Need Help with India Trip
 

Hi Guys

Question: My partner and i will be flying into Mumbai from Goa on September 22 at 4pm and will be catching a flight back to Los Angeles at 2am. Instead of hanging around the airport for 8 hours, we were thinking about going into the city and working-out, go to a spa, have dinner then head back to the airport for our flight at 2am. Any good spa around? do we have enough time to do this? thanks for the help :)

I recommend you check into one of the 5-star hotels clustered around the Mumbai international airport. In particular I suggest the following:

Leela
Hyatt Regency
Grand Maratha Sheration
Intercontinental Grand
Le Meridien

All these are within 5 minutes driving distance from the airport and will make for a very relaxing outbound flight at those ungodly hours. I suggest you take whichever gives you the best rate but my preferences are the Leela and Hyatt Regency.

The best spa is the Prana Spa at the Hyatt near the international airport. They aloow day guests so very doable. Book it online in advance at the hyatt website. They also ahve a great beauty salon so pamper yourself! The Leela has an OK spa and a lousy beauty salon. Also IMO the restaurants in the Leela are nothing to write home about. From the Hyatt you can go across the road (lietrally) to the Grand Maratha Sherton to have fabulos Indian food if you like at the Dum Pukht or stay in the Hyatt itself.

I diasgree with hobbes's opinion about restaurants at the Leela. Jamavar, the renovated Indian restaurant at the Leela, is excellent, and Leela's coffee shop Citrus is top-notch (very well-prepared food), in particular the breakfast buffet.

I agree that the restaurants at Grand Maratha Sheraton are superb. Hobbes has mentioned Dum Pukht. To that I will add the south Indian restaurant Dakshin.

Thanks!!!! i checked the Hyatt and it looks awsome!!!.

Another Question. What is the best way to Travel from Agra to Jaipur? The train takes 6 hours and cost $11 per person. Is there another way? car hire? bus?

tqdtla,

Just to be sure - there are two Hyatts in Mumbai - Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency. The Grand Hyatt is closer to the domestic airport. The Hyatt Regency is a mere stone's throw away from the international airport. Make sure that you book at Hyatt Regency.

driving from Agra to Jaipur is about 5-6 hours as well. We did this last August. It was one of the worst drives I have ever taken, due to the really poor, post-monsoon condition of the road. I wished I had taken the train.