What are the 3 things that come to your mind when someone talk about Mumbai?
Bollywood, Seven Islands and Rich captivating History?
Trust me, there is a lot more to this City of Dreams.

First of all, Mumbai is given this title only because end number of people from small towns and rural areas have seen their dreams get fulfilled in the City. What dream? Well, small towns are facing challenges, including rapid growth at metropolitan edges, declining rural populations, and loss of farms which compels many small towners to leave their home sweet home and move to Mumbai.

While, Mumbai is the financial capital of India, most people have reported Mumbai to be the safest with the Mumbaikar’s Eveready attitude to help and go that extra mile in whichever way possible.

I am Meenakshi Sakhare, a Travel Enthusiast and blogger. It “East meets the West” for me as my Mom is from the East (Assam- famous for tea plantations and timber plantation) and Dad is from the Western Part (Mumbai). Born and raised in Mumbai and been to each and every inch and part of the City, I hope I will be able to make your journey to Mumbai less troublesome and experience a memorable one!

As travellers, we often want to absorb the most out of the places we visit, the culture, traditions and way of Life are some of the few things that every traveller looks for, with a dash of comfort zone. Not to mention the Culture shocks such as cow on the road and people travelling over the buses are obvious part).

Known for its diverse culture, Mumbai is also famous for its modern cafes, bistros, lounges one must definitely experience.

Let’s list the places as per the months and your mood 

Mumbai has three seasons- If your travelling between months March to July, Let me warn you the summers in Mumbai are not as hot as Dubai but this place can get very sweaty considering the high rise in humidity. You may also want to carry enough water with you or drink Nariyal Pani (coconut water) and Nimbu Paani (Lemonade with cumin) from the streets.

DAY 1
Start your trip early morning by passing the BANDRA WORLI SEA LINK to reach GATEWAY OF INDIA. We take the ferry at 09.00am to visit ELEPHANTA CAVES. The ferry travel time is about an hour. The first boat leaves from the Gateway of India for Elephanta at 9 am. The last one for Elephanta leaves at 2pm. And typically there is one leaving for Elephanta every 30 minutes, between 9 am and 2 pm. Also note, Elephanta Caves are closed on Mondays. The first return boat leaves Elephanta by 12 noon. The last one at 5.30 pm. And you'll find a return boat every 30 minutes in between.
Expect to get a fine view of the Mumbai Harbor and the Gateway of India with the Taj Mahal Hotel adjacent to it. You may also pass a few massive tanker ships moored and the Butcher's Island with a whitewashed fort on it.
Evening- Sit by the Marina café overlooking the beautiful Arabian Sea at Gateway of India and gorge on some delicious food or just grab a beer.
Night – Walk by the beautiful Marine Drive which is a 3km stretch starting from the north of Nariman Point and ending at the famous Chowpatty beach, along the sea coast of South Mumbai.

DAY 2
Today you will be remind of your school picnic… Haha! Yes those museums and places filed with Arts and History.

- Remember the Satyagraha, Swadeshi Khadi and Khilafat movement that we studies in History. Yes we are visiting MANI BHAVAN GANDHI MUSEUM. This place was Gandhi's Mumbai headquarters for about 17 years, from 1917 to 1934 and where Gandhi resided and conducted political meetings.

- Today Prince of Wales Museum (now known as Chatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangralaya) houses about 50,000 artefacts and has an outstanding collection comprising of sculptures, terracotta’s, bronzes, excavated artefacts from the Harappan sites, Indian miniature paintings, European paintings, porcelain and ivories from China and Japan, etc. Besides these, the Museum has a separate Natural History section.
- Yay! Lets build sand castles and watch the beautiful sunset at Juhu Beach. What makes this beach any different are the fun activities like balloons, bubbles, fortune telling Robot and bollywood celebs like Mahesh Bhatt taking a stroll in the parks inside the beach.
- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare- ISKON Temple is famous all around the world for its beauty, peace and dedication. Experience the taste of Krishna's mercy through multitudes of delicious lacto-vegetarian preparations in a jubilant devotional setting at Govinda’s Restaurant. Don’t be shocked to see foreigners wearing orange clothes (County) nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby following footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service. Truly Transcedental!

