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There's plenty to see in Mumbai, but it doesn’t have much in the way of the stationary monuments that London, Paris, Delhi, and other major cities possess. The art of experiencing Mumbai lies in eating, shopping, and wandering through the strikingly different neighborhoods and the various markets. Think of Mumbai as a 50-km (30-mile) -long open-air bazaar.
Colaba, headed by Gateway of India, is the tourist district and main drag for visitors, and from the Gateway of India to Colaba Market, along the main road, is a walkable stretch of hotels, pubs, restaurants, and interesting shops. Churchgate and Nariman Point are the business and hotel centers, and major bank and airline headquarters are clustered in skyscrapers on Nariman Point.
The district referred to as Fort—which includes Mumbai's hub, Flora Fountain—is filled with narrow, bustling streets lined with small shops and office buildings, as well as colleges and other educational facilities. Another upscale residential neighborhood, Malabar Hill, north of Churchgate on Marine Drive, is leafy and breezy, with fine, old stone mansions housing wealthy industrialists and government ministers.
Shopping and people-watching are most colorfully combined in Mumbai's chaotic bazaar areas, such as Chor Bazaar, Zaveri (jewelry) Bazaar, and Crawford Market (aka Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market). Many of the city's newest and trendiest shops and restaurants are now out in the suburbs—where more and more people have been moving due to soaring real-estate prices and a lack of space—but South Mumbai still retains some of the very best.
Some travelers opt to stay in the suburbs, either in Bandra, at the end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link; or in Juhu, a popular coastal suburb between Mumbai and the airports (about 20 km [12 miles] north of the city center). Juhu's beaches aren't clean enough for swimming, and the place can be scruffy, but staying out here is a good way to observe everyday Indian life beyond the shadow of Mumbai's skyline. Sunday nights bring families down to the beach for an old-fashioned carnival, complete with small, hand-powered Ferris wheels, and lantern-lit snack stalls hawking sugarcane.
Set in a repurposed colonial-era bungalow with an ornamental garden, this film museum turns its lens on the history of Indian cinema. You can goggle at old projectors and the first film stars (a secular bunch of Parsi, Jewish, and Muslim actors), and there’s a kid-friendly section, too.
North of Crawford Market via P. D'Mello Road, past Carnac Bunder and right next to the Masjid train station, is the hard-to-find Shaare Rahamim, built in 1796. The mildly dilapidated synagogue is still in use, and you're welcome to peek inside.
Pilgrims travel from far and wide—often on foot—to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple, dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god. The shrine is renowned throughout the Hindu world for its purported wish-granting properties, and attracts worshippers of every stripe—from Bollywood beauties to industrial titans to slum dwellers. Tuesday is Ganesh's day, and the road to the temple is especially busy then.
At Jacob Circle, a 20-minute taxi ride north of Shaare Rahamim, is Tiphaereth Israel Synagogue, home of the Bene Israel Jews—a tiny still-thriving Maharashtrian Jewish community. Ask for the Yehudi mandir (Jewish temple). This small, shiny synagogue, tucked away on a side lane, is quite charming; unlike Shaare Rahamin, it seems well loved and well maintained, although the original structure has been altered through the years. It's best to call before visiting: the synagogue is open mostly in the morning or evening.
Mumbai's crowded, century-old jewelry market a few blocks northwest of Crawford Market has shops filled with fabulous diamond, gold, and silver in every conceivable design. The tumultuous streets are lined with tiny, decades-old family jewelry businesses. Duck into one and sip a customary cup of tea or coffee while a salesperson shows you the merchandise. Most shops are authentic, but beware of false silver and gold; it's difficult to spot the fakes, so it might be best to buy primarily for appearance and make intrinsic value a secondary consideration.
Most of the traders working in Zaveri Bazaar are from the Gujarati community, which is why the food stalls in the area serve all manner of Gujarati snacks. Look for the sev khamni, a savory chickpea flour dish served with sweet and spicy chutneys.
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