IPL, Pool, Expats, & Bars - Mumbai

A luxurious weekend in Mumbai/Bombay was planned when I first arrived in India, celebrating the much anticipated IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket finals. We had wanted to get tickets to the match for India's sporting event of the year. The entire expat crowd from Gurgaon and Hyderabad transcended onto The Taj Palace and Towers, located in the neighborhood of Colaba, alongside the Gateway of India. We were all looking forward to spending some relaxing hours alongside The Taj's swimming pool, exploring the Mumbai nightlife, and eating to our heart's content.

To our surprise, three of the four IPL teams were actually staying at our hotel - Delhi Daredevils, Rajisthan Royals, and the Mohali Kings. Semi-finals were on Friday and Saturday, with the finals on Sunday night. When Louise and I first arrived to check-in, there was a mob scene of press and little children trying to get autographs of the country's most famous cricket stars. Throughout the weekend, our lobby was periodically filled with video cameras and Indians wanting to catch of glimpse of their favorite players.

Although we didn't get to see any IPL cricket, we got in a small ferry ride to the Elephanta caves and got to see Colaba. After lounging at the huge swimming pool for hours, we ate at one of Mumbai's best north Indian restaurants, Khyber's, and proceeded to dance the night away at some local bars and clubs. The late night crew closed down the Polly Esther's club a block from our hotel, before Mollie ordered three grilled cheese and ham sandwiches. That's pretty much the weekend in a nutshell.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Mumbai in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).


Travel Notes
-The Taj Palace and Towers: 5-star luxury hotel, reasonable prices, amazing swimming pool, steps from the Gateway of India, sushi, shopping, and people watching to match-Olive Bar and Kitchen: Sunday brunch extravaganza, under $40 for free flowing drinks, all-you-can eat cheese, meat, pasta, grilled prawns, desserts, and more-Khyber Restaurant: Although North Indian food (outside of North India), very reasonable food, has a great decor-Leopold Cafe: On Colaba Causeway, simple, warm and stuffy (in a good way), perfect stop for a quick bite, beer tower, some drinks, and a large crowd