subject: If You Thought Slums Were All There Was To Mumbai… Think Again! [print this page] If You Thought Slums Were All There Was To Mumbai Think Again!
Popularly known by its erstwhile name, Bombay, this vibrant port city overlooking the sparkling Arabian sea is home to more than 16 million people and is also popular for being the business capital of India, for its multi million dollar film industry, its burgeoning fashion scene, vibrant culture, rich history, effervescent nightlife, shopping avenues and a plethora of other delights. This is a city that has no parallels anywhere in the world a city of so many contrasts and highlights that it will leave you enchanted.
Consider this for starters the city that is home to Asia's largest slum also has the seventh largest population of billionaires in the world. (In fact, with an average net worth of 7.6 billion dollars, in terms of wealth, Mumbai's billionaires overtake those of Moscow's, rated as the city with the highest number of billionaires in the world).
Mumbai has several such amazing facts to its credit:
Mumbai's suburban railway system, which is an offshoot of the first railway to be built in India by the British in 1853, is also the oldest railway system in Asia. Carrying more than 6.9 million commuters on a daily basis, it has one of the highest passenger densities of any urban railway system in the world.
Then there is Mumbai's Hindi film industry, Bollywood', which produces more than 1000 films each year and caters to an audience of 3.5 billion people worldwide (half the world's population). This makes it the largest producer of movies in the world. (Yes, that's right- more movies than Hollywood produces each year).
Mumbai's Dabbawaalahs' (literally meaning tiffin carriers') - an army of 4500 semi literate workers- deliver around 200,000 tiffins within the city each day. Awarded a Six Sigma rating for efficiency by Forbes and featuring in the Guinness book of world records for best time management', this 120 year old organisation continues to offer uninterrupted services every single day of the year and has admirers in the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Prince Charles. Though most of its members are semi literate, they are called upon by leading premium management schools to lecture on management.
Besides these amazing facts, there are several prominent landmarks which make for interesting excursions. These include the historic 20th century Taj Mahal Hotel, the Chhatrapati Shivaji (formerly Victoria) Terminus - one of the world's most spectacular railway stations, the Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves, Crawford Market and Chor Bazaar (Thieves Market) and the famous Marine Drive, also known as the Queens necklace' for the way it looks from the sky at night.
Experience the real' spirit of Mumbai, with Kerala Travel Centre's exclusive Enchanting Mumbai & Kerala tour put together by experts who know the city like no one else does.
Take a step back from all the fast paced excitement of Mumbai after your tour of the city when you travel to Kovalam in breathtaking Kerala for a few days of total relaxation. With endless stretches of golden sand hemmed by swaying coconut palms, and the vast expanse of turquoise blue waters lovingly lapping the shoreline, Kovalam is an ideal destination to go swimming or to laze about in the sun and watch the breathtaking sunset.
Also included on the tour is a day houseboat cruise on the tranquil and sensuous backwaters of Kerala. This exclusive package is brought to you by the Kerala Travel Centre in association with the Leela Group of Hotels one of the finest five star luxury hotel chains in India. Known for its world class hospitality and service, the Leela offers you some of the finest accommodations anywhere in India. It is no wonder therefore that Chairman Capt. C.P.Krishnan Nair received the prestigious Hotelier of the Century' Award from International Hotels and Restaurant Association, Geneva in January 2010, for creating a new benchmark for luxury hospitality the second time in 140 years that this unique award has been presented to an international hotelier. Your accommodation in Mumbai and Kovalam will be at Leela properties, and to say you'll be pampered will be a gross understatement.
