No one comes to Mumbai for rest and relaxation. Brash, chaotic and glitzy, first impressions of the city tend to be dominated by its chronic shortage of space. Crammed onto a narrow strip of land that curls into the Arabian Sea, the city has been transformed from a fishing settlement to a sprawling metropolis of over 16 million people in less than 500 years. Mumbai generates nearly 40 per cent of India's GNP and the port handles half the country's foreign trade. The city boasts some of India's best nightlife and fashion houses, and is home to the giant Hindi film industry, Bollywood.

OUR GUIDE TO MUMBAI

WHERE TO STAY
HOTEL MARINE PLAZA
29 Marine Drive, Mumbai 400 020. A ritzy but small luxury hotel on the seafront, with a retro Art Deco atrium lobby, a glass-bottomed rooftop pool and usual five-star facilities. The Marine Plaza has three restaurants: a 24 hour coffee shop that serves daily buffets, the Oriental Blossom for traditional Chinese food, and Geoffreys - a typical English pub.

HYATT REGENCY MUMBAI
Sahar Airport Road, Mumbai 400 099. Not far from the international airport, the Hyatt Regency is a dramatic hotel with 397 rooms and 19 suites. The interior design focuses on glass and there are floating ebony coffers in the lobby. The hotel has three restaurants, Stax, Glasshouse and The Lounge, where fresh and locally produced food is served.

OBEROI MUMBAI
Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. India's largest hotel enjoys a prime spot on Back Bay. The Oberoi Mumbai is glitteringly opulent and a great business hotel, although it lacks the charm and character of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (see below). Bill Clinton stayed here on his state visit to India.

TAJ PRESIDENT HOTEL
90 Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005. This five-star hotel offers spectacular views over the harbour and the city. A haven of comfort and style, the Taj President has 272 rooms and 20 executive suites. It is close to the city's main business district, so guests are just steps away from all the excitement of Mumbai itself.

THE ORCHID
Nehru Road, Vile Parle East, Mumbai 400 099. An environmentally sensitive hotel close to the airport, the Orchid has 245 rooms. A 70 ft indoor waterfall greets guests as they enter the atrium, and the hotel has two restaurants and a bar.

THE ROYAL MERIDIEN MUMBAI
Sahar Airport Road, Mumbai 400 059. Located in the heart of Mumbai, the Royal Meridien is a beautiful hotel with a glass curtain façade, atrium lobby and capsule lifts. The 171 rooms and suites are large, decorated with wooden furniture and calm cream colours. The hotel has three restaurants and four bars.

THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE AND TOWER
Apollo Bunder, Mumbai 400 001. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower has been the haunt of India's beau monde since it opened in 1903. The architecture of the building is a marvel, bringing together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles. The hotel offers panoramic views over the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, and also showcases contemporary Indian art. The interior is wonderful, with beautiful vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, graceful archways, hand-woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, an eclectic collection of furniture and a dramatic cantilever stairway. There are 495 rooms and 51 opulent suites in the hotel.

WHERE TO EAT
RESTAURANTS

BELLISSIMA
534 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road, Mumbai (00 91 22 2361 7171). A fabulous Italian restaurant located in converted car showroom close to the opera house. Bellissima's interior is calm and classic, with soft lighting and wooden furniture. The food is a bit of a fusion between modern Italy and India - many of the ingredients are local, but the inspiration is truly European.

INDIGO
4 Mandlik Road, Mumbai 400 001 (00 91 22 285 6316). Located in busy Colaba, this Indian-Thai-Western restaurant has won numerous prestigious awards for its spicy food. The dining room is simple, but the food is everything but. The upstairs bar draws in some of Bollywood's A-list stars.

KHYBER
145 M.G. Road, Mumbai (00 91 22 2267 3228). Also located in Colaba, Khyber serves North Indian food from the regions bordering the Himalayas. The food is very rich and includes delicious specialities such as kebabs and egg briyani, so make sure you leave room for dessert - preferably a mishty doi, a Bengali sweetened yogurt. The waiters are dressed in traditional clothes and the restaurant is laid out on three floors.

