Our flight touches down in Mumbai at 5:10 a.m., much too early to check into our room at the Taj Mahal Palace. We plan to leave our luggage there and walk around until our room is ready, probably 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon. Do you have any suggestions for spending those hours and for lunch (Indian, relaxed atmosphere) close to the hotel? I'm afraid we will be terribly jet lagged and disoriented.

Thanks,
Camille

Why don't you reserve your hotel for the day before? Then you can check in right away when you get there, take a shower and/or a nap...

Or consider scheduling a spa treatment for the morning of your arrival.

A nice restaurant not far from the Taj is Khyber. While it is clearly a tourist restaurant, the Indian food was very very good, and the decor quite beautiful. Not a bad way to ease into India when you are jet-lagged. I do think Kathie's suggestion to schedule a spat treatment for that morning is a good one. You may not reach the Taj until 7 or so that morning, and you will surely be able to have breakfast at the hotel.

spa not SPAT (yikes, no fun while jet lagged!)

ouhoh, I'm looking forward to reading about your trip!

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. We will try to check in early to rest and freshen up. If that fails, we'll find a place to relax in the hotel and then grab lunch, maybe at Khyber or Delhi Darbar. If we're up to it, we might even take a stroll on the Colaba Causeway.

I'm so excited about this trip! Traveling to India has been only a pipe dream until now, and this Abercrombie & Kent tour is a gift from my husband for a significant birthday. I'll do a trip report when we return.

Kathie - my TR is here: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...r-in-india.cfm

lol, I actually did read that report. It was so long ago, I had forgotten.

ha ha! I thought so. February wasn't that far away....Actually this trip has stayed with us longer because I brought back a couple of cookbooks and spices and have been making Indian food every since!