Experience the highlights of this fascinating city, with its western monuments and eastern sensibilities. The tour begins at the Gateway of India, the city’s most famo us landmark – an Indo-Saracenic archway built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary.
You will then drive on to the western shores of the island and on to the Art Deco Marine Drive, at night also known as the Queen’s Necklace, because of its illuminated curve around the bay. At the far end of this promenade you will see the popular Chowpatty beach with its enticing array of food stalls epitomising the city’s celebrated street food culture!
Continue to your next stop, t he Dhobi Ghats, where you’ll be fascinated by a simple activity that is common all over the world but a highlight in Mumbai: the laundry. Each morning laundry from all over Mumbai is brought here to be soaped, soaked, boiled, beaten, and thrashed. The next day, after being aired, pressed, folded and wrapped, the bundles are returned to their owners. Th e secret that keeps the operation running smoothly is the coded symbol that each Dhobi-Wallah places on every item. Invisible to the untrained eye, this mark e nsures that nothing will be lost.
The tour then takes you on to Mani Bhavan, Gandhi’s Bombay residence between 1917 and 1934. Mani Bhavan is now a permanent museum and memorial to the mahatma. It contains a research library of more than 20,000 volumes, and a series of tiny dioramas, a fascinating depiction of his life story. The walls are covered with photos of historic events and world-famous people.
You will then visit the Prince of Wales Museum, built in a blend of Gothic and Moorish styles, and crowned by a sparkling white dome. The most impressive features of Bom bay’s cityscape are the Gothic revival buildings built in the last century after its original fortifications were removed. Fine examples include Bombay University, the High Court, and Victoria Termin s, a remarkable railway station enriched with domes, spires, Corinthian columns and minarets. India’s first train departed from this station in April 1853; today half a million commuters use the statio n each day.
Please note: While little walking is required on this tour, there are a considerable number of stairs involved in the visit to the Prince of Wales Museum and Mani Bhawan.
