Mumbai flights and travel guide

Cheap flights to Mumbai or cheap flights to Bombay? Which to search for? Bombay became Mumbai in 1995, named in honour of Mumbadevi, the Hindu goddess, but many locals still call it by the name that Portuguese explorers bestowed on it in the 1600s - Bombay from "Bom" (good) and "Bahia" (bay). Whatever you call the city, you'll never forget your visit.

Mumbai is a city of perpetual movement. It never stops. The streets throng with humanity; about 20 million people call it home. It has a "New York"-type energy, and the gap between rich and poor is yawning wide. The mansions of the millionaires contrast sharply with the slums, where half of Mumbai's population live.

There are a few landmarks that the first-time visitor should not miss. One is the Gateway of India, built by the British in 1911. From there, many visitors will take boat trips to Elephanta Island to visit the ancient cave temples.

From Kamala Nehru Park, at the top of Malabar Hill, there are sumptuous views of the city, Chowpatty Beach and Marine Drive. At night, the lights twinkle and shine, resembling nothing so much as a diamond necklace, hence the unofficial name the Queen's Necklace.

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Mumbai climate

Mumbai's climate can be split into three seasons - winter (spans October to February), summer (March through May) and monsoon season (June to the end of September). Summer temperatures hit the 35-degree mark and humidity levels are high.

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When to fly to Mumbai

Peak Season: 

October through February is high season in Mumbai. This is when the weather is at its best - cooling breezes take the edge off the heat and humidity is not a factor. 

Off Season: 

June to September is low season. This is monsoon season, when Mumbai experiences heavy rainfall and high humidity.

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Getting into town Mumbai

From Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, there are several ways downtown. Taxis - metered and prepaid - are available. There's a railway reservation desk in Terminal 2 where you can organise a connection to Mumbai and beyond. City buses (for Mumbai) and a pre-paid coach service (other destinations in India) are also available.

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Getting around Mumbai

Taxis are cheap and plentiful and, given Mumbai's traffic, you won't need to rent a car to get around. Auto-rickshaws are allowed to operate beyond Bandra in the western suburbs and beyond Sion in the central suburbs. Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (known as BEST) operates an efficient and comprehensive bus service. Most Mumbaikars use the extensive Suburban Rail Network.

There are also intra-city ferry services such as one to the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Caves.

If you're happy to splurge, private, chauffeur-driven cars are available.

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Mumbai insider information

• Tours of Dharavi, the slum which featured in Slumdog Millionaire, have become popular with tourists since the movie came out in 2008. The tours are run by Reality Tours and Travel and the proceeds go to fund a community centre and kindergarten. Tipping is not allowed, nor is photographing the residents of Dharavi. 
• Dhobi ghat is an enormous, open-air laundry. From Dr E Moses Road, close to Mahalakshmi Station, you can watch as hundreds of men and women launder the clothes in stone troughs, hanging them up to dry. The freshly laundered clothes are delivered to their owners, the next load collected, and the cost? One rupee per item. 
• The Haji Ali Mosque houses the tomb of the Muslim Sufi saint Haji Ali. The mosque lies on a causeway in the Arabian Sea and can only be reached at low tide. At high tide the causeway is submerged and it looks as if the mosque is floating. 
• The beaches in Mumbai are not for sunbathing, they're for eating Bhelpuri (puffed rice and semolina with chutneys served with deep-fried wheat bread) and working it off with a game of beach cricket. 
• Chowpatty Beach in the evening when locals come out to stroll and the hawkers and entertainers buzz around is delightful. Juhu Beach is beautiful, and, as with Chowpatty, get there for the sunsets, the late-evening snackers and people watching. Versova Beach is known for its fishing community.
• Leopolds Cafe is the tourist fave, open since 1871, but to eat Mumbai-style head for one of the street stalls around the colleges. The food is tasty, fast and cheap and the Batata vada pao is the vintage snack. This spicy, fat, deep-fried potato dumpling in a generously buttered pao, slathered with chutney, will provide maximum energy for this "maximum city".

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Mumbai airports

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