Maximum Cities: An Exploration in 3 Cities, Part III

Niya Bajaj

Webitor’s Note: This is the third part of a series on travel.  The first two parts, also on Mumbai, were originally published in the February and March issues of Prospere Magazine.  You can read Part I here and Part II here.

The best and worst thing about maximum Mumbai is the fact that there is always something going in the city regardless of where you are or what time it is. If you want something to do you can find it. This is also true regardless of your budget, especially when you take the favourable exchange rate of $1 CDN to approximately Rs. 35.

Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum is also home to incredible handcrafted leather goods ranging from jackets and handbags to custom crafted passport covers and jewellery. It’s the perfect place to pick up luxurious gifts that won’t break the bank. The Linking Road street market is another intense shopping experience that is not to be missed, but keep your valuables glued to you as it is easy to ‘loose’ wallets and purses in the crush of people thronging the street vendors. Pick up a pair of ‘mojri’, hand embroidered shoes in a traditional Punjabi style to trek the city in. They will custom dye colors for you to match your outfits!

Also worth looking into are the numerous tailors and fabric stores that dot the city. If you have a little bit of fashion sense or want a traditional salwar kameez (the tunic and draw string trousers) or a lengha (a midriff baring top and floor length skirt) you can have one custom made and hand embroidered to your measurements with the fabric dyed to suit your taste. However, if you don’t have the time or inclination any one of the numerous malls now doting the city’s landscape will provide you with a wealth of ready made options that won’t break the bank. Shopping around is crucial in Mumbai. In a city where everyone is out to make a quick living for as little effort as possible competition is fiercer than Tyra Banks, with vendors undercutting each other at a seemingly ridiculous rate.

Places to say in Mumbai are similar to the shopping where there is something for every budget but it is best to try before you buy. 5 star hotels on the beach front like the Taj Mahal, the Hilton Oberoi or the Sheraton are luxurious options that keep you close to all the sights and smog in the downtown core while setting you back $500 a night on average. Also worth exploring is the Rodas Ecotel, an internationally certified, environmentally conscious hotel located in the heart of Mumbai. A night at Rodas will set you back approximately $250 a night. Cheaper still are hotels like the Days Inn Navy or The Residency where you score a fully furnished apartment for the same price as a room in one of the aforementioned hotels.

Like any metropolis, Mumbai likes to party but most of these tend to be private, by invitation only affairs. That said, there are plenty of clubs, mostly within hotels, of which the Leela Kempinski is an excellent option, jazz bars and lounges dotting the city. Check the local paper Mid-Day for the most current listings and information about where to pick up tickets.

Photos courtesy of Niya Bajaj