Visiting Mumbai can be an education for many people. India’s largest city was formerly known as Bombay and many westerners still refer to it as such. As the second largest city in the world, the sheer force of population and noise can be overwhelming to visitors. Westerners can also be thrown by the traditional Eastern atmosphere present throughout the city. However, there are numerous modern and western influences apparant in the city. It is this contrast of old and new, East and West, that makes Mumbai so intriguing and a popular tourist destination.
Tourists may be struck by the opposites present throughout the city and one of the hardest to ignore is the pole of wealth and poverty. While Mumbai is home to extreme poverty and the resultant malnutrition and illness, it is also home to the ultra rich with many designer shops and fine dining restaurants catering to them. As a growing industrial power, Mumbai is investing heavily in the education of its people, which should help improve living and working conditions for its citizens.
Once visitors adjust to the unique contrasts of the city, they will find much to enjoy. The city is teeming with both modern skyscrapers and historical buildings. It is home to street vendors offering traditional items and wonderful local cuisine. Mumbai also provides shoppers with countless choices, from traditional bazaars to modern shopping malls and designer boutiques. You can relax in luxurious five star hotels Mumbai or find a traditional bed and breakfast.
Although Mumbai is still recovering from the November terrorist attacks, much of the city is back up and running. Some of the “must see” sites in Mumbai include the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay (formerly the Prince of Whales Museum) and the Gateway of India. Other attractions include the Elephanta Caves, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park which includes rock-cut temples dating back to the 1st century B.C.E.