Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Green MuMbai
It's difficult to get bored in a city like Mumbai: you can be an extra in a Bollywood
extravaganza one day, see leopards in the wild the next, and on the third, visit the
Temples of Silence, where the Parsis lay their dead out for vultures to feed upon. Your
own food options are rather more appetizing: you can stroll down Chowpatty beach to
mix with the locals and snack on (puffed rice and diced potato with chutney,
onion and coriander); try every Indian regional cuisine in one of the many restaurants; or
stop by the side of the road for a samosa and sweet lassi (a flavoured yogurt drink). The
following four experiences give just a taste of what's on offer.
448 Visit a handicraft centre
India is home to over a billion people, more than
a thousand distinct languages and countless
different arts and handicrafts. Travelling across
the country, you'll no doubt encounter some of
these crafts, but the trouble is, in such a large
place, it would take you a lifetime to trawl them
all. Fortunately, since 1960, Fabindia has been
collecting them and bringing
them to a single location.
Pay a visit to one of its stores
- showcasing the finest
hand-made linens, textiles,
garments and jewellery,
sourced directly from village
craftsmen - and you're
bound to find something
worth taking home.
Sanjay Gandhi is, in places, truly wild. So wild
that there are leopards and, reputedly, the
occasional tiger lurking about - but they are
shy beasts, so the chances of coming across one
are pretty slim. Beloved by Mumbaikers for a
stroll, the huge park provides a unique getaway
from the crowds pounding the hot streets of
the city. Better still, book yourself into one
of the park huts, and as the hordes of people
ebb away towards closing time, you'll have the
park to yourself. The huts themselves are very
simple - there are no mod cons - but that's of
no significance as you peer through your hut
window, aware that somewhere out there in the
inky blackness, a leopard is prowling.
Shop for hand-made textiles
at Fabindia; Woman buying
a lassi from a Mumbai street
vendor
Need to know
To reserve a stay in either the
forest lodge or one of the surrounding huts, go to
W
www.tourism-of-india.comsanjaygandhi.html.
Need to know
Fabindia has
eleven stores in Mumbai, often
open until 9pm or later. They
also sell organic food. Visit
W
www.fabindia.com for more
information.
450 Stay in an Ecotel
If the thought of leopards outside your bedroom
window isn't your cup of chai, there are two great
hotels in Mumbai offering alternative encounters
with nature. The five-star Orchid is 15min from
the international airport, has a 21m waterfall in
the lobby and its own rooftop swimming pool from
where you can survey the busy Mumbai skyline.
The three-star Rodas, meanwhile, is located on
the edge of Powai Lake, where you can take a
boat out and watch the crocodiles basking on
the banks. By undertaking a range of initiatives
to reduce their environmental impact - from
the design of the buildings, stringent water and
energy conservation, composting food waste and
even providing sustainably produced slippers
449 Sleep in the park
with leopards
Where London has Hyde
Park and New York has
Central Park, Mumbai has
Sanjay Gandhi National
Park, also known as Boravili.
While the others are well-
tended city parks, however,
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