Article and photos, courtesy REUTERS

REUTERS: Our correspondent’s look at the best urban parks and waterfront views.
By Shilpa Jamkhandikar
March 22, 2025 9:00 PM GMT+11

Mumbai is a city of contrasts — one the acclaimed architect Charles Correa once described as “a great city, but … a terrible place.” Here, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, lives in a towering, Tetris-like mansion overlooking the city, while hundreds of people sleep on the roadside a few kilometres away. Swanky restaurants and cheap street-food joints share the same postcode and the same sweeping sea views.

But India’s financial capital is so much more than its paradoxes. Having lived and worked as a journalist here for nearly 20 years, most recently for Reuters, I have seen the city go through multiple terror attacks, floods and accidents, only to emerge from each shock with fortitude and strength. “Just as Mumbai has only two seasons, summer and monsoon, it also has only two tenses, the present and the future. It doesn’t care about the past,” Indian author P.L. Deshpande said many years ago.

Here are my tips on how to navigate this city as a local:

What to eat: Mumbai is a city of migrants. Every day, thousands of people arrive here from all over India to try their luck at earning a living, and the food culture of the city is shaped by these workers, past and present. The vada pav, a street snack that consists of a crisp, spicy potato patty sandwiched between soft bread, is the definitive Mumbai snack. Easy to eat on the go, cheap (it only costs between 20-30 rupees, or $0.23) and filling, this snack has provided sustenance to the millions who drive the city’s cabs, worked in its former textile mills and man its construction sites. You can find it at many places in the city, most notably outside train stations. Pair it with a hot chai, famously called “cutting chai” in Mumbai (so named for its half-size — it is served in tiny glasses), and you are good to go.

“Given how crowded these trains are, there are certain unwritten rules for using them, such as getting up from your seat in good time before you arrive at your stop.”

Getting around: Mumbai’s local train system is its lifeline, ferrying millions of people every day from its far-off suburbs to the business districts in the south of the city. Given how crowded these trains are, there are certain unwritten rules for using them, such as getting up from your seat in good time before you arrive at your stop. Otherwise, by the time you push and squirm your way to the exit, your destination will be far behind you. The trick is to get up at least two stations ahead and then slowly make your way through the mass of people packed inside the compartment, just in time to jump out the door. This is not for the faint-hearted. Luckily, Mumbai has plenty of other, less anxiety-inducing transport options, including auto-rickshaws, local taxis and Uber cabs.

What to see: Most tourists start off in the southern part of Mumbai, with its Victorian and Art Deco buildings that reflect the influence of its former British rulers. There is plenty to do here, including visiting the colonial-era arch monument known as the Gateway of India, taking a ferry to see the UNESCO heritage site called Elephanta Caves that feature a set of rock carvings dating back to the 9th century, or just strolling the streets. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, the coastal suburb of Bandra is the place to be, with its fancy coffee-shops where you might spot a Bollywood star or two.

Commuters travel inside a train compartment. REUTERS:Francis Mascarenhas

Speaking of Bollywood, Mumbai is home to the largest film industry in the world. In the Tardeo area, Maratha Mandir, one of Mumbai’s oldest theatres, has been continuously playing the Bollywood hit film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” — which translates to “The Big Hearted Will Take the Bride” — for the last 29 years, a record-breaking feat. Non-Hindi speakers can take in a show at one of the many subtitle-friendly theatres across the city, including the Regal Cinema in the Colaba neighbourhood. Bollywood superfans can even venture over to the suburb of Juhu, home to the megastar actor Amitabh Bachchan, who regularly greets crowds waiting for him outside his residence on Sunday evenings.

In books and movies: Mumbai has been the subject of many a movie and book. Most notably, of course, is Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” based on a book by Vikas Swarup. Gregory David Roberts’ book “Shantaram” was made into a TV series, while Suketu Mehta’s “Maximum City” is a critically acclaimed non-fiction book about Mumbai. If I had to recommend one book, though, it would be Kiran Nagarkar’s “Ravan and Eddie”, a funny, poignant look at two boys who live in a Mumbai chawl, a one-room tenement that is another marker of the city.

Getting away: Mumbai is a coastal city bordered by vibrant green mountains, and there are plenty of places that are perfect for a weekend break. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra state, where you will find hundreds of crumbling, ancient forts, and hiking trails that range from easy (the scenic Lohagad Fort trek spans approximately 5 kilometres/3 miles) to very difficult (the Harishchandragad climb reaches an altitude of 4,670 feet (1,420 m)). Around 150 kilometres (93 miles) from Mumbai is the Murud Janjira Fort, unusually built in the middle of the sea, which makes for a great overnight trip from the city. There is also the hill station of Lonavala, less than 100 kilometres from Mumbai, where old-style colonial bungalows and cool climes provide a welcome change from the pollution and traffic of the city.

DATA POINTS
Population: 12.8 million

Price of tea at a roadside stall: One cup starts at 10 rupees ($0.11)

Price of a coffee: 250 rupees ($2.87) for a cappuccino from Subko Coffee in Bandra

Great place to a see a sunset: Marine Drive, in the south of the city, where almost every visitor goes to watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea.

Price of a bottle of water: 20 rupees ($0.23) for a one-litre bottle of Bisleri bottled water, available across the city.

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Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Rosalba O’Brien

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