MAHESH LUNCH HOME
Named after the proprietor's son, this restaurant specialises in seafood in general and crab in particular. Mahesh started out as a humble lunch-spot, but has become one of the most popular restaurants in the city, especially with cricket and film stars. Getting a table around 9pm is almost impossible. Mahesh also serves traditional chicken and lamb dishes.

SEA LOUNGE
Apollo Bunder, Mumbai 400 001 (00 91 22 5665 3366). The legendary restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (see Where to Stay) has specialised in interesting fusion food - bringing western flavours to India and turning them into something extraordinary. The bright lights, wooden floors and high ceilings accompany the formal food, and guests can spend hours discussing business deals and life matters on the sofas.

THE GREAT WALL
Sahar Andheri, Mumbai 400 059 (00 91 22 5691 1234). The best Chinese restaurant in Mumbai - and there are plenty to choose from - The Great Wall is housed in the Leela Kempinski Hotel in the northern part of the city. The restaurant serves food from Canton, Hunan and Szechuan, with plenty of variation and spices. It is advised to book a table for dinner.

STREET FOOD
Mumbai is renowned for its distinctive street food, and you should not miss the opportunity to try some authentic Indian cuisine on the street.

Bhel puri is a typical Mumbai masala mixture of puffed rice, deep-fried vermicelli, potato, crunchy puri pieces, chilli paste, tamarind water, chopped onion and coriander.

Pao bhaji is a healthier option - it is a round slab of flat bread stuffed with meat or vegetables simmered in a vat of hot oil.

Khanji vada is savoury doughnuts soaked in fermented mustard and chilli sauce.

You can also stop at one of the city's hundreds of juice bars.

WHAT TO SEE
BEACHES

CHOWPATTY BEACH
The most famous beach in Mumbai, apart from Juhu, Chowpatty Bearch is situated just north of the centre. Near Malabar Hill and along the Marine Drive, the beach is a Mumbai institution that really comes to life at night and on Saturdays. The sea is dirty, so people don't come here to swim, but rather use the beach to sit on, walk on, have a massage on, eat a picnic and watch people go by.

BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS

THE GATEWAY OF INDIA
Situated at Apollo Blunder, this landmark has been drawing tourists since it was built in 1911. Nowhere better reinforce the sense of having arrived in the city quite as emphatically as the Gateway of India, which, alongside its grandly gabled and domed neighbour, the Taj Mahal, is the city's defining sight.

CONCERTS
Mumbai is a first-class cultural centre and attracts the best Indian music and dance artists from all over the country.

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 (00 91 22 2282 4567;  www.tata.com). The NCPA has served the cause of the performing and allied arts since the late 1960s, and houses several stages where concerts and recitals are given.

MUSEUMS

NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART
MG Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 (00 91 22 2285 2457). Housed in a building that used to be the home of the Cowasji Jehangir Hall, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai is one of the most important museums in the country. It holds a large collection of works by both Indian and worldwide painters. Open Tue-Sun.

PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM
159 MG Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 (00 91 22 2284 4519). Built to commemorate King George V's visit to Mumbai in 1923, this museum now holds one of the best collections of artefacts from the long history of India and the Indian subcontinent. Open Tue-Sun.

PARKS

VICTORIA GARDENS
Byculla, north Mumbai. Located in the heart of the city, the Victoria Gardens was built in 1861, and houses the Mumbai Zoo. To get here, take a train to Byculla station or a taxi from Colaba.

SPORTS

CRICKET

OVAL MAIDAN
At the weekend, this place is jam-packed with hundreds of cricketers of all ages, seemingly dreaming of becoming the next Souray Ganguly, India's idolised cricket captain. A frenetic, but free of charge, option for cricket lovers.

WANKHEDE STADIUM
Cooler, calmer and more professional than Oval Maidan, Wankhede Stadium is situated along Maharshi Karve road, between Colaba and the Fort Area of Mumbai. It is the place to be if you want to watch a professional game, but it is best to book well in advance as tickets can be hard to come by. 

BOAT RIDES

Harbour cruises leave frequently from the pier next to the Gateway of India.

