Mumbai

Buy

Visa, MasterCards and Indian RuPay cards are widely accepted in the city shops. Many shopping establishments also accept American Express, Diners and host of other cards. However, some of the small shops or family-run shops may not accept these cards and some handy cash can be of help here. ATMs are widely available and many debit cards accepted as well. If you have an Indian bank account or credit card, you may not need to carry too much of cash. If you are a foreigner, it is a good idea to carry some cash to avoid charges while using your credit or debit card.

Many stores and websites accept payments using mobile wallets and Unified Payment Interface (UPI). Some of the popular payment apps are PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, BHIM and Amazon Pay.

In general, costs in Mumbai are higher than the rest of India, though they are still much lower by Western standards.

The shopping experience in the city is a study in contrasts. At the lower end of the spectrum are street vendors. Existing at the borderline of legality, entire streets have been given over to these hawkers and in many places it is impossible to walk on the footpaths, because they have blocked the way. On the other hand, these vendors often give you a great bargain though you will have to haggle a lot and be careful about what to buy. There's nothing like taking a local along to shop for you.

Family-run shops, Or one could do shopping at family-run shops, where the items are behind the counter and one has to ask the …

Eat

thumbnail|The Mumbai lunch consists of white rice, vegetable fries, dhal fries, onion, yoghurt and pooris.

The dining experience at an upscale restaurant in Mumbai is more or less the same as anywhere else in the world. You can find cuisine from the Middle East, Western Europe, North America and China easily. But to get a real flavour of what's unique to Mumbai, you will have to go a little lower down the scale and experience the street food and Irani cafes. Since March 2015, beef is banned in Maharashtra, and therefore in Mumbai. Therefore, it is uncommon to find beef served in restaurants. For individual restaurants and other places to eat, go to the individual district pages.

Don't leave Mumbai without trying: Alphonso Mangoes during summer season As many different kinds of chaat (Bhelpuri, Pav Bhaji etc.) as your stomach can handle Bread Maska (Bread & Butter) from an Irani Cafe Goan seafood Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Managlorean special, and Kerala Thali Indian Chinese Indian sweets: milky, delicious concoctions (try the kulfi falooda at Badshah's in Crawford market) Kebab rolls, Pattis, Keema Particularly late-night at Bade Miyaan's behind the Taj near Colaba Causeway (also if the lights are off in order to avoid bribing the cops, do still try to approach it as it is likely to still be serving) Kingfisher Blue beer (not common in eateries, but only most "wine shops" (liquor stores) South Indian food from an Udupi restaurant Vada pav (the Indian veg burger): known to be …

Sleep

thumb|250px|Taj Mahal Hotel at night

It is very difficult to find good-budget hotels in Mumbai. If you are a tourist or a business traveller, you may have to stay in South Mumbai, which is where both the business district and the touristy areas are. Lack of space means that even the cheapest hotel charges stratospheric tariffs. The state of public transport and traffic means that it is not really a good choice to stay anywhere else. In any case, things aren't much better if you are looking for hotels close to the airport. You should be looking at the Western Suburbs in that case. There are many guest houses at Colaba, where you find most of the budget foreign travellers stay. Other budget hotels are found near railway stations, such as Dadar or Santacruz, but most of them are absolute dumps. One safe and economical place to stay in Mumbai is the YMCA. Reasonably priced accommodations are available at the Colaba, Bombay Central, Andheri and CBD Belapur Branches.

One inexpensive alternative is to live with a local family as a paying guest. A list of available families can be obtained from the Government of India tourist office (+91 22 2220 7433) opposite .

On the other hand, if money is of no object, you can stay at the Taj in Colaba (the oldest in India), the Leela Kempinski, the ITC Grand Maratha, or the JW Marriott Mumbai, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre.

Stay safe

Unlike other parts of the country, especially Delhi where rape is prevalent, crime is rare, except for possibly common crime like pickpocketing.

Violent crime in Mumbai is more or less like any other large Indian city.

It is best to err on the side of safety and act according to your local environment. Here are a few basic safety tips:

Keep your money and credit cards safe at all times. Always carry some cash as many places won't take cards. Do not openly display ₹500 and ₹2,000 notes in public. The available currency notes are ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, ₹500 and ₹2,000 and the available coins for tender are ₹1, ₹2, ₹5 and ₹10. Beware of someone giving you currency notes of any other denomination (though it is very unlikely; as they would have to be exchanged with the Reserve Bank of India; the central bank of India). The Indian government demonetised the old ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes in November 2016. Travelling in Mumbai is generally safe at any time of the day or night. The risks primarily run if you are not aware of the fares and fare calculations (only applicable to non-electronic and non-prepaid meters). If you travel alone, especially in night, then always see the meter by yourself and then pay the fare. If you are alone, sit in front so that you can see the meter. There have been cases where taxi drivers con people, mostly tourists, by taking longer routes, charging extra for luggage, tampering with the meter and fooling the passenger by exchanging ₹500 with a ₹100 …

Stay healthy

As elsewhere in India, be careful with what you eat. Outside of major tourist hotels and restaurants, stay away from raw leafy vegetables, egg-based dressings like mayonnaise and minced meat are particularly risky. In short, stick to boiled, baked, fried or peeled goods.

Opinions on tap water vary, but most visitors choose to stick to the bottled stuff. Large bottles of water can be purchased at a very low cost. When buying water from street vendors, make sure the lid is sealed: there have been cases of bottles being filled with tap water and sold as new.

Smog can reach unhealthful levels, especially during the dry season. This, coupled with the summer heat and humidity can make spending time outdoors quite unpleasant.

Numerous fitness centres exist throughout the city. Many exercise facilities and spas offer 24-hour memberships for visitors and are a popular way to unwind after a long day of touring in Mumbai.

Go next

Ambernath ( NE - take a train to here) — See the Lord Shiva Temple (16th century) Chiplun ( S, on Konkan railway route between Khed & Ratnagiri Stns) — Here are the Chiveli Vagheshwari Temple and the Pandavas Caves Ratnagiri ( S, 6-7 hr journey in train from Mumbai, same comfortable using a (A/c & Non A/c) bus) — Ratnadurga Sea Fort, Thebaw Pagoda Palace Rajapur ( S, 8.5 hr) — Visit the Yeshwantgad, an island fortification Badlapur ( NE - to get in is by Local Trains (EMU), hourly) — Fort, Water Park Dombivli ( NE; 40 min in a fast train from CST to reach 'Kopar Stn.', by bus ~1 hr 30 min) Kalyan ( NE; by train towards Karjat or Kasara would reach Kalyan in around 45-55 min) - Visit the Fort Navi Mumbai — see the Belapur Fort ruins and watch cricket at DY Patil Stadium Thane (N ) — also called Lake City due to the 30 lakes in and around the city Raigad — district of Maharashtra lies just south of Mumbai. It is famous for its beaches and forts. You can get there by road or by ferry from Mumbai. The important ferry routes are: Ferry Wharf, Mazagaon, Mora (Uran). Ferry Wharf, Mazagaon, Rewas (near Mandwa). These are in budget range. Gateway of India, Rewas. Fast boats and Catamarans operated by private operators. Service approximately every two hours, suspended during the monsoon season, i.e. May-Oct. From Rewas, take a bus or car to Alibag. Hill Stations — following are some of the hill stations that can be weekend gate…