Day 3 -Today we will go shopping at two grand markets namely Colaba Causeway and Fashion street. We will also go to Mount Marry Church.

Day 4 –Today we will visit Haji Ali Dargah, Girgaum Chowpatty, Hanging Garden, Kala Ghoda Festival

Day 5- Today we go to amusement Park at Essel World and also visit the famous

Day 6- We visit The Global Pagoda.

Day 7-Wild Animals, Toy train and an adventure cave (Kanheri) is Calling us from the deep dark jungle at Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

What are we going to eat?

Breakfast- Cafe or a Breakfast Joint (the Mumbaikar way)

http://www.freepressjournal.in/food/brighten-your-mornings-with-21-best-breakfast-joints-in-mumbai/724484
Fat Man’s Cafe
Fat Man’s Cafe serves king size breakfast portions to kick start your early morning hunger pangs. Their waffles, pancakes and a variety of egg items are bound to attract you over and over again.

Cafe Madras
A glorious place serving Indian breakfast fare with lip smacking flavours of South India. Their crispy dosas and fluffy idlis are to die for. Their other food specials include Upma Podi, Rasam Idli, and Malga Podi. The place is always packed to devour pure deliciousness.
Location: 38 B, Circle House, King’s Circle, Matunga East.
Cost for two: 250 INR approximately
Kyani & Co.
The charm of Irani Cafe culture is very well loved in Mumbai. Kyani & Co. happens to be one of the oldest Irani food joints in Mumbai, that goes back to more than a century old. The place is not too fancy with a reasonably priced menu. However, foodies from all strata of society come over to feast on their delectable breakfast. Their toast, kharis, kheema pav and the classic Irani chai makes for a perfect breakfast on the go.
Location: JSS Road, Jer Mahal Estate, Opposite Metro Cinema, Marine Lines.
Cost for two: 200 INR approximately
Dakshinayan
This one’s another option for those who are in the mood of South Indian breakfast. With food created to satiate your salivating taste buds, Dakshinayan sums up to be a great breakfast pick.
Location: Juhu and Malabar Hill.
Cost for two: 600 INR approximately
Cafe Basilico
It is collated in a Victorian Building with classic interiors and French windows to give you that essence of a vintage dining atmosphere. Popular for their Eggs Shakshouka, which are poached eggs placed on top of creamed spinach and crispy English muffins. Cafe Basilico holds a special place in serving fresh breakfast that blends in its surroundings of art and culture.
Location: Colaba and Bandra.
Cost for two: 2000 INR approximately
Silver Beach Café
JUHU
Candies
They have been serving awesomeness for the last 25 years. Their menu includes a variety of snacks, meals and desserts. With gorgeous interiors, Candies is a favourite among foodies for their eclectic mix of food creations.
Location: Pali Hill, Bandra West and Reclamation, Bandra West.
Cost for two: 700 INR approximately
Theobroma
It might seem as an unusual choice of place to have breakfast, but when they’re not baking their sweet delights, they serve come classic breakfast options. Their full English Breakfast is what you need to try, which includes two sunny side ups, baked beans, bacon, sausages, mushroom tossed with corn and onion, hash browns and toast.
Location: Powai, Bandra, Colaba, Andheri, Goregaon, Peddar Road, Fort, and Breach Candy.
Cost for two: 600 INR approximately
Eat Around the Corner
Tucked away amidst Bandra, Eat Around the Corner offers multiple combinations of breakfast. From a variety of preparations made of eggs, bacon, sausages and bread, this place will kick in your taste buds and make you want more.
Location: 24th & 30th Road Junction, Opposite St Theresa’s Boys High School, TPS III, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
Cost for two: 900 INR approximately

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Networking helps.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Solo Trip To Goa twice in a month.

