India Travel

Eating in Mumbai

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Moving on from Mumbai

Most visitors feel like getting out of Mumbai as soon as they can. Fortunately, Mumbai is equipped with "super-fast" services to arrange or confirm onward travel. All the major international and domestic airlines have offices in the city, the railway networks operate special tourist counters in the main reservation halls, and dozens of travel agents and road transport companies are eager to help you on your way by bus.

Arrival and information of Mumbai

Unless you arrive in Mumbai by train at Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), be prepared for a long slog into the centre. The international and domestic airports are north of the city, way off the map, and ninety minutes or more by road from the main hotel areas, while from Mumbai Central train or bus station, you face a laborious trip across town. Finding a place to stay can be even more of a hassle; phone around before you set off into the traffic.

Downtown Mumbai

Aldous Huxley famously described Mumbai as "one of the most appalling cities of either hemisphere", with its "lavatory bricks and Gothic spires". The critic Robert Byron, although a wholehearted fan of New Delhi, was equally unenthusiastic, feeling moved to refer to downtown Mumbai in 1931 as "that architectural Sodom", claiming that "the nineteenth century devised nothing lower than the municipal buildings of British India. Their ugliness is positive, daemonic." Today, however, the massive erections of Empire and Indian free enterprise appear not so much ugly, as intriguing.

Accommodation and eating in Eastern Madhya Pradesh

Most of Bandhavgarh s new and established hotels, all of which are in Tala, cater for travellers on a higher budget, and offer "jungle-plan" prices - all-inclusive 24hr deals including meals and two Jeep safaris per person. However, there are also a few budget lodges and mid-priced hotels. The only option for eating outside your hotel is at one of the friendly, cheap dhabas on the main road.

Lonavala in Southern Maharashtra

Just thirty years ago, the town of LONAVALA, 100km southeast of Mumbai and 62km northwest of Pune, was a quiet retreat in the Sahyadri hills. Since then, the place has mushroomed to cope with hordes of holiday-makers and second-home owners from the state capital, and is now only of interest as a base for the magnificent Buddhist caves of Karle. Bhaja and Bedsa, some of which date from the Satavahana period (second century BC). Frequent buses arrive at Lonavala's central bus stand, just off the Mumbai-Pune Road (NH-4), but the tram is infinitely preferable. Lonavala is on the main railway

Leaving India in Mumbai

In spite of its prominence on trans-Asian flight routes, Mumbai is no longer the bargain basement for international air tickets it used to be. Discounted fares are very hard to come by — a legacy of Rajiv Gandhi's economic reforms of the 1980s. If you do need to book a ticket, stick to one of the tried and tested agents listed. All the major airlines operating out of Mumbai have offices downtown where you can buy scheduled tickets or confirm your flight; see p.781 for a list of addresses. The majority are grouped around Veer Nariman Road, opposite the Ambassador Hotel,

Thripunitra Eating in Kerala

Unusually for Keralan cities, Kochi offers a wide choice for eating out, from the delicious fresh-cooked fish by the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Cochin, to the sophistication of the Bmntori Boatyard. Between the two extremes, various popular, modest places in Ernakulam serve real Keralan food. The ferries run all evening, and so it is possible to enjoy a meal on one of the more atmospheric islands before heading back to Ernakulam at about 9pm.

Lonavala Eating in Southern Maharashtra

While most of the hotels in Lonavala lay on full board or have very good restaurants, a number of smaller restaurants and snack bars on the main street cater for the brisk through trade. You'll also come across dozens of shops selling the local sweet speciality1, chikki - a moreish, but dentally challenging, amalgam ot dried fruit and nuts set in rock-solid honey toffee. Super Chikki on the main street allows you to sample the many varieties before you buy, and they giftwrap the sticky blocks in attractive old-fashioned boxes. Their main competitors, National Chikki, further down, is also recommended:

Matheran Accommodation and eating in Southern Maharashtra

Matheran has plenty of hotels, though few could be termed cheap. Most are close to the railway station on MG Road and on the road behind it, Kasturba Bhavan. Reduced rates may apply for midweek or long stays, and during the rainy off-season (when many places close down). Virtually all the hotels provide full or half board at reasonable rates, but if you want to eat out, or are on a tight budget, try one of the numerous thali joints around MG Road. Alexander, neat Alexander Point. 2km south of the railway station 02148/30151 Or Mumbai 022/4926610. Pleasant wooded location with

Eating to Rameshwaram in Central Tamil Nadu

Eating in Rameshwaram is more about survival than delighting the taste buds. Most places serve up fairly unexciting "meals". Arya Bhavan and Kumbakonam, W Car Street. Both places are run by the same family and dish up standard, inexpensive veg “meals”. Ashok Bhavan, W Car Street. Offers cheap, regional varieties of thalis. TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu, near the beach. Gigantic, noisy, high-ceilinged glasshouse near the sea, serving good south Indian snacks and "meals:: - many items on the menu are unavailable, however.

Flights to and from Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad to: Ahmedabad (4 weekly: 1hr40min): Bangalore (2-3 daily; 1hr); Calcutta (1-2 daily; 2-3hr); Chennai (3-4 daily; 1hr-1hr 45min); Cochin (2 weekly; 2hr 40min); Delhi (3 daily; 2hr-2hr10min|; Mumbai (6-7 daily; 1 hr 15min-3hr); Tirupati (1-2 daily; 55min-1hr 20min); Vishakapatnam (2 daily; 1 hr-1 hr 30min). Puttaparthy to: Mumbai (2 weekly: 1 hr 20min). Vishakapatnam to: Bhubaneswar (4 weekly; 55min); Calcutta (4 weekly; 2hr 20min); Chennai (4 weekly; 1hr 5min); Delhi (4 weekly; 3hr 35min); Hyderabad (2 daily; 1 hr-1 hr 30min); Mumbai (1 daily; 2hr45min).

