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Myself, Dr. D and two other forumers (they can identify themselves) recently spent a week in India, comprised of 4 days in Goa and 3 days in Mumbai.

Goa was fantastic. We shunned the usual tourist traps and did it old style staying in a small hotel right near the sandy beaches. The daily activities were mostly centered around relaxing and enjoying the splendors, with the highlight the curry fest on the beach on the 3rd day.

It is election time, so most of the nightspots closing at 10:30 and the monsoon only days away, it was reasonably quiet, but just the thing us hardened Dubaiins needed - allowing us to relax in comfort and style.

Goa:

Food: 9/10
Bevvies: 8/10
Accom: 7/10

Overall 8/10 - a decent place to visit.

Traps - watch the taxi drivers... think Dubai, but worse.

Things to do - Definitely go to Brittos and indulge in the massive amount of food and cheap bevvies. Right on the beach!!!

After Goa, we ventured to Mumbai where Dr. D and another of the travellers were guests of honour at the local media industry awards. During this, it was more curry, more bevvies and lots of shopping for myself and co.

The downside to Mumbai is this place is so freaking poor and dirty there weren't many compelling reasons to return. Shopping was so so, and the nightlife dingy. We did find some upmarket clubs, but they were contrasted very heavily by the slums around them.

Temperature wise it was cooler than the UAE - but living in the UAE bubble, you forget some things exist... like rampant poverty, poor health etc.

Mumbai:

Food: 7/10
Bevvies: 7/10
Accom: 5/10

Overall 6/10

Traps - traffic.

Must dos - definitely go for a ride in an Autorickshaw. These things rock and I want to buy one.

Would I go back? Goa - definitely - perhaps NYE this year.

Mumbai? Not unless I needed a liver transplant and the only donor in the world lived there.

hmm i am surprised at your exprience in Bombay .. damn man i had some amazing times there despite it having really rundown infrastructure .. but i have to admit i was always there on company tab and stayed at 5 star hotels.. but i was shown around by the locals who took me on rides on the bike in Bandra and on Ju (sp?) beach ... bombay has this charm that i cant explain ... minus the poop smell everywhere

Stayed in Bandra and hit the Juhu beach scene mostly and that was good, but you know, there's nothing like walking out of a premium nightclub into an alley way with a cow in it, hoping it's the cow sh!t that stinks.

The only thing I did when visiting Mumbai on business trip was just to buy Hard Rock t-shirt (I'm collector) and had dinner there.

I didn't see any interesting spots on the way from airport-hotel-client-hotel-airport.

mumbai is really a very happening place but to got to have a localite show u around... otherwise its not much fun

and did u go to tito's on sat nite?

dale wrote:and did u go to tito's on sat nite?

In answer to the previous post, we did have a localite to show us around.

We did go to Tito's but it was a sad reflection of its reputation.