What I Can Share with Hosts

What are the 3 things that come to your mind when someone talk about Mumbai?
Bollywood, Seven Islands and Rich captivating History?
Trust me, there is a lot more to this City of Dreams.

First of all, Mumbai is given this title only because end number of people from small towns and rural areas have seen their dreams get fulfilled in the City. What dream? Well, small towns are facing challenges, including rapid growth at metropolitan edges, declining rural populations, and loss of farms which compels many small towners to leave their home sweet home and move to Mumbai.

While, Mumbai is the financial capital of India, most people have reported Mumbai to be the safest with the Mumbaikar’s Eveready attitude to help and go that extra mile in whichever way possible.

I am Meenakshi Sakhare, a Travel Enthusiast and blogger. It “East meets the West” for me as my Mom is from the East (Assam- famous for tea plantations and timber plantation) and Dad is from the Western Part (Mumbai). Born and raised in Mumbai and been to each and every inch and part of the City, I hope I will be able to make your journey to Mumbai less troublesome and experience a memorable one!

As travellers, we often want to absorb the most out of the places we visit, the culture, traditions and way of Life are some of the few things that every traveller looks for, with a dash of comfort zone. Not to mention the Culture shocks such as cow on the road and people travelling over the buses are obvious part).

Known for its diverse culture, Mumbai is also famous for its modern cafes, bistros, lounges one must definitely experience.

Let’s list the places as per the months and your mood 

Mumbai has three seasons- If your travelling between months March to July, Let me warn you the summers in Mumbai are not as hot as Dubai but this place can get very sweaty considering the high rise in humidity. You may also want to carry enough water with you or drink Nariyal Pani (coconut water) and Nimbu Paani (Lemonade with cumin) from the streets.

DAY 1
Start your trip early morning by passing the BANDRA WORLI SEA LINK to reach GATEWAY OF INDIA. We take the ferry at 09.00am to visit ELEPHANTA CAVES. The ferry travel time is about an hour. The first boat leaves from the Gateway of India for Elephanta at 9 am. The last one for Elephanta leaves at 2pm. And typically there is one leaving for Elephanta every 30 minutes, between 9 am and 2 pm. Also note, Elephanta Caves are closed on Mondays. The first return boat leaves Elephanta by 12 noon. The last one at 5.30 pm. And you'll find a return boat every 30 minutes in between.
Expect to get a fine view of the Mumbai Harbor and the Gateway of India with the Taj Mahal Hotel adjacent to it. You may also pass a few massive tanker ships moored and the Butcher's Island with a whitewashed fort on it.
Evening- Sit by the Marina café overlooking the beautiful Arabian Sea at Gateway of India and gorge on some delicious food or just grab a beer.
Night – Walk by the beautiful Marine Drive which is a 3km stretch starting from the north of Nariman Point and ending at the famous Chowpatty beach, along the sea coast of South Mumbai.

DAY 2
Today you will be remind of your school picnic… Haha! Yes those museums and places filed with Arts and History.

- Remember the Satyagraha, Swadeshi Khadi and Khilafat movement that we studies in History. Yes we are visiting MANI BHAVAN GANDHI MUSEUM. This place was Gandhi's Mumbai headquarters for about 17 years, from 1917 to 1934 and where Gandhi resided and conducted political meetings.

- Today Prince of Wales Museum (now known as Chatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangralaya) houses about 50,000 artefacts and has an outstanding collection comprising of sculptures, terracotta’s, bronzes, excavated artefacts from the Harappan sites, Indian miniature paintings, European paintings, porcelain and ivories from China and Japan, etc. Besides these, the Museum has a separate Natural History section.
- Yay! Lets build sand castles and watch the beautiful sunset at Juhu Beach. What makes this beach any different are the fun activities like balloons, bubbles, fortune telling Robot and bollywood celebs like Mahesh Bhatt taking a stroll in the parks inside the beach.
- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare- ISKON Temple is famous all around the world for its beauty, peace and dedication. Experience the taste of Krishna's mercy through multitudes of delicious lacto-vegetarian preparations in a jubilant devotional setting at Govinda’s Restaurant. Don’t be shocked to see foreigners wearing orange clothes (County) nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby following footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service. Truly Transcedental!