WALKING TOURS

COLABA
Formerly little more than the last in a straggling line of rocky islands extending to Mumbai's southernmost point, Colaba has been reinvented and offers a good opportunity to discover the city on foot. It has become Mumbai's main tourist enclave and a trendy hang-out, but has retained its down-at-heel feel of the bustling port it used to be, with dodgy moneychangers, dealers and pimps.

MARINE DRIVE
Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg, better known as the Marine Drive, is Mumbai's seaside prom - an eight-lane highway with a wide pavement. Built in the 1920s on reclaimed land, the Drive extents from the skyscrapers at Nariman Point to the foot of the Malabar Hill and Chowpatty Beach. The promenade is a favourite place to stroll, both for locals and tourists, with uninterrupted views along the whole way. The apartment blocks located here are some of the most desirable and expensive in the city. 
 
OUTSIDE THE CITY
ELEPHANTA ISLAND
10km northeast of the Gateway to India lies one of Mumbai's major tourist attractions - the rock-cut temples on peaceful Elephanta Island. The temples are believed to have been carved between 450 and 750AD, and has survived serious Portuguese vandalism - one of the caves was reputedly used as a shooting gallery by a Portuguese battalion - and remain equal in size, beauty and power to the caves at Ajanta and Ellora. The main cave contains large sculpted panels relating to Siva, including an astonishing 6 metre high triple-headed Trimuti in which Siva embodies the role as creator, preserver and destroyer. Boats here depart daily from the Gateway of India - tickets can be bought in kiosks, and the trip comes with a guide. The journey takes about an hour.

KANHERI CAVES
The Buddhist Kanheri Caves overlook the northern suburb of Borivli and range over hills in a virtually unspoilt forest. They may not be as spectacular as other cave sites, but some of its sculptures are superb. Avoid this site on weekends if you want to enjoy the blissful peace and quiet that attracted its original occupants. Most of the caves, dating from the 2nd to the 9th-century AD, were used by monks for accommodation and meditation during the four months of the monsoon. The drive here is long, so catch one of the many trains on the suburban line from Churchgate to Borivli East. The journey takes 50 minutes.

WHERE TO SHOP
For the committed consumer, Bombay is shopping heaven. Don't expect anything to open before 10am and take the time to enjoy the protracted negotiations with every purchase - it minimises the risk of impulse buying. At the end of a hard day's haggling, head for one of the fabulous Art Deco cinemas and suspend your disbelief for an hour or three as you enjoy a lavish masala movie. The fabulous costumes and ornate sets will inspire you to continue with your bargaining tomorrow.

MARKETS

CRAWFORD MARKET
D. Naoroij Road, Mumbai. The biggest of the enormous bazaars, Crawford Market is an old British-style covered market dealing in just about every kind of fresh food and domestic animal imaginable. Shopkeepers perch vertiginously atop piles of fruit and vegetables and they will nimbly navigate the towering displays to fetch and weigh your chosen items. Watch out as well for the wholesale buyers and the cryptic handshakes that confirm their deals. Animal-lovers should definitely steer clear of Crawford Market's pet and poultry section on the east side of the building.

MANGALDAS MARKET
This is where Mumbaikars come to choose from a dazzling array of fabric and material, from the finest silk saris to raw cotton. Shopping is serious business here and speedy transactions are unheard of.

THE CENTRAL ANIMAL MARKET
A real Noah's Ark that gives you the opportunity to escort your doomed purchase to the nearby meat market for slaughter. Only for hardened carnivores.

THE CENTRAL BAZAARS
These bustling, chaotic markets are India at its most intense. In theory, you can wander around here for days without seeing the same shop front twice, although a couple of hours in the heat and crowds will suffice. In keeping with the divisions of caste and religion, most streets specialise in one or two types of merchandise.

SHOPPING CENTRES

CROSSROADS MALL
'Mobile phone or credit card, Madam?' You won't get past the stern doormen at Crossroads Mall in Bombay without one of these status symbols. The storeowners introduced this draconian admission policy as a despairing response to the hordes that thronged the city's glitziest mall to try out the escalators instead of the shops. Fashion, gift shop and fast food heaven.

