Your Cruise to Mumbai: What to See and Do
Cruising Journal, the international portal for cruise ship reviews, takes you to Mumbai! Explore the many facets of Mumbai during a cruise stopover in the Cruising Journal tips.
Explore Mumbai’s rich and fascinating history as you embark on an adventure to this exotic, multifaceted city.
Home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as the famed Bollywood, Mumbai manages to perfectly merge its glorious past with more modern elements to create a wonderful amalgam ready to be explored.
Stop and Let Yourself Marvel on Your Cruise to Mumbai
How to get to Mumbai
Mumbai is a popular destination with many cruise companies. Depending on which itinerary you would like to follow, including the port from which you want to depart, the stops you’d like to explore and how long of a voyage you want to make, you might choose from companies such as MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Seabourn, Fred. Olsen, Oceania Cruises, Azamara Cruises or Regent Seven Seas.
Elephanta Caves
During your stop in Mumbai, you can enjoy a tour of Elephanta Island. This island houses several Buddhist stupa mounds, two Buddhist caves with water tanks and five Hindu caves – the Elephanta Caves – hewn from solid rock and containing carvings representing Hindu mythology, with Trimurti Sadashiva, Nataraja and Yogishvara being the three most celebrated carvings. The name Elephanta is derived from the term Elefante, which the colonial Portuguese soldiers used to refer to the caves due to the elephant carvings on the cave walls. Unfortunately, the Portuguese soldiers that established their base on the island irreparably damaged the sculptures, and the caves ceased to be an active place of Hindu worship. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the monuments were restored, and in 1987, the restored Elephanta Caves were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stop and Let Yourself Marvel on Your Cruise to Mumbai
Essel World and Water Kingdom
A high dose of fun awaits those who venture to Water Kingdom, Asia’s largest theme water park, and Essel World, India’s most popular amusement park. Situated right next to each other, each park offers something wonderful for every visitor, from the cooling and refreshing reprise of the water rides at Water Kingdom to the adrenaline rush of the rides at Essel World. As both parks are owned and operated by the same company, visitors have the possibility to visit both parks and their attractions with one combined ticket. During your visit, you can seek your adrenaline high and escape from the Mumbai heat all in one convenient package suited for all ages, with different options based on your needs.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
For a peaceful getaway or even a tranquil picnic, Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the ideal destination. Its many attractions make this park the perfect option for every visitor. Here, you can take a boat ride on Vihar or Tulsi, the artificial lakes located within the forest of the park. These lakes not only provide drinking water for the city, but they are also the natural habitat of mugger crocodiles, as well as a plethora of migrating birds throughout the year. The park also houses the archaeological complex of 160 caves, known as the Kanheri Caves, which contain relics of Buddha, prayer halls that are still used to this day and a water storage and management system that serves as a testimony of the ingenuity of those who came before us.
Stop and Let Yourself Marvel on Your Cruise to Mumbai
Bollywood Tour
A tour of Bollywood will provide you with an in-depth look at the industry and its history. During the tour, your very own Bollywood actor will act as your guide to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the second-largest Bollywood studio, as well as an informative tour of the Bollywood Museum, where you can even try on traditional Bollywood costumes. You’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy a live performance and dance show, as well as a short film showcasing the history behind this legendary industry. After your traditional Indian lunch, you’ll end your tour with a glimpse of the homes of several famous Bollywood stars before heading back to your drop-off point.
Stop and Let Yourself Marvel on Your Cruise to Mumbai
Mumbai offers many options to its visitors, and exploring all of them would take a lifetime. But if you can spare the time, another worthy stop is Dhobi Ghat, the outdoor laundry site of Mumbai, which offers a unique glimpse of everyday life in this city for the large majority of its population.
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