Mumbai a colourful city, also known as Bombay, is the largest city in India with a population of almost 19 million. And let me tell you, it really does feel like the busiest city in the world were people live on top of each other! Never have I experienced such crazy traffic were vehicles cross and pass each other so closely. Literally less than 10 cm! However the people seem to be in peace with their existence, family and living habits. I was very fortunate to have an amazing tour guide, that even brought us to his home to introduce his daughters to us who were graduating from the University. This was the block were he lived.
A great sightseeing place is the Gateway of India. Build by the British and is located in front of the harbour.
Here you could take the boat to the rock-cut temples of Gharapuri, also known as the Elephanta Island. The Elephanta caves are an Unesco World Heritage Site.
Once arrived on the island you could take a train or walk down the pier. There you started a hike track of about 20 minutes, depending on how busy it is, of stairs leading to the Elephanta Caves.
On the way there are many shops were you can buy souvenirs. Then you'll also find some animals on the island (spoiler alert), unfortunately no elephants but you will find some of these monkeys.
And then of course the Elephanta Caves!
Another sight in Mumbai is the Laundry place. You might recognize the location as it was used in the Bollywood movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The laundry made an impact on me and I felt uncomfortable watching these people work so hard as I was stood there with my camera. It was hard for me to take a picture of this place and at the same time I could appreciate what I had so much more.
There were a couple more places we went to including a cashew nut factory, which was once again very impressive!
India is a bright coloured country and I can understand why it is very attractive for backpackers. Religion and family play a big part of their lifestyle. There is lots to learn and they seem to have a very peaceful view on life. Nevertheless it is one of the craziest cities I have ever been to.