HOW TO GET THERE
AIRPORT
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (www.airportsindia.org.in/aai/mumbai) is the gateway to Mumbai from the rest of the world.

AIRLINES FROM SOUTH AFRICA
South African Airways flies direct from Johannesburg to Mumbai
Air Mauritius flies via Mauritius to Mumbai
Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Gulf Air fly via the Middle East to Mumbai.  Kenya Airways flies via Nairobi to Mumbai
 
WHEN TO GO
The best time to explore Mumbai is between September and April, when the city is relatively dry and cool. If you want to see Mumbai during a big event you should go for Ganesh Chaturthi, an 11-day Hindu festival in August or September. The festival reaches a climax as large images of the elephant-headed god are immersed in the sea near Chowpatty Beach. 
 
TOURIST INFO

TOURISM INDIA
Tourism India has a good website (www.tourismindia.com) with plenty of information on Mumbai. 

Jaisalmer, a fairytale fortress city close to Rajasthan's border with Pakistan, was founded in the 12th century by Prince Jaisal as a staging post for camel trains. These days, it is a great place from which to explore the strange beauty of the desert.

The Royal Orient Express and the Palace on Wheels. If we had to name the world’s most romantic trains, India’s Royal Orient Express and this country’s Palace on Wheels would be in the top three, because journeys on these two trains are hyper loaded with romance, history and charm. No, they are not the most modern, but they work exceptionally well. And the wonderful personal service of the cabin staff, tour guides and dining staff on both trains are unbeatable. The itineraries also were fascinating, and no trip to India should be considered complete without a journey on one or other of these trains.

This small, former Portuguese enclave has a 105km long coast line lapped by the Arabian Sea. The number of visitors travelling to Goa has grown enormously from the heady days of the 1960s, when it became known to many young westerners as a hippie paradise. Part of the attraction lies in the fact that Goa has a character quite distinct from the rest of India and despite nearly four decades of liberation from Portuguese colonial rule, it has left its legacy, with a proliferation of churches and a cuisine totally different from the elsewhere on the subcontinent. Goa's best attraction is its perfect beaches, which along with a temperate climate, diverse landscapes and luxury hotels, continue to attract many tourists from all over the world.

The ancient port of Fort Cochin in Kerala, south-west India, has been influenced by traders from the Middle East, China and Europe and now resembles a quiet and watery 18th-century village surrounded by lush greenery. Its varying past is reflected in its steep-roofed bungalows and colonial residences, its spice and antique shops and its cathedral, palaces and synagogue. Five minutes' walk from the centre is the Arabian Sea with its long stretches of beach overhung by forests of coconut palms.

Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal, is a sophisticated, charming and friendly city, that belies its popular image as poverty-stricken and chaotic. The city was home to one of the world's most famous figures, Mother Teresa.

OUR GUIDE TO CALCUTTA

Calcutta has some of the country's finest remnants of British colonial architecture; the great open expanse of the Maidan, Fort William, the white edifice of the Victoria Memorial and the Palladian villas are all symbols of the British Raj when Calcutta was the Indian Capital. Dalhousie Square, with its 18th-century Writers' Building and modern high rises, and Chowringhee, with its glittering shops and restaurants, hotels and cinemas, are all British in temperament. But in old North Calcutta, in the busy streets of Shambazar and at the Kali temple at Kalighat, the city's personality is still distinctly Bengali. Calcutta has a rich cultural, intellectual and political heritage and Bengali theatre is amongst the finest in India.

WHERE TO STAY

FAIRLAWN
13A Sudder Street, Calcutta. A British/Armenian couple have ruled at this 18th-century colonial town house for nearly 40 years. The hotel is adjacent to the bustling New Market (the old Hogg Market), on a grid of narrow streets teeming with life. 20 rooms leading off the first-floor veranda are all decorated in a 1950s style: think tea trays, floral curtains, pink Thermos flasks and other paraphernalia. Many of the staff work here because their fathers did. Bedrooms are small and over-cluttered, but they are air-conditioned, unlike the public areas. This is the polar opposite of corporate lifestyle; lovers of kitsch will have a field day. Ismail Merchant and Tom Stoppard have both stayed here.

