The insider’s mini-guide to Mumbai: how to find the best hotels, shops and museums off the tourist-beaten track in India’s most dazzling and dynamic cultural capital

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Many visitors tend to stick to the tourist-friendly areas of Colaba and Kala Ghoda in South Mumbai or stay happily ensconced within the hallowed grounds of the city’s most famous hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace – but they’re missing out.
Here’s a mini-guide to where to go in India’s most vibrant city.
What to do

Art lovers have plenty to discover in Mumbai, where dilapidated buildings often conceal beautiful art spaces overlooking lush courtyards. Most galleries are located in Colaba and Kala Ghoda, a short walk from the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea. Discover new talent at Chemould Prescott Road and sister gallery Chemould CoLab, where a recent exhibition showed Shailee Mehta’s striking paintings of female figures. Those interested in Indian history should check out the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, once known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India.
