Formerly Bombay, Mumbai has many nicknames, including the ‘City of Lights’ and the ‘City of Dreams’. It lights up the sky with its Marine Drive promenade, while as the film capital of India and birthplace of Bollywood, it’s considered a land of opportunity. Once an archipelago of seven islands, Mumbai was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries as part of an engineering project. The city’s buildings present a medley of influences: alongside Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic and contemporary references, Victorian Gothic Revival architecture is alive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (previously Victoria Terminus Station).
What to do in Mumbai
A street-food mainstay, vada pav, a local Maharashtrian food, is a must-try, as are the authentic Goan-influenced seafood dishes. And no trip to Mumbai is complete without a visit to the fabled Elephanta Caves, within Mumbai Harbour on Elephanta Island. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the caves’ temple carvings date back to AD 450 to 750.
