Published 28th Jun. 2021
Reading time
8:30 am
Walking along Marine Drive in the early morning is like being somewhere between the Promenade des Anglais in Nice and Ocean Drive in Miami. The whole city is represented here, from groups of teenagers and office workers to young mothers pulling their children by the sleeve and couples embracing. This is the perfect way to begin 24 hours in Mumbai on your holiday to India.
10:00 am
Sip a coffee at the Leopold Cafe, and take a walk in Colaba from the Gateway of India (an arch-monument facing the Arabian Sea) to the Regal Cinema. There's Victorian architecture, antique shops, luxury shops, and contemporary art galleries. Stop at The Oak Tree (18 Cusrow Baug, Colaba), to take a moment to reconnect with 60s flower power culture.
1:00 pm
In Chor Bazaar, the city's flea market, enjoy a bhel puri, curry, coconut or massala. Buy period postcards and old Bollywood posters in a vintage shop jam-packed with antique clocks, crystal chandeliers and porcelain.
5:00 pm
Afternoon in Chowpatty - the beach on the bay at the very end of Marine Drive is where in September the Hindus immerse an effigy of Ganesh. Today, there is no special festival and no God to honour but, being in India, you still need to navigate the crowds, couples and families, and chai, candy floss and kite vendors. There's a cheerful carnival atmosphere, where children ride dragons or fly planes on hand-operated rides. In Chowpatty, there's no swimming; it's the perfect place for taking a stroll in the fading daylight, Indian style.
8:00 pm
In the evening, take a taxi and drive along the ring road to Bandra. The former fishing village has become a very cool neighbourhood with art deco shops, trendy bars and nightclubs. This is where trendy young professionals and Bollywood stars live; there are villas with flowering gardens along the avenues that lead to Juhu beach. Dine at the Pali Village Cafe ( 602, Ambadkar Road, Pali Naka, Bandra West), a chic bohemian restaurant in an old industrial building, with iron, cast iron, and wooden floors and a beautiful menu.
11:30 pm
Back on Marine Drive, it's time for a nightcap at the InterContinental's Dome, on the terrace, sitting on a huge white sofa, with the glittering avenue on the horizon. It's obvious why the Indians call it 'The Queen's Necklace'.
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