India and especially Mumbai are increasingly popular destinations for student travellers, so be sure to look for student discount airfare. You can also use Mumbai as a jumping off point for other exciting Asia locales. Elegant Mumbai, the largest city in India and the capital of Mahrashtra state, is a beautiful city of seven islands overlooking the Konkan coastline. Formerly known as Bombay, Mumbai is now home to 17 million people, making it one of the largest cities in the world. Mumbai thrives on fashion and commerce, and it is also home to the legendary Bollywood, the Indian version of Hollywood, which really captures the eclectic, lively culture of the city. Mumbai also has a lot of shipping commerce, since it is a predominant port in India. This exciting city has tons of stuff to do and even more to see. Make this a spring break or study abroad destination and you’re sure to have a great time! There are plenty of youth hostels and cool hotels in Mumbai.
Mumbai has so many things to do, with a lot of the attractions right in the city. However, most outdoorsy activities are found outside the city limits due to lack of space. One of the biggest though kinda strange attractions right now is a “Slum Tour” by Reality Tours and Travel. These are walk-through education tours of Dharivi, Asia’s largest slum; Dobi Ghat, the largest open air laundry in the world; and the red light district. They are very safe and powerful tour experiences, with (fortunately) many of the proceeds going to charity. Mumbai is also usually the first stop for Western pop and rock stars heading for a European tour. These include famous acts like U2 and Pantera. Mumbai also has great harbour cruises that usually leave every 30 minutes daily. Cruises are a wonderful way to relax while seeing all the shipping and exporting that Mumbai is known for. Mumbai also holds many fun festivals throughout the year. These include Mumbai Festival, Banganga Festival, and Ramadan Festival. Yoga is huge in India, and Mumbai has some of the best places in the world to twist yourself into a happy pretzel. Check out the Yoga Institute where you can study from some of the top teachers in the world.