Experiencing the  culture of Mumbai is as easy as hopping on a bus. Daily activities like riding the bus or local trains can be just as interesting and exciting as visiting an important landmark or museum.

Once you’re familiar with the numbers of the buses you’ll find they  are frequent and easy to use with usually an  English speaking ticket attendant on board.

The waters of Chowpatty Beach are heavily polluted so swimming is not recommended however a trip seaside is a lovely way to end the day as the sun sets over the Arabian Sea.

It’s India, so you’ll never know who’ll you bump into but it’s always guaranteed interesting. 

Smile, say hello and you’ve got instant friends, like these men I met who were visiting from Rajasthan.

Chowpatty offers views overlooking Malabar Hill, the exclusive neighborhood of tycoons and movie stars. Malabar Hill has some of the world’s priciest residential real estate where apartments can go for $2000USD per square foot. It’s also where the world’s most expensive private home valued at over 1 billion dollars is located.

Chowpatty is where residents come at night to view the Queen’s Necklace, the nickname for the street lights that run along Marine Drive.

Another everyday chore has become a tourist attraction in it’s own right in Mumbai. The Dobi Ghats are touted as the largest outdoor laundromat in the world. The clothes you dropped off at your hotel lobby desk might end up here alongside the uniforms and denim of the city. Views are great from the overpass near the Mahalaxmi train station. 

Jump on the train for more Mumbai culture. The Western and Central lines serve greater Mumbai. It’s better if you avoid traveling during rush hour unless you want to experience what’s called super-dense crush load. Excerpts from "Beaches To Street Food".