TAJ BENGAL
34b Belvedere Road, Alipore. This is a ten-year-old block of little architectural merit, but with attractive hanging gardens. It is geared to local and visiting businessmen. The 216 room hotel is sandwiched between the racecourse on one side and Alipore Zoo on the other, a short ride from the city centre. The Sonargaon restaurant has a fascinating rustic look and serves rare Bengali fish dishes. For those who don't want Indian food, the top-floor Chambers restaurant is the best of its kind in Calcutta. The upper floors on the poolside afford a city-centre panorama, including the dome of the Victoria Memorial, floodlit at night. This hotel has all that a business traveller needs in global communications and houses a shop selling beautiful silks.

THE OBEROI GRAND
15 Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta. Grand in name and nature, this is an ornate palace built in the early 1990s, and the first hotel acquired by the Oberoi family in 1938. It is ituated on the main road, opposite the Maidan, a vast green where boys play cricket. There are 215 rooms and six suites, all wonderfully quiet, with Shyam Ahuja fabrics, Raj-style furniture and sleek bathrooms. The service is well-drilled and attentive. The Gharana restaurant serves modern Indian food in a spacious venue; while Bann Thai restaurant is a superb option and the coffee shop serves light meals. Most rooms overlook the beautiful, palm-studded interior courtyard garden and pool. The Oberoi still pulls in all the names: the Duchess of Kent and Madame Chirac all stayed here for Mother Teresa's funeral.

THE PARK
17 Park Street, Calcutta. A compact boutique hotel with 132 rooms, that fuses distinctive artwork, marble floors and local crafts with a contemporary twist. It is located in the heart of the noisy main shopping district, near the Bengal Club and French Consulate. The Residence is on a separate floor and houses 17 suites and its own lounge and butler service. The Zen restaurant serves pan-Asian cuisine, highly popular with Bengalis. The Saffron restaurant looks sci-fi, but serves a variety of Indian thalis.

TOLLYGUNGE CLUB
120 Deshpran Sasmal Road. This elegant 200-year-old planter's house is set in 100 tranquil, leafy acres just south of the city centre, near 'Tollywood', the Bengali film HQ. There are 70 no-frills rooms, some with small seating areas, adequately maintained but functional. The view is a marvellously exotic recreation of Surrey, with perfectly kept fairways and a rich variety of trees and wildlife. There are extensive sporting facilities, with an 18-hole golf course, two swimming pools, tennis squash and riding stables. The best thing? The views, the lush greenery and the peace and quiet, all of which are in short supply in Calcutta.

WHERE TO EAT

Although Calcuttans love to dine out, traditional Bengali cooking is generally restricted to the home. The most cosmopolitan area of the city for bars and restaurants is the western end of Park Street.

WHAT TO SEE

BBD BAGH, DALHOUSIE SQUARE
When Calcutta was the administrative centre for British India, BBD (Binoy Badal Dinesh) Bagh was the centre of power. On the north side stands the huge Writers' Building, dating from 1880, when clerical workers were known as writers. The East India Company's writers' have now been replaced by modern-day West Bengal government employees.

BOTANICAL GARDENS
The Botanical Gardens at Shibpur lie10km south of Howrah Station on the west bank of the Hooghly. Populated by countless bird species, such as waders, cranes and storks, the gardens are best seen in winter and spring and early in the mornings.

HOWRAH BRIDGE
One of Calcutta's most famous landmarks, the bridge - officially called Rabindra Setu although few people use this name - is 97 metres high and 705 metres long. Until 1943 the Hooghly River was crossed by a pontoon bridge that opened to let river traffic through. To alleviate fears that the building of a new bridge would affect river currents and cause silting, the Howrah Bridge was constructed to cross the river in a single 450m span. This amazing feat of engineering is similar in size to Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge, but with a daily stream of some 100,000 vehicles and pedestrians too numerous to count, it is easily the busiest bridge in the world.

