Mumbai

India’s largest city is a chaotic sea of street hawkers, markets, businessmen and tourists, historic colonial monuments and modern high rises. Fashionable, fast-moving and totally absorbing, Mumbai can easily overwhelm the senses.

Flights to Mumbai

Direct flights to Mumbai take about 9 hours from the UK  and the airport is located about 30km north of the city centre.

It’s considered India’s most cosmopolitan city, with migrants settling there from far and wide, giving it a liberal air found in few other Indian cities. Mumbai is also the home of Bollywood, one of the world’s biggest film industries, and it has fallen firmly under the tourist spotlight since the huge success of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Mumbai’s top sights

Mumbai is a huge, sprawling city, but most of the top tourist sights are concentrated in South Mumbai, which is also the oldest and most affluent area of the city. It’s where the British built the historic docklands, and it’s home to Mumbai’s most famous hotels, plus many other fine colonial buildings, the Gateway of India, the mansions of Malabar Hill, and many of India’s top museums, galleries, upmarket bars and restaurants.

The iconic Gateway of India has come to symbolise Mumbai: a great monumental arch built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India. Another striking piece of colonial architecture is the red Gothic Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus, still popularly known as ‘VT’ or Victoria Terminus station. The city’s most famous and luxurious hotels, the Taj Mahal and Trident-Oberoi, are also housed in grand colonial buildings.

Of the city’s museums and galleries, two of the most popular are the the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Prince of Wales Museum, which showcases some fine ivory statuettes, Mughal paintings and objects d’art.

Mumbai markets

Mumbai is also well known for is its markets; there are too many to mention, but amongst the most popular are Crawford Market, Bhuleshwar, and Chor Bazaar – all of them heaving and chaotic, but fascinating to explore.

Temples

South Mumbai’s most famous temples include Mahalaxmi Temple, dedicated to the goddess of wealth and prosperity; the Babulnath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva; and the Walkeshwar Temple, which legends says was once visited by Lord Rama.

And despite Mumbai’s reputation as a concrete jungle, there are some pockets of parkland to escape to when you’re tired of the hot, dusty streets. Try the leafy old colonial city zoo (Veermata Jijabai Udyan) in Byculla, or the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill, which offer far-reaching views over Marine Drive. Marine Drive (Queen’s Necklace) itself runs along the seafront promenade which stretches from Malabar Hill to Nariman Point, alongside Chowpatty Beach, looking out to the Arabian Sea. The beach is ideal for people-watching and for picking up one of Mumbai’s favourite snacks: bhelpuri – but it’s not so great for swimming. Head further north to the suburbs of Northwest Mumbai if you want to find cleaner (but less interesting) beaches.

Flights to India from the UK

Mumbai Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport) is one of India’s key international gateways. The cheapest fares tend to be from London Heathrow, but there are also good fares from many different regional airports cross the UK.

Air India and Etihad Airways are just a couple of the airlines that offer flights to India from London, for example – but you can also find flights from regional airports such as Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, and Belfast International with various international carriers.

Mumbai – guide to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Mumbai’s award-winning Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is India’s and South Asia’s busiest airport, served by around 50 international airlines whose flights to Mumbai carry some 25 million passengers each year.

Over the past few years, the airport has undergone extensive modernisation and not only looks better but also has better signage, additional check-in counters, a wider range of food and drink outlets, and improved cleanliness.

It has been named both ‘Best Airport in India’ (Airport International Council) and ‘Best Airport in Public-Private Partnership’ (Air Passengers Association of India), and was the first airport in the country to implement self-service kiosks.

Location and layout

Named after the 17th century Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle, the airport is spread across two separate sites located about 3 miles apart – one for the two domestic terminals (1A and 1B), and the other for the two international terminals (2B and 2C). There’s a free coach service every 20 minutes during the day between the international and domestic terminals for transfer passengers.

Trains, buses and taxis connect the airport with central Mumbai, which is located about 20 miles away – or 1-2 hours by road (depending on traffic).

Mumbai Airport Facilities

Duty-free shopping is available at the international terminal, and there is also a pharmacy.

For a spot of pre-flight pampering, the luxurious O2 Spa (www.o2spa.in) is now open on the mezzanine level of the international terminal, offering treatments based on a blend of traditional Thai and Indian techniques. The services are well-targeted at passengers who are on-the-go, including foot reflexology, relaxing neck and back massages, facials, pedicures and manicures. Perfect for calming pre-flight nerves.

Passengers can also use the free Wi-Fi service available throughout the airport.

Eating and drinking

Since its revamp, the airport is now home to a fairly good range of food and drink establishments including pizza places, coffee shops, and plenty of snack bars. In the international terminal 2B there’s a food court incorporating KFC, Pizza Hut, Indian Paradise, Noodle, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. In international terminal 2C there are snack bars and coffee shops plus the Celebration Bar & Restaurant.

Hotels near Mumbai Airport

If you need hotel accommodation near Mumbai airport, there are several within a short distance that offer free shuttle services to the airport. These include Leela Kempinski Hotel, the Midland Hotel Mumbai, and Orchid Ecotel Hotel. You can book hotel accommodation at the airport.

Flights from the UK to Mumbai India

Direct flights to India (Mumbai) take approximately 9 hours from the UK. The cheapest fares tend to be from London Heathrow, but you can also fly from many different regional airports including Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, and Belfast International. The international terminals are busiest at night.

The airport is the primary hub for Air India and Jet Airways, and also serves as a secondary hub for other airlines such as Indian Airlines, JetLite, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Kingfisher.

For more information about Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (airport code: BOM), visit http://www.csia.in/