The City of Mumbai
It was the 6th day of our Indian odyssey when we left Goa and took a domestic flight going to Mumbai. Mumbai that is previously known as Bombay is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India and the biggest metropolis in the country. It is said that the city is the dream city for many Indians. It is full of life that has many beautiful places which tourist may be interested of. The city is well known for different tourist spots, commercial places and government bodies.
With so much to see in the city, we took an early morning flight through GoAir. It was still dark when we checked out from our guesthouse. There were no any public buses during that time yet, so we waited for a taxi to take us to the airport. We thought we’re going to miss our flight as it feels no trace of any vehicle will pass by to take us to the airport in Dabolim but after an hour of waiting we were able to catch a cab that drove us to the airport. Travel time going to airport took us about an hour and a half, with taxi charge costing to Rs 1,000.
It was our first time to take a domestic flight within India. The airport is nice and has a very strict security, well almost all the airports in India implement strict regulations. In fact, taking picture is prohibited inside and outside the terminal building. I was once approached by a security personnel because I was taking picture at the boarding gate area. After that incident, I then just took photos surreptitiously – just have it in discreet.
It was around 9:00 AM when we arrived at the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. We thought of taking the metro train going to our accommodation in the city but the chaos that we had witnessed in the train station left us nothing but shock and confusion. We then just decided to take a cab to reach our guesthouse, Hotel Traveller’s Inn. The travel time took us about an hour to reach the guesthouse that is situated in Ballard Estate, Fort in Mumbai.
What I had noticed about the city is the influence of Portuguese in their transportation and architecture. I like how little their cab is and how impressive the different buildings spotted around the city. Seeing these things just feel like I’m in a city somewhere in Europe.
After taking a quick rest after we had checked in, me and Paula had decided to get out from our temporary abode and spend the rest of the day exploring the city.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Just a few walks away from our guesthouse is where the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Chhatrapati Shivaji Statue are.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus that is formerly known as Victoria Terminus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also a historic railway station which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways in Mumbai.
The building that was designed by the British architect F. W. Stevens became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’. It was built over 10 years, starting in 1878. According to fact, the remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. It is said that this site is an outstanding example of meeting two cultures, the British and Indians.
Although it is situated in a middle of a hectic and busy intersection, the site still looks impressive; showing a superb architecture. In fact, we had spent about half an hour just taking numerous shots of the notable site.
Marine Drive
A great sunset could have been a perfect sight in Marine Drive but it rained when we had visited the famous boulevard.
It is one of the picture-perfect sites in the city if you would like to ‘people watch’ and capture local visiting the site and enjoying their time in the long boulevard.
Gandhi House (Mani Bhavan)
Situated at Laburnum Road, Gamdevi in Mumbai lies a museum honoring the preeminent leader and freedom fighter of Indian nationalism, Mahatma Gandhi.
The musuem is placed in a multi storey house. There’s no entrance fee and visitors can freely take photographs.
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel
A five star hotel located in Colaba is where the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is. Because of its extraordinary beauty, the hotel became one of the most visited sites in the city. One can also get into a castle like horse ride for a fee to have a feeling of being in an actual palace.
Gateway of India
Just close to Taj Mahal Palace overlooking the Arabian Sea is where the site of Gateway of India is located. The monument was built during the British rule in the city. The structure is a basalt arch with 26 metres (85 feet) high.
The site is surrounded by masses of tourists but still the site is remarkable as it looks like.
It is said the monument is a place where the viceroys and governors used to land upon their arrival in India. Though it was constructed as a welcome to King George V for his visit, an event of grand importance for British India and the British empire serves the site today as a monumental memento of colonialisation and defeat by the British over the people of India.
We then had decided to end the tour in the city after our stop to the Gateway of India. We went back to our guesthouse with load of images of how our jaunt in the brilliant city of Mumbai occurred.
Mumbai is a different city; it is modern and progressive despite of the classical influence of its architecture and metropolis design. People are more outgoing and open – a little different from the conservative persona that I perceive about the country.
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Hotel Traveller’s Inn
26 Adi Marzban Path, SBS Road,
Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai, India
Contact #: +91 90 04 222052
Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai, India
Contact #: +91 90 04 222052
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Gateway of India
I like Mumbai, it's a city in India that I don't mind of going back. I still have a lot to see in Mumbai, explore the rest of its tourist attractions
I like Mumbai, it's a city in India that I don't mind of going back. I still have a lot to see in Mumbai, explore the rest of its tourist attractions
We stayed in the same hotel! Hahaha
I'm curious what you think of Mumbai WITH respect to the other cities you visited in India?
We stayed in the same hotel! Hahaha
I'm curious what you think of Mumbai WITH respect to the other cities you visited in India?
Aamchi Mumbai…………….
Aamchi Mumbai…………….