Day 3 -Today we will go shopping at two grand markets namely Colaba Causeway and Fashion street. We will also go to Mount Marry Church.

Day 4 –Today we will visit Haji Ali Dargah, Girgaum Chowpatty, Hanging Garden, Kala Ghoda Festival

Day 5- Today we go to amusement Park at Essel World and also visit the famous

Day 6- We visit The Global Pagoda.

Day 7-Wild Animals, Toy train and an adventure cave (Kanheri) is Calling us from the deep dark jungle at Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

What are we going to eat?

Breakfast- Cafe or a Breakfast Joint (the Mumbaikar way)

http://www.freepressjournal.in/food/brighten-your-mornings-with-21-best-breakfast-joints-in-mumbai/724484
Fat Man’s Cafe
Fat Man’s Cafe serves king size breakfast portions to kick start your early morning hunger pangs. Their waffles, pancakes and a variety of egg items are bound to attract you over and over again.

Cafe Madras
A glorious place serving Indian breakfast fare with lip smacking flavours of South India. Their crispy dosas and fluffy idlis are to die for. Their other food specials include Upma Podi, Rasam Idli, and Malga Podi. The place is always packed to devour pure deliciousness.
Location: 38 B, Circle House, King’s Circle, Matunga East.
Cost for two: 250 INR approximately
Kyani & Co.
The charm of Irani Cafe culture is very well loved in Mumbai. Kyani & Co. happens to be one of the oldest Irani food joints in Mumbai, that goes back to more than a century old. The place is not too fancy with a reasonably priced menu. However, foodies from all strata of society come over to feast on their delectable breakfast. Their toast, kharis, kheema pav and the classic Irani chai makes for a perfect breakfast on the go.
Location: JSS Road, Jer Mahal Estate, Opposite Metro Cinema, Marine Lines.
Cost for two: 200 INR approximately
Dakshinayan
This one’s another option for those who are in the mood of South Indian breakfast. With food created to satiate your salivating taste buds, Dakshinayan sums up to be a great breakfast pick.
Location: Juhu and Malabar Hill.
Cost for two: 600 INR approximately
Cafe Basilico
It is collated in a Victorian Building with classic interiors and French windows to give you that essence of a vintage dining atmosphere. Popular for their Eggs Shakshouka, which are poached eggs placed on top of creamed spinach and crispy English muffins. Cafe Basilico holds a special place in serving fresh breakfast that blends in its surroundings of art and culture.
Location: Colaba and Bandra.
Cost for two: 2000 INR approximately
Silver Beach Café
JUHU
Candies
They have been serving awesomeness for the last 25 years. Their menu includes a variety of snacks, meals and desserts. With gorgeous interiors, Candies is a favourite among foodies for their eclectic mix of food creations.
Location: Pali Hill, Bandra West and Reclamation, Bandra West.
Cost for two: 700 INR approximately
Theobroma
It might seem as an unusual choice of place to have breakfast, but when they’re not baking their sweet delights, they serve come classic breakfast options. Their full English Breakfast is what you need to try, which includes two sunny side ups, baked beans, bacon, sausages, mushroom tossed with corn and onion, hash browns and toast.
Location: Powai, Bandra, Colaba, Andheri, Goregaon, Peddar Road, Fort, and Breach Candy.
Cost for two: 600 INR approximately
Eat Around the Corner
Tucked away amidst Bandra, Eat Around the Corner offers multiple combinations of breakfast. From a variety of preparations made of eggs, bacon, sausages and bread, this place will kick in your taste buds and make you want more.
Location: 24th & 30th Road Junction, Opposite St Theresa’s Boys High School, TPS III, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
Cost for two: 900 INR approximately