INDIAN MUSEUM
At the corner of Chowringhee and Sudder streets, the stately Indian Museum is the oldest and the largest museum in India, founded in 1814. Visitors come to the museum in their thousands. The main showpiece is a collection of stone and metal sculptures obtained from sites all over India, which centres on a superb Mauryan polished sandstone lion statue, dating from the third century BC.

KALIGHAT
Calcutta's most important temple is situated 5km south of Park Street along Ashutosh Mukherjee Road. Although it is outwardly a plain Bengali temple, it is a hive of activity and is dedicated to Kali, the black goddess and destructive side of Lord Shiva.

NIRMAL HRIDAY AND MOTHER TERESA
Mother Teresa, Calcutta's most famous citizen, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents and grew up in the former Yugoslavia. In her work at St Mary's School in Calcutta she became aware of the huge poverty around her and in 1948 clothed herself in the simple blue-bordered white sari that became the uniform of the Missionaries of Charity. The best known of their many homes and clinics is Nirmal Hriday, a hospice for destitutes.

NORTH CALCUTTA
The sprawling area of north Calcutta was long part of the 'native' town rather than the European sectors and was where the city's prosperous 19th-century Bengali families created their palaces. North of BBD Bagh, the area known as Barabazaar has played host to a succession of trading communities, including the Portuguese, and it later became home to Marwari and Gujarati merchants. The small and hectic lanes south of MG Road are lined with shops and stalls that sell everything from glass bangles to textiles.
At the northwest corner of Barabazaar, near Howrah Bridge, is Calcutta's oldest church, the Armenian Church of Our Lady of Nazareth. Founded in 1724 by Cavond, an Armenian from Persia, it was built on the site of an Armenian cemetery in which the oldest tombstone dates to 1630.
North of MG Road, on the tiny Muktaram Babu Street off Chittaranjan Avenue, the extraordinary Marble Palace preserves its lavish treasures in a somewhat cramped and dilapidated condition. Visitors should obtain passes to join a guided tour from the tourist offices at BBD Bagh. Built in 1835, the palace earns its name from its ornate marble-paved chambers which hold statues, European antiques, Belgian glass, chandeliers, Ming vases and paintings by Rubens, Titian, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Gainsborough.

TAGORE HOUSE
The brilliant poet, novelist, playwright and artist Rabindranath Tagore epitomised the cultural spirit of Calcutta and is India's greatest modern poet and a passionate nationalist. He penned what would become the lyrics for India's national anthem, Jana Gana Maya, and became Asia's first Nobel prizewinner for literature. The rambling complex of Tagore House is now a centre for Indian dance, drama and music. North of BBD Bagh, it houses an impressive museum and university for fine arts.

VICTORIA MEMORIAL
At the southern end of the Maidan stands the Victoria Memorial, possibly the most awesome reminder of the Raj to be found in India. This huge white-marble museum houses a vast collection of memorabilia from the days of the British empire.

WHERE TO SHOP
Calcutta's local specialities are terracotta ware and hand-woven cotton or silk saris. There are lots of interesting shops, including the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, lining Chowringhee Road, that sell everything from handicrafts to carpets. The shops along the entrance arcade to The Oberoi Grand hotel are worth a browse but are not as entertaining as Chowringhee's amazing variety of pavement vendors.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIRPORT
Calcutta's Netaji Subhas Chandra International Airport is located 24 kilometres north-east from the city. Taxis are extremely good value, particularly for long journeys, including to and from the airport.

AIRLINES FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Information to follow --

TOURIST INFO
The helpful Government of India Tourist Office, in Johannesburg - Tel: 011 325 0880  gives out helpful information for the city as well as for other destinations in India.
 
WHEN TO GO
Head to Calcutta from November to February, when temperatures are high (around 27ºC), but not unbearable, rainfall is low and the markets are filled with vegetables and fresh flowers. The city's biggest festival, Durga Puja, takes place in October and November.

Indians are hospitable and friendly people. A tourist need never be lost in India; most people are more than willing to go out of their way to guide you to your destination.

As with any foreign destination, the tourist is advised to drink bottled water, bottled drinks, coffee or tea. Most premier hotels have their own filtration system.