Eating to the Bikaner in Rajasthan

Most visitors eat at their hotels or guesthouses while in Bikaner. If you fancy eating out, try Harasar Haveti, which is a popular meeting place for Western travellers and has the best rooftop views. Amber Station Road, A cleaner than average (although somewhat dingy) thali house that's popular with Westerners. Full veg menu and refreshing masala chai. Harasar Haveli, near Kami Singh Stadium. Open-air rooftop terrace restaurant with panoramic views, top landoori and non-veg Mughlai food and cold beers. Joshi, Station Road. The most salubrious of the eating places near the station. Filling, cheap rice-plate meals and arguably the town's best-value thalis,

Uptown and the outskirts in Mumbai

Greater Mumbai has crept inexorably northwards to engulf villages and swampland in a pall of chimneys, motorways and slums. These grim industrial areas hold few attractions, but possibilities for full- or half-day excursions include the quirky Victoria and Albert museum and botanical gardens in Byculla, and the beach at Juhu. All lie within reach of a suburban railway station, although you will, in most cases, have to take a rickshaw or taxi for the last few kilometres. Beyond them to the north lie the Buddhist caves chiselled out of the hillside at Kanheri, and the crumbling Portuguese fort at Bassein.

Colaba The City of Mumbai

At the end of the seventeenth century, Colaba was little more than the last in a straggling line of rocky islands extending to the lighthouse that stood on Mumbai's southernmost point. Today, the original outlines of the promontory (whose name derives from the Koli who first lived here) have been submerged under a mass of dilapidated colonial tenements, hotels, bars, restaurants and handicraft shops. It you never venture beyond the district, you'll get a very distorted picture of Mumbai. In spice of being the main tourist enclave and a trendy hang-out for the city's rich young things, Colaba has retained

The City in Mumbai

Between the airports to the north and the southern tip of Mumbai lies a thirty-kilometre, seething mass of streets, suburbs and relentless traffic. Even during the relatively cool winter months, exploring it can be hard work, requiring plenty of pit stops at cold-drink stalls along the way. The best place to start is down at the far south end of the peninsula in Colaba, home to most of the hotels, restaurants and best-known sights, including the Gateway of India. Fifteen minutes' walk north takes you past the Prince of Wales Museum to the Fort area, home of all the banks

Nightlife and entertainment in Mumbai

Mumbai never sleeps. No matter what time of night you venture out, there are bound to be others going about some business or other. The city has always led the nightlife scene in India and there are bars and clubs to suit every taste: jazz dens compete with salsa, tabla-dance fusions and funk. Mumbais alternative but decidedly yuppie crowd meet at the Ghetto Bar before heading down to the gay, glitzy or groovy clubs around Colaba and Juhu. Of course, Mumbai is also a cultural centre, attracting the finest Indian classical music and dance artists from all over the

Traveling from Goa To Mumbai

If you're heading north to Mumbai, the quickest and easiest way is by plane. Between three and six planes leave Goa's Daboiim airport daily. One-way fares for the forty-minute flight range from $53 with Indian Airlines, or $83 with Sahara, to $93 ($72 for under 30s) with swisher Jet. In addition, Air India operate an Airbus service to Mumbai on Mondays and Thursdays. Few people seem to know about this flight, so you can nearly always get a seat on it; the one drawback is that you have to check in three hours before departure as Air India is an

Travel details in Maharashtra

Trains Aurangabad to: Ahmedabad (4 daily: 18hr); Delhi (5 weekly; 24hr 50min); Mumbai (20 daily; 5hr 15min). Jalgaon to: Agra (3-4 daily; 14hr 20min-17hr 20min); Bangalore (1-2 daily; 24-26hr 30min): Bhopal (2 daily; 7-8hr 25min); Calcutta (4 daily; 28-34hr); Chennai (1 daily; 24hr); Delhi (3 daily; 18-22hr); Gwalior (3-5 daily; 13-15hr); Jhansi (3-5 daily; 11 hr 15min-13hr 20min); Mumbai (9-11 daily; 7hr 40min-9hr 35min); Nagpur (5-7 daily; 7hr 45min-9hr 35min); Pune (16 daily; change at Bhusavel; 10hr); Varanasi (2-4 daily; 19hr 40min-23hr); Wardha (6-7 daily; 6-7hr 30min). Nagpur to: Bhopal (13 daily; 5hr 30min-8hr 30min); Calcutta (4-6 daily; 18hr 40min-24hr); Chennai

Eating in Orissa

Eating out in Bhubaneswar is basically limited to a choice between the predictable five-star food dished up in the a/c comfort of places such as the Sishmo, or the cheap and chilliful south Indian dishes served in the rather less salubrious cafes such as the Vineeth or the Swosti; both are opposite the railway station and open for breakfast. The one or two restaurants that make an effort to include traditional Orissan cuisine on their menus are worth seeking out (you will have to order at least eight hours in advance); seafood dishes combining prawns or delicate pomfret (a white

Information of Mumbai

The best source of information in Mumbai is the excellent Government of India tourist office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm. Sat 8.30am-2pm; 022/203 3144) at 123 M Karve Rd, opposite Churchgate station's east exit. The staff here are exceptionally helpful and hand out a wide range of leaflets, maps and brochures both on Mumbai and the rest of the country. There are also 24hr tourist information counters at Sahar International (022/832 5331) and Santa Cruz (022/615 9320) airports. Maharashtra State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC) main office, on Madam Cama Road (Mon-Sat 8.30am-7pm; 022/202 6731), opposite the LIC Building in Nariman Point, sells tickets