Being born and brought up in Mumbai it is the best city for me in the world. I love this city so much. Hence, most of my blog posts are about Mumbai city tour and local attractions. As travellers, we have always been surprised by the wonders of nature and the landscape that I see around.
However, there are times when surprises come from the most unexpected situations. When we started this blog, our sole objective was to offer reliable information about various Indian destinations.
Over the last couple of years, we have been receiving questions from readers who email us their queries. Some sensible ones, some funny and some really weird questions. We try to answer them as honestly as we could based on our opinions and experiences.
How It Happened?
In August, we received an email from Iris. She was visiting India with Angel and would be in Mumbai for a day or two. She mentioned that they were a bit lost about making decisions and would appreciate if we can help them. After a series of emails back and forth, we decided to meet. We decided to give her the Mumbai city tour.
For me and Sarah, this was a completely new experience because we never did a Mumbai city tour before. However, both I and Sarah were excited and nervous on that day.
We Met Finally
The day started off with me and Sarah heading to the hotel where Iris and Angel were staying. Luckily, for us they were staying in South Mumbai, so it became much easier for us to plan the entire Mumbai city tour in my mind.
As we only had one day it was challenging for me to show all the local places. Mumbai is a big city and therefore you need multiple days for Mumbai city tour. To make it convenient, we split the tour into two sessions: pre-lunch and post-lunch.
Our Mumbai City Tour Pre-Lunch Sesssion
Since we were in Colaba we started walking the alleys close to their hotel. We showed them the iconic Taj Palace and Taj Tower and later walked towards the iconic Regal Cinema. We shared information on old theatres in Mumbai.
Right opposite the street is the Majestic House that has the Sahakari Bhandar outlet. Angel and Iris instantly fell in love with the Neo-Classical architecture of the Majestic House. We talked about how various invaders and colonial empires had their impact on the architecture in India and Mumbai.
As we walked further, we had a really long session of questions and answers. Next up, we came to the Elphinstone College. I’ve been a proud Elphinstonian and I was happy to share them its history.
Sarah could see me enjoy explaining the traditions, culture and different topics related to India. As we went further we showed Angel & Iris the oldest 5-star hotel in the city – The Watson Hotel. We could see the amazement on their faces as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
A 5-star hotel of the bygone era now in shambles. It is also the oldest cast iron building in India, still functional, as many lawyers have their offices in here.
We strolled through the Kala Ghoda area exploring the Jehangir Art Gallery, David Sassoon Library, Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, University of Mumbai and the most popular Flora Fountain.
The month of August is a monsoon month in Mumbai and India as well. Hence, the humidity factor is really high. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining, but the sun was climbing high. A couple of hours into our Mumbai city tour we decided to take a break for lunch.
Taking a Lunch Break
For lunch, we decided to take our Spanish guests for an authentic Indian lunch treat. I and Sarah mutually decided to take them to Cream Centre. We wanted to offer them a good Punjabi food with the right amount of spice. The funny thing is I used to work here during my college days. It felt nostalgic to me to step into the restaurant after 16 long years.
We ordered Chana Bhatura, Paneer Makhanwala and some rotis and naans. However, we skipped the regular brownie and ice cream dessert. Instead we went to the ‘New Kulfi Centre‘ that sells kulfi for almost six decades. Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream made from pure milk cream and sugar and there are no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Mumbai City Tour Post Lunch Session
Iris and Angel were in Mumbai for a day before they head to another city. Hence, they had plans to do reservations for their next destination. We decided to help them with the reservation part instead of going for the Mumbai city tour.
So we next headed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as the Victoria Terminus. It’s one of the biggest stations in India and Mumbai. The reservation process was swift and we were ready to head to out next spot.
In our post lunch Mumbai city tour we explored the St. Thomas Cathedral, The Asiatic Library (Town Hall), and The Mumbai Samachar Building. We did some photography on the steps of the Town Hall.
After that we decided to hangout at the Starbucks in the area. We sip some coffee and had casual conversations on our personal lives and work and so on. It was a unique experience for both Sarah and me. For a shy people like us, this was a moment to interact with the real people.
Later, we took a cab to Marine Drive for a great sunset experience. There was no way we would have let them go without experiencing the Mumbai sunset experience. We sat there for an hour or more sharing information on our traditions, food, cultures, and viewpoints. I shared with them information that will help them to cut down their cost the next time they visit India.
Enjoying the Sunset at Marine Drive Mumbai
We Became Friends Forever
Our Mumbai city tour had come to an end. It was time to bid them goodbye and let them continue on their journey across India. We exchanged our information before we departed.
For me and Sarah, this was a unique and a memorable experience interacting with people from a different country at a personal level. We became friends forever and are connected online. We hope that they visit India again and come down to Mumbai. This would allow us another opportunity to meet again and show them a different part of the city that they missed then.
11 comments
It sounds like you were an excellent tour guide. I’m sure you made their visit very special.
I tried my best, Dan.
This was terrific Sharukh! I am envious of Iris and Angel but so happy they had you and Sarah to give them such a marvelous tour of your city. When I told my husband about your day and that I was envious, he told me to start saving! Who knows? I really need to visit Ireland and England as it is heavy on my heart but perhaps I can take a long way around when I go. Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. 😀👏🏻
I and Sarah would be so glad to receive you in Mumbai and show you the city around. I know you want the train trip in the mountains and I will arrange that for you and your hubby. So, start saving.
Clink, clank….that is the sound of my coins going into the piggy bank! 😀
It’s always awesome to connect with Iris and Angel, showing them SoBo. You making me jealous with your Mumbai posts and I am tempted to do a special SoBo feature. I was staying in SoBo only. It always rocks. Awesome post:)
Well, South Bombay is my home too, so I have a special connection with this place. When Iris and Angel asked me to help them with the tour, I was excited to show them the place I call home. I’m waiting for your SoBo special feature.
What a kind and thoughtful tour you planned!! I imagine Iris and Angel were thrilled with the day because I would have been for sure. I can’t think of a more perfect way to spend a day in an unfamiliar city than with a local.
It sounds like you had a lot of fun showcasing your city in spite of your anxiety in the beginning 🙂
I guess the thoughtfulness came in because of the anxiety. I was a bit nervous, so I wanted to make sure I prepare well rather than making myself look like a fool in front of my guests. I and Sarah usually plan our outings and I did the same here. Yes, touring the city with a local certainly helps and I enjoyed touring the city more than anybody else. I think I never knew of this hidden talent in me. I always thought I’m not good enough at being a guide, but this experience was quite encouraging. I also give credit to Iris and Angel who were very cooperative and understanding.
If your post is any indication, I think you’re a very good guide 🙂
Thank you for your comment.