Why India for Family Travel? Why Mumbai?
Mumbai was not somewhere I had ever considered visiting. Especially with children. There is the misconception that it’s unsafe and it wasn’t on my agenda. However, Ashley was adamant that whilst we were over in Thailand we should also take a visit to India. Family travel in India can be overwhelming, especially if you are not prepared. Do not let that put you off though, an experience in India will shape the rest of your life.
What makes Mumbai great for families
Public transport is super accessible. We did hire a car with a plan to drive to Goa (more on that later) but to be honest you do not need one. Especially if your family trip to India is focusing on Mumbai. Taxis are in abundance in Mumbai. A word of warning – the roads are insane. If you do want to drive, do so only if you are a very confident driver.
The below video is a little taster of how crazy the roads are, pop the sound on. When you’re driving in Mumbai it’s battle of the horns!
Bandra is considered one of the safest places to stay in Mumbai but the prices are a considerable amount more. We did visit the Bandra area for shops etc and it certainly does feel a lot more upper class – perhaps the best way to describe it.
We stayed in the Sahil Hotel and absolutely loved it. The rooms aren’t very generous but the staff and the actual hotel make up for it. It was the best place for us as it’s situated right in the “thick of it.” Street vendors, crazy streets and diversity. Although it’s in a very central location the rooms are sound proofed and you cannot hear a thing. It is also ideal if you are travelling with a car as it’s one of the few central hotels with a car park.
The hotel has security out the front who were all very welcoming and sociable. The breakfast was the BEST. If you enjoy starting your day with a big breakfast with tonnes of choice, look no further. They also have an evening restaurant and the curries we had from here during our stay, by far the tastiest. If you’re looking for a cheaper way to travel then head on over to Save And Earn On Your Travel! On this page we let you in on our secret – access to a travel club which gives you extremely discounted hotel rates!
The vibrant street life and wonderful cultural learning opportunities also makes Mumbai a great place to visit for families. Only family travel in India can result in being invited to a strangers wedding! This isn’t even the only one we attended – we went to two!
Places to visit in Mumbai – Family Travel In India
Travelling to India with kids will certainly open their eyes to seeing life lived differently. One of the places we visited was Dharavi. Considered one of the largest slums in the world it was certainly overwhelming. This is the only place I didn’t feel 100% safe. As a white family, we stood out. The locals are as expected interested, amazed and flock to you. You’ll get plenty of people approach you and ask to be your guide, to show you around etc but be cautious. They are attempting to earn some cash. Again, to be expected but there was an instant where it could have turned a little nasty.
I left pretty sharpish with the kids and my husband stayed and had a little walk around. If this is somewhere that you are interested in visiting I would recommend a guide.
The Gateway to India was a top visit whilst we were visiting Mumbai. This monument was built to commemorate the landing of George V for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911. It is a particularly symbolic attraction for India, especially if you’re arriving by sea. This particular day made India with kids! Everyone was super friendly and was asking for selfies with us, asking for us to hold their kids for photos – it was hilarious. We joke all the time that we must be on 100s of Indian mantlepieces. So again, be prepared. There are a lot of people and again many will be excited to see Britons in their country.
Entry here is free but if you want to get a boat ride here that is chargeable. The charge varies between locals and non-locals but it isn’t very much.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. That’s a mouthful eh?! Tickets are priced at around £6 each which was well worth it.
The museum is vast with over 50,000 exhibits ranging from ancient Indian sculptures to the Egyptians. As you leave the museum there is an additional space area too which was a wonderful addition for our boys who are fascinated with the solar system. We would definitely recommend a trip here, not just to tick off something educational for the kids but because it’s also an amazing part of history.
Chor Bazaar – translates to the thieves market. Antiques were in abundance here! We actually loved it here so visited twice. It’s located on Mutton street and was a short taxi ride from our hotel. It wasn’t as busy as I was expecting – still busy not too crazy overwhelming.
This is certainly the place for you if you love a haggle too! The boys were amazed by so much here, from the antiques to watching the locals make all sorts of weird and wonderful things to the goats parading the streets! It is wild walking down the road as the term pothole is an understatement. In some sections we were literally hiking up, over and around piles of rubble – don’t ever wear your best shoes in India haha.
In terms of safety, I or the boys never felt unsafe here. The locals were friendly, we chatted, we haggled and we admired. We have a few items from our family travel in India, specifically Chorr Bazaar which we will be showing off in another blog piece soon!
We spent a lot of time just walking the streets of Mumbai. We ate street food, we spent time with the locals and we marvelled in all the sights. During our family holiday to India we did travel around and didn’t stay solely in Mumbai. If you sign up to our newsletter you won’t miss out on when it’s uploaded! In the meantime, we have a Youtube video below which gives you an insight to our additional Indian travels!
Francesca – Our Unlimited Choices
P.s – Budgeting your travel can is super helpful with this FREE planner. Grab it here.