As always, I would be so grateful for any info the board can supply. We arrive in Mumbai about midnight, staying at Oberoi. We start touring after lunch first day. My head hurts already about dressing for 90 degree days, and from the board salwar kameez sounds like a solution. Any suggestions where I could easily buy one during the morning before touring begins? Thank you, thank you.

ttt

Can't help you with shopping in Mumbai, unless they have a FabIndia there. Instead of feeling rushed to get an outfit, why not just take a gauzy or lightweight cotton tunic top and some loose lightweight cotton pants from home. Then you can try buying a Salwar or kurta, but you won't get all hot and bothered if you aren't sucessful that first morning.

First of all, the temps you are seeing on websites this week are a spike, generally temps are more in the low 80s F to high 70F at this time of year. While warm, it is actually quite pleasant as the humidity dropped in late October, which is the indicator of the beginning of winter. It really is quite doable without the humidity that makes it so awful in the summer months, IMO. Temps will start to drop further (not sure when your trip is), and nights are already cooler. It's really not bad at all, and is the best weather time to be in Mumbai; it's the wedding season (look for big tents on the lawns of the clubs along Marine Drive). Virtually all of India is at its best now temperature and rain-wise (east coast is rainy).

If you still want to go out looking for clothing, the area immediately surrounding the Oberoi is actually more offices and residential than shopping, there is a shopping arcade attached to the hotel you might try that. I don't have a particular shop to recommend, it's a fairly expensive arcade, but the hotel may have suggestions.

With that late an arrival, by the time you get to the Oberoi it will probably be around 2 am, so I personally don't know I would really want to venture out first thing in the am to find an outfit, I would sleep in, have a nice breakfast and sit by the pool taking in the lovely water view. I would just bring cotton clothes with you, a knee length or longer skirt or capris are quite cool IMO. (Air con in cars and restaurants will be cold to freezing, bring a sweater or jacket.) A shorter skirt is of course OK if you want to wear it, IMO Indians are very accepting of dress. I personally haven't worn shorts in a long time and while basically OK for India in terms of accepted dress (Muslim mosques may not admit you), there are not really so much so for city wear in any event.

FabIndia mentioned above sells all kinds of fabric items, from bedding to clothing, and there are several FabIndia outlets in Mumbai, the closest would be the one in Kala Ghoda, which is an area not far from the main railway station, and is about 5 miles north of the Oberoi. (The other outlets are out in suburbs, far too far to venture with traffic IMO.) I have not been to that shop, so can't speak to what they carry in terms of women's clothing. Also, I don't know its precise location in Kala Ghoda (also sometimes called Fort) , and with traffic on a weekday, even that short a journey up from Oberoi could take you an hour each way, and I can see from their website that the shop does not open un 10 am , so I would really suggest you consider whether you want to undertake this on your first day out and possibly miss your afternoon tour. For the address and other info, see http://www.fabindia.com

FabIndia
Jeroo Building
137, M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda,
Mumbai - 400001
Ph: +91-22-22626539,
+91-22-22626540
Email:[email protected]

The only specific shop I can think of is up near the Taj Mahal Hotel in this same area, and would probably have the same drawbacks vis a visa travel time and possibly missing your tour:

Soma
A-2 Amar Chand Mansion
16, Madam Cama Road
Colaba
Tel: 22 2282 6050

Thank you to Icuy and Cicerone for not only supplying practical information but also cheering me up about the weather. I will do as you both suggest -- capris and light tops and sooner or later I assume we'll come upon a Fabindia or equivalent. I always get nervous a week before a trip -- I'm fine once I'm actually on the plane. Too, our friends have regaled us with relatives who have eaten a piece of lettuce in India and ALMOST DIED. Your replies were just what I needed. Have a happy holiday.

My husband and I were just in India a few weeks ago. It was his first time, and he tends to get sick anywhere we travel. I made sure he took a pepto bismal every morning, and that we always had wipes or purell, and he never even had an upset stomach this time!!

But ultimately, I think it is sheer luck that determines your gastric fates...

Have a good trip, kdappleton!