About Mumbai

Mumbai (Marathi and Hindi: मुंबई Mumbaī), earlier known as Bombay, is the largest city in India and the capital of the state Maharashtra. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Mumbai was built on seven islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. The island was in turn joined with the neighbouring island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay. The city has an estimated metropolitan population of 21 million (2011), making it one of the world's most populous cities. Mumbai is undoubtedly the commercial capital of India and is one of the predominant port cities in the country. Mumbai's nature as the most eclectic and cosmopolitan Indian city is symbolised in the presence of Bollywood within the city, the centre of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries. It is also home to India's largest slum population and the iconic Gateway of India built on the waterfront of Mumbai Harbour during the British Raj. The name Bombay comes from Bom Bahia ("t

Source: Wikipedia

Essential Information

Currency

Indian rupee (INR)

Symbol: ₹

Language

English

Also: Hindi, Tamil

Phone Code

+91

International dialing code for India

Driving

Drive on the left

Standard for India

Region

Asia

Southern Asia

Connectivity

The area code for Mumbai is "22" (prefix "+91", if you are calling from outside India). Phone numbers are eight digits long, but on occasion you will find a seven digit number listed. That is probably an old listing. They made the changeover from seven to eight digits a few years back, when they allowed private service providers to offer telephone. Just prefix a "2" to the number and it should work just fine.

How to Get to Mumbai

Transportation options and arrival information

Mumbai has excellent connectivity with most of the major cities around the world, includingNew York,London,Dubai,Singapore,Hong KongandKuala Lumpurto name a few. If you are flying from Europe it is generally cheaper to fly from London, and there are many frequent flights available. All domestic sectors are linked to Mumbai, making it the second busiest hub in the country next to Delhi.

Getting Around Mumbai

Local transportation and navigation tips

Most of Mumbai's inhabitants rely on public transport to and from their workplaces due to the lack of parking spaces, traffic bottlenecks and generally poor road conditions, especially in the monsoon. However, do ride in a taxi at least once in the city. Feel real adventure in a vehicle that feels like it might fall apart at speed with a driver who thinks he's Schumacher.

Safety in Mumbai

Low Safety (Global Peace Index: 2.578)

About the Global Peace Index: Global Peace Index measures peacefulness on a scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful)

Unlike other parts of the country, especially Delhi where rape is prevalent, crime is rare, except for possibly common crime like pickpocketing.

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace (2022)

Where to Stay in Mumbai

Accommodation tips and recommendations

It is very difficult to find good-budget hotels in Mumbai. If you are a tourist or a business traveller, you may have to stay in South Mumbai, which is where both the business district and the touristy areas are. Lack of space means that even the cheapest hotel charges stratospheric tariffs. The state of public transport and traffic means that it is not really a good choice to stay anywhere else. In any case, things aren't much better if you are looking for hotels close to the airport. You shoul