Page 150 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2023 SPECIAL CRUISE EDTION

We started in Mumbai, the second largest
ple. It is the major trading and financial center MUMBAI
urban area in India, with some 21 million peo-

on the Arabian sea, with impressive port facili-
ties, business districts, the Bollywood industry
and bustling retail centers everywhere. Our
Oberoi Hotel (220 rooms, No. 10 in the Conde
Nast CN Traveler readers’ poll of best hotels in
India) was in the city’s prime shopping district
of Nariman Point and overlooked the ocean.
We had a view of the action along the Marine
Drive boardwalk at all hours – the dawn patrol
of runners and walkers, midday strollers on
lunch breaks, tourists relaxing along the water,
families in the late afternoon and couples in
the evening. On Sunday, large groups of locals
and strangers would spontaneously come to-
gether and dance with great energy by the wa-
ter. From our first encounter, we found Indians
friendly and willing to share joyous moments.
To give us a sense of history of the develop-
ment of Mumbai, we visited the Gateway of In-
dia, then our expert guide from Greaves Travel
led us on a walking tour through the Art
Precinct of Mumbai’s British Heritage District,
developed when India was a colony and ruled
by the British. We visited Churchgate and Zero
Point, site of St. Thomas Cathedral Church, at
one corner of an ancient fort and where histor-
ically distances along all major roads were
measured from.
The heat and humidity both got into the 90s
during our walk, so we were pleased to enjoy
the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangra-
halaya, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum.
It is spread over three acres and includes more
than 50,000 ancient artworks, sculptures and
artifacts in its galleries featuring sculptures,
bronzes, artefacts, Indian miniature paintings,
European paintings, porcelain and ivories from
China and Japan, and a small but impressive

150 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2023