Mumbai Photo Gallery - Living and Eating Well

I first visited Mumbai back in 2007. At the time, downtown consisted of a bunch of crumbling buildings around Nariman Point. There were only 2 good hotels to choose from, and I picked the Oberoi. It couldn't compare it to the other 5-star hotels I'm used to in East Asia, and the extensive security checks to get in was a bit unnerving. Nevertheless, it was a comfortable home and I relied on their restaurants and room service to keep healthy.

A year after my visit, terrorists beseiged several sites in the city, including the Oberoi. Many died in its rooms. Prospects of another trip here were put off for a few years, but by then, the city has changed. A new office district called the Bandra Kurla Complex near the airport opened with glassy buildings and a wider selection of 5 star hotels, including international chains. Impressed with the Oberoi's service and a cheaper bill, I picked a local chain to try in 2010, the Trident. Expectedly, I got flawless service as well.

With restaurant choices sparse outside the hotel's premises, I also relied on the hotel's restaurants and room service for most of my meals. For a longer trip of up to 2 weeks, the menu looked increasingly familiar and boring towards the end of my trip.

The prospect of getting food poisoning is always high on my mind, so I tend to stay away from consuming fruits in this form. Water from the faucet is not safe to drink, and probably not safe to wash the fruits either.

In 2015, I picked the Sofitel, a posh ultramodern hotel that felt very different from my previous hotel experiences.

Hotel restaurants typically have a good range of choices, such as Indian, Western, and Asian, although I tend to prefer to dine in the comfort of my room. I have noticed where the room service menu doesn't have the item I wanted in the restaurant menu, I could go up to the restaurant and ask for it to be delivered to my room.

To re-use these photos, please notify me by email : asiaglobe@yahoo.com.hk.