easy to fill without even leaving the basic area of the hotel.

Don't stay at the Oberoi [I checked out after a night] or the Hilton. You need a place closer to things, walking distance.

I'm sure Cicerone will have some much more inspired suggestions.

jeansread

dogster, Thank you so much for your response. Relax I will. Hoping to hear from Cicerone.

Cicerone

I would have some questions first. Mostly, I would like to know why you have chosen Mumbai. While an interesting city in many respects, IMO there are many better choices for a tourist, esp a first-time visitor to India. Are you going elsewhere in India? If not, I would suggest 3 days in Delhi instead, where I think there is a lot more to se and do, and which is a much greener and easier city to get around in than Mumbai. There are many other interesting places in India, but without knowing where you are coming from or what your interests are, Delhi leaps to mind as there are easy international direct flights (including many non-stops) in and out of Delhi. There are many good museums (hard to find in Mumbai) and many historical sights (again hard to find in Mumbai) plus good shopping and restaurants (easy to find in Mumbai, but not really the purpose of going to a city in India.)

Also, what time of year is your trip. I would not go to Mumbai unless it were in the cooler months (even then it is warmer than many other places in India), but in the monsoon months, which start in about 2 weeks and will run through end Sept, the city can really shut down if there is flooding, which is not uncommon. See weatherbase.com for some ideas of weather. I would not really recco Delhi either in the hot months, but if you have to make a trip then it is not as prone to flooding as Mumbai, and there are museums for really hot afternoons, which are harder for find in Mumbai (beyond the excellent Prince of Wales museum).

I think India is generally fine health wise, but I always say that is for a healthy adult. With diabetes in the mix, I agree that you would need to be more careful. I don’t know that I have any more advice than the precautions you took in Africa and the Middle East, which have very similar issues. Bottled water, only fruits you peel yourself, cooked vegetables rather than raw, etc. Make sure all your vaccinations are up to date also (Tetanus, etc) just to avoid any complications.

jeansread

Cicerone,

Thank you for your reply. I am retired from Delta and still have flight benefits. Delta flies non-stop from jfk-Bom. Hence, our three days in Mumbai. Our husbands don't have a tremendous amount of time to take off from work. We all were interested in experiencing India and going there non-stop. So that is why we chose Mumbai over Delhi.

jeansread

I forgot to mention, we haven't decided on exactly when we are going. We are pretty open. We were thinking about Oct. or Nov. but we could plan it at a different time if the weather is no good then.

lerasp

if you are flying Delta as non-rev, check the internal website for advisories. Mumbai airport has problems with its runway (either fixing it up or rebuilding, i'm not wsure which ) and long-haul flights have difficulties taking off. As a result, there's VERY strict policy on non-rev. we were stuck for 3 days as they weren't letting anyone on the plane (of non-revs) and with no prospects of leaving we bought a one-way ticket on BA. the flight leaves around 1am, so if you don't get on it's a wrecked night (and problem with hotel reservations - make one ahead or look for a hotel at 2am?). When I asked when was the last time anyone left mumbai, the station chief (for delta) said "oh, i think we let someone on about two weeks ago". and he's quiet a jerk too (which i think is the bigger reason for not getting on the flights). if you have high-enough priorities where it's not an issue, then go ahead. but ask for recent experiences. our was one year ago. If flying from US, it's a long flight just for 3 days. hope you deal well with jetlag.

travelaw

To avoid illness, we were given a tip years ago by a seasoned traveler. He told us to eat local yogurt on the first day we are in a country -- it puts the local probiotics in your system. Most hotels provide yogurt on their breakfast buffet. We've done this and along with Cicerone's advice of being careful about eating only veggies and fruits we can peel and drinking bottled water, we've not gotten sick in years of travel all over the world. Also use anti-bacterial hand wipes -- I have to admit I am a germophob -- my lovely daughter had a summer job working as a maid in a hotel one summer and told me horror stories of hotel glasses not being washed and nasty tv remotes . . . that said, you can't avoid all germs, in fact you shouldn't so you can build up some immunity, but definitely do your best to be careful of what you touch and keep your hands clean. Goes a long way to staying healthy when traveling.

lerasp

another great reason for carrying aantibacterial wipes is that the air can be pretty dusty with lots of particles. So, when you prepare to eat, you hands will always be dirty. sometime ther'es not a clean/convenient place to wash your hands, but even after that if you will be eating anything with your hands (bread?) it's a good idea to wipe them off with the wipes.

jeansread

The yogurt idea sounds great. I never thought to do that. I'll give it a try. Wipes are the one thing I always forget. Good reminder.