Heritage Buildings in Mumbai. 1.(see post below- 7 Islands of Bombay

Left, Flora Fountain, right The Taj Hotels and the Gateway of India. Below, Marine Drive.








below- Flora Fountain, third row-C. S. Terminus(formerly Victoria Terminus)-2 views, below 4th row Municipal Corpn HQ and the Gateway of India (second view.).

Facts on Mumbai/Bombay: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai

My recommendations: if you are staying opposite the Gateway of India(pictured above) in the very pricey Taj Palace or Taj Hotel, a stroll down to the monument and then down the Oppollo Pier that runs along the hotels and further south, its an experience......you will meet the very varied peoples of India out there as local tourists or local city dwellers on their evening stroll!!!

I assume guided tours by airconditioned coaches, organised by good hotels should cover all the sights.

On your own, its worth strolling down Colaba Causeway, from Regal Cinema, behind the Taj Hotels, south to the 100s shops lining Colaba Causeway. Eating out at Leopold Cafe midway at this Causeway, is an experience. Dont miss seeing the Cusrow Baug further south.

Visit Flora Fountain (now called Hutatma Chowk), shop at Akbarally's shopping and other shops nearby; visit, further north the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station (Victoria Terminus), this Gothic-Saracenic structure is worth seeing; look at the monumental Bombay Municipal HQ building opposite, it is a tall stone structure of its kind (see pics above.), visit Crawford Market further north, for an amzing experience of an Indian fruit and vegetables etc market; and a very short distance, the Zhaveri Bazaar to go agog at the fabulous jewelery shops there.

If you choose to go around at morning and evening office rush hour, be prepared for a huge huge mass of honking cars and buses and people people people!!!

Other must see sights: Marine Drive, and Churchgate Station west of Flora Fountain, Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill, also for a view of south Mumbai; tell your guide to point out the Parsi Towers of Silence vast forested grounds (the actual squat towers where the dead are left exposed to the sun inside these towers, are out of view range.)
From the Gateway of India, if your package excludes this, book your boat/vessel tickets at the pier, and sail across the harbour ( a great experience by itself), to go view the ancient Buddhist caves of 1st century B.C. - the Elephanta Caves.