Sight Seeing In Mumbai City

Gateway of India

Mumbai's most famous landmark, The Gateway of India, is situated at Apollo Bunder. It was designed by George Wikket.

It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911.

Through this magnificent monument, numerous viceroys and governors were welcomed to India as they disembarked from their steamers, hence the name.

Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk)

This marvellous fountain was built in 1869, in honor of Sir Henry Bartle and Edward Frere. It is situated in the heart of the Mumbai city at a junction of five streets. The fountain has a figure of "Flora", the Roman Goddess of Flowers at the top.

Chowpatty Beach & Juhu Beach

Chowpatty beach is situated on Marine Drive. This beach is well-known for it's stalls selling "Bhel-Puri and Pani -Puri chat" a favourite fast food among the Mumbaites and visitors to the city.

Juhu Beach is the most popular beach in Mumbai which is 30 kms away from the heart of Mumbai. It is a long stretch of sandy beach from Santacruz to Vile-Parle. This is a very popular beach for picnic.

Both these beaches are crowded on week-ends.

Haji Ali

Haji Ali mosque, and the tomb of a Muslim saint, is located off shore, in the Arabian sea opposite Mahalaxmi temple. During high tide the walkway to the mosque is submerged in the sea and it can be visited only during low tide.

Kamala Nehru Park & Hanging Gardens

The giant Old woman's shoe in the Kamala Nehru Park  is very popular with children to play in.   One gets a panoramic view of parts of the city  from these parks situated at the height of Malabar Hill. When seen at night, the view of street lights of Marine Drive resemble a dazzling bejewelled   "Queen's Necklace". At sunset, the waterfall and fountains in the park are lit with colorful lights which are worth seeing. The Hanging Gardens surrounded by beautiful flower beds and lush green lawns are very popular as picnic spots.

Mahalaxmi Temple

This temple is situated very close to the sea off Mahalaxmi. This temple has three beautiful images of  Hindu goddesses, Mahalaksmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali which are made of  gold. During Navaratri festival, devoted Hindus throng this temple in great numbers to offer coconut, flowers and sweets to the goddesses.

Mount Mary Church

This is one of most prominent and splendid churches in Mumbai, situated in Bandra (West). During the month of September a week long fair is held which is attended by the people of all relegions.

Mahalaxmi Race Course

Situated in Mahalaxmi, this racecourse is one of the best in the world. The racing season is for six months from October to April. It attracts huge crowds for heavy betting.

Nehru Planetarium and Science Centre

This Sience Centre is named after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime-Minister. It is situated in Worli. It has a computer laboratory, mobile science exhibition units, a heritage hall, an auditorium, inflatable dome planetarium, science library and a children's science park.

The sky-show at the planetarium is very interesting with it's narration, sound effects and slide projections which combines entertainment with education. It has a library containing a large collection  of books on astronomy, astrophysics and space sciences.

The Prince of Wales Museum

This museum  stands not too far from the Gateway of India.   It has a priceless collection of art, sculpture, china and other antics. Carefully presereved, this mid-Victorian Gothic style building built in 1904 with beautiful gardens surrounding it, is worth visiting  in Mumbai.

Taraporewala Aquarium

Situated on the Marine Drive, this aquarium has fish in varying shapes, sizes and colour. It's a delight for children as well as grown-ups.

Victoria Gardens (Veermata Jeejabai Bhonsle Udyan)

These botanical  and zoological gardens have an interesting collection of flora and fauna. Apart from these, it also has a beautiful    gateway, an arched architctural screen  and a museum building in the Greco-Roman Style. A large stone elephant at the entrance is also worth seeing. These gardens are situated in Byculla.

Essel World- Amusement Park

Essel World is located on Gorai Island. It offers over 40 exciting rides, games, and attractions. The Water Kingdom is said to be the largest of its kind in Asia. This international-style theme park and amusement centre situated close to Gorai Beach is perfect for a one-day holiday. Special ferries get you across to the park and the entrance fee normally takes care of a fixed number of rides, which include the standard roller coaster and adventure themes, plus a water world section where kids can literally run amok. Summer is usually crowded, but the place also offers low budget monsoon packages and special deals on weekends.

Fantasy Land

Located at Jogeshwari, Fantasy Land provides many entertainment rides for those with appetite for adventurous rides. It is another amusement park made up of modern mechanism games for children and adults like Essel World. It is also a venue for fun and games for visitors of all ages. Fantasy Land, a fun park within the city limits of Mumbai, is enveloped in lush green landscape, spread on an area of 30 acres.

Sighseeing Outside Mumbai City

Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves are located on an island  about 10 Kms. away from the Gateway of India. These caves consist of temples carved from rock which date back to the 7th century.

The chief attraction is the three headed bust of Lord Shiva, popularly known as "Trimurti".

One can reach there by taking a ferry from Gateway of India.

Lonavala, Khandala, Karla Caves

Situated atop Western Ghats ( Mountain range) on Mumbai-Pune highway are the twin Hill resorts of Khandala and Lonavala. During monsoon the beauty of Khandala is enhanced when the clouds envelope them and several gushing waterfalls can be seen from the lush green hills. At Lonavala the Valvan and Bushy dams are worth visiting. When you drive a little further towards Pune from Lonavala, you reach Karla, where the famous Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa Caves are situated.