Hotels in Mumbai
Weather and the Best time to travel Mumbai
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay is a beautiful city and capital of Maharashtra, a state in India. The city is popular as the “film capital” of India and is the birthplace of the Indian film industry, Bollywood. Mumbai has earned the nickname of “City of Dreams” as it is considered the land of opportunities, where millions of people come every year to fulfill their dreams in movies, television industry, or for any other job. The city embraces everyone with a warm heart and one can find a unique diversity in everything of the city from culture to language and from architecture to cuisine.
The city that was earlier an archipelago of seven islands was formed during an engineering project in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mumbai is located on a narrow peninsula on the Konkan coast and is surrounded by Thane Creek on the east, Vasai Creek to the north, and the Arabian Sea to the west.
Mumbai is an island city with a tropical climate with a very wet monsoon, cool winters, and hot-humid summers. The city experiences high temperatures with an annual temperature of 27.2 degrees Celsius making it a perfect year-round holiday destination especially for people who like summers. The winter months with dry and warm days with cool evenings are popular with tourists.
Tip: To enjoy the famous Ganesh Chaturthi festival and grand processions visit in August-September (dates vary).
Airport in Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) is the primary airport of Mumbai. The airport was earlier known as Sahar International Airport and is located in the suburbs of Sahar and Santa Cruz. It is the biggest international aviation hub in India and is the second busiest airport in India.
There are numerous commuting options available for getting to Mumbai from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Travelers have the choice of cabs, taxis, autos, hotel shuttles, trains, metro or local buses to travel from the airport. Close to the domestic terminals, there is Vile Parle station from where one can board the Mumbai Suburban Railway and Western Express Highway of Mumbai Metro. The international terminal is close to Andheri Station located on the Harbour and Western Lines. Also close to the International Terminal is Marol Naka and Airport Road of Mumbai Metro. There are numerous air-conditioned buses from BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking) to various areas of the city and the suburbs.
Tip: Take a taxi if traveling with a lot of luggage.
Transportation in Mumbai
Mumbai is colloquially called the “the city which never sleeps” due to it’s throughout the day and night-time local transport availability. Mumbai and its suburbs are well connected through local BEST buses, trains, metros, taxis, and autos. Traveling by local bus is the cheapest mode of travel with bus fare starting at Rs.8. Mumbai Metro connects far suburbs of northern Mumbai to east Gathkopar Station and a single fare of metro costs between Rs.10-40.
Traveling in Mumbai is incomplete without traveling on the famous Mumbai local train. It is one of the busiest local train networks of the world with trains starting from 4:15 in the morning to 1 am in the night. Another popular feature of Mumbai local transport is the black-and-yellow colored taxi. It is one of the inexpensive ways to travel the city with fares starting from Rs.22 and easy payment by cash or through mobile payment apps. Autos, radio taxis, and rented cars are also easily available. Tourists can also enjoy a boat/ferry ride to Elephanta Caves, Murud-Janjira, Mandwa, and other parts of the Konkan Coast.
Tip: Purchase passes for metro, train or bus if planning to stay for a few days and using them regularly.
How to get to destination
There are flights to Mumbai from all major cities of Australia such as Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. From Perth, there are several airlines and airways having flights throughout the day starting from 5:45 am. Direct or one-stop flights are by British Airways, Malindo Air, Singapore Airlines, and Vistara Airlines. The fares start at Rs.28,000 approximately, which may differ at the time of booking. Take flights by Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, Cathay Pacific or Srilankan Airlines for a flight to Mumbai from Sydney. There are several flights throughout the day from 7:15 am with fares starting at Rs. 34,000 approximately. Melbourne too has good connectivity of flights to Mumbai with several airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, and Srilankan Airlines having several flights daily. The flight fare is approximately Rs.33,000 and flights start from 6 am. The time taken from Australia to Mumbai flight varies between 18 hours to 33 hours depending on the route and stops in-between.
Tip: Book flight tickets in advance to get tickets at good prices.
Hotel info, prices for different hotel range
Mumbai has a vast range of accommodation option available. One can choose from 5-star hotels in Mumbai to Cheap hotels in Mumbai as per one’s budget. The best areas and prices for different types of Mumbai hotels are:
- 5 star – Marine Drive, Bandra, and Goregoan with prices starting Rs.6000.
- 4 Star- Chembur, Dadar and Powai with prices starting Rs. 4200.
- 3 Star- Colaba, Mulund and Juhu and price start at Rs.1300.
- 2 Star- Fort, Worli, and Powai with starting price of Rs. 600.
Tip: It’s advisable to book accommodation in advance for a good choice of options.
Mumbai Tourist Information
Top tourist attractions in Mumbai
The city is full of historical landmarks and many other things to do in Mumbai. Tourists are spoiled for choice between colonial-era historical buildings, museums, religious places, beaches, theme parks and markets. Top Mumbai attractions are:
- Gateway of India- this is a historical arch-monument built in early 20th century to commemorate the visit of the first British monarch to India in Apollo Bunder. The monument was the symbolic ceremonial entrance for any visit by important colonial personnel to British India. Also, it is the place where the last British troops in 1948 left India.
- Elephanta Caves- These masterpieces of Hindu art are located on Elephanta Island and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves are a number of cave temples having rock-cut stone sculptures.
- Marine Drive- Marine Drive is a beautiful Promenade in South Mumbai along the Netaji Subhash Chandra Road. The C-shaped road along the coast is worth watching in the night and is known as Queen’s necklace when the lights illuminate the stretch at night giving the illusion of string of pearls.
Tip: Visit the Girgaum Chaupati near the Marine Drive for a local evening out.
Top food places in Mumbai
Mumbai is called the culinary capital of India as the city offers a diverse range of cuisines and foods from street food to specialty thalis (meals). Tourists can enjoy cuisines from north India to South India and from local flavors to international fusions. The best places for eating in Mumbai are:
- Colaba – It is the favorite of both locals and tourists with numerous budget and cheap eateries present. One can enjoy local food like vada pav to chines dishes at a reasonable price.
- Fort – This is where the younger and trendy locals hang-out. The area has many upscale bistros, cafes and restaurants. The place is known as a gastronomic destination due to many international and specialty restaurants.
- Bandra- Bandra is a popular trendy eating place for both tourist and locals. The area is known for high-end restaurants, pubs, and trendy nightlife and one can occasionally spot the who’s who of Mumbai here.
Tip: Go to the Juhu Chowpatty to taste the famous Mumbai Bhelpuri.
Mumbai is a beautiful and happening city for a memorable vacation. Plan your Mumbai vacation with the help of Trip.Com. You can easily book Mumbai hotels with your flight bookings in a few easy steps. The site collates all information about the Mumbai hotel deals with details about the weather, places to see, transportation, etc. The helpful 24-hour customer support is there to assist you with your booking and answer your queries. With Trip.com you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable vacation.
