Mumbai offers a wide selection of activities for the little ones including a few wonderful water parks and excellent playgrounds. to keep kids entertained, and more in the way of toy shops. The Jijamata Udyan Zoo is certainly an attraction that will keep the children entertained for hours. Some of these attractions are located a distance from the main downtown area of the city, around India Gate, so make sure to have suitable transport. An air-conditioned people carrier with driver would make an ideal transporter for large families travelling around the city.

Essel World
Located on Gorai Island, Essel World is the largest and most popular of Mumbai’s theme parks, featuring dozens of rides and games that will keep children amused all day. The park also boasts a water kingdom, the largest of its kind in Asia, with swimming pools and slides that attract large numbers of visitors ahead of the monsoon, a time when the city gets unbearably hot. Monsoon special deals are available too. To get here, take a ferry from the city for the short crossing to the resort. Phone: +91 22 28452310; website: www.esselworld.com.

Fantasy Land
Another amusement park within the confines of the city, Fantasy Land sports a good number of rides, including one of the best roller coasters in India: the Ze Ulta Fulta Express, a stomach-churning ride with a series of 360-degree loops. This is a full-fledged theme park with numerous restaurants, games and other facilities to accommodate families for a full day of entertainment. A large lake offers a more relaxing activity with its many pedal boats. The park is located in Jogeshwari off the Western express highway and is best reached by private vehicle from the city. Phone: +91 22 28365683.

Jijamata Udyan Zoo
Mumbai’s main animal park is located in Byculla in the centre of the city on the grounds of a sprawling botanical garden that was first established during the British colonial era. The zoo features a wealth of animals and birds that are sure to entertain young children. The beautiful grounds also mean there is a wealth of flora to explore too. Visitors should be warned that, like many other attractions in the city, the zoo is closed every Wednesday. Phone: +91 22 23725799.

Royal Garden Resort
Located 50kms outside the heart of Mumbai on the Ahmedabad highway, the Royal Garden Resort is as much a hotel as it is a water/amusement park for children. If you’ve staked out a hotel in the middle of the city and have brought children along, then this place will help you and your family cool down and get the kids in a better mood. There are numerous swimming pools and slides on offer here as well as a mini amusement park. The catch is you will have to stay here overnight to make use of the facilities, but the accommodation is of a high quality and great value. Phone: +91 22 24042501; website: www.nivalink.com/royalgarden.

As the largest city in India and the centre of British development within the sub-continent during the colonial era, Mumbai is awash with a diverse range of museums, galleries and cultural relics. Tourists should focus their itinerary in this regard on southern Mumbai as this is the area that features the most in the way of cultural activities.

Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
Previously known as the Victoria and Albert Museum during the British period, the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum is another extensive exhibition of ancient Indian sculpture and art but there is much more on display besides. The ground floor is a diverse collection of artefacts such as metal ware, model ships and fossils to explore. Cartographers will no doubt be fascinated by the 17th century maps of Mumbai (at that time called Bombay), which show the reduced scale of the city in its earliest years. The museum is located not far from the Jijamata Udyan Zoo in Byculla and is closed on Wednesdays.

Esplanade Mansion
Formerly the most luxurious hotel in Mumbai, Esplanade Mansion has seen better days, its demise largely engineered as a result of the battered ego of Jehangir Tata. After being denied entry to the hotel in its heyday, Mumbai’s most famous hotelier went on to build the iconic and ever-popular Taj Hotel, the rise of which exactly mirrored the fall of the Esplanade – and the rest is history. Now among the ‘World’s 100 Most Endangered Monuments’, this splendid building may not be around much longer so make sure to get here before it disappears.

Jehangir Art Gallery
Located just behind the Prince of Wales Museum, the Jehangir Art Gallery is rightfully considered the most important art centre in India and a place in high demand among the country’s many artists as the premier location to display work. Dating back to the early 1950s just after Indian independence, the gallery is made up of four exhibition halls that display permanent and temporary collections. The gallery is home to a café that often welcomes many of India’s most famous artists and offers a socialist character all of its own. Phone: +91 22 2284 4356.

Mani Bhavan
This is an intriguing little museum that is a major landmark of the Indian independence movement given that the man himself, Mahatma Gandhi, frequently stayed here during his trips to Mumbai between 1917 and 1934. This three-storey Gujarati-style house serves as a research institute on the life and times of Gandhi, with a well-stocked library and other artefacts relating to the hero of Indian independence. The photo collection is particularly interesting and accessible. Phone: +91 22 2380 5864.

Nehru Museum
This super museum is one of Mumbai’s finest with something for just about anyone. There is a planetarium for star-gazers; a library for bookworms; a cultural centre; an exhibition hall featuring old cars, airplanes and other vehicles, both ancient and modern; and a huge Discovery India exhibition spread over 14 galleries. Along with this range of artefacts and exhibits on show, there is also a museum restaurant. The Nehru Museum can be found in Worli on Annie Besant road; phone: +91 22 2496 4676.

Prince of Wales Museum
Now more than 100 years old, the Prince of Wales Museum, as its name suggests, is a leftover from the British era. The museum houses Buddhist artefacts from Nepal and Tibet, along with the sculptures exhibition featuring pieces from ancient India.

Taraporewala Aquarium
Located on Mumbai’s famous Marine drive, this is the only aquarium in Mumbai and a good place for visiting families to head to once the dearth of museums becomes a bit too much. The aquarium features an array of underwater life – both freshwater and saltwater species – along with an interesting exhibition that tracks and explains stage-by-stage the formation of pearls. Note that the aquarium is closed on Mondays and not Wednesdays like many other attractions. Located in the heart of the city, getting here is easy by taxi or public transport

If you’ve visited the rest of India and thought that the cuisine was restricted to vegetable curries and dhal, then Mumbai is likely to prove a pleasant culinary surprise. Meat is widely available here even if beef and pork remain off the menu due to Hindu and Muslim sensibilities respectively.

As with tourist attractions, southern Mumbai is a good place to head to for the best range of places to eat in the city. Here you’ll find traditional Indian options as well as more familiar international names like TGI Friday’s and McDonald’s. If you wondered how Ronald McDonald gets around the major problem of no beef then look no farther than the Chicken Maharaja Burger, India’s catchy replacement for the Big Mac. All burgers and other fast-food delights on the menu are made with either chicken or fish so don’t expect a quarter-pounder with cheese either. Subway, Pizza Hut and Domino’s Pizza also run restaurants at various locations across the city.

Aside from Western grill restaurants and the smattering of American fast-food chains, Mumbai is increasingly experimenting with varied culinary styles from across the globe. You’ll find Italian gastronomy and pizza places in abundance along with a good number of Chinese, Japanese and Thai places. For the finest international cuisine in the city, head to the top-end hotels mostly in southern Mumbai.

Of course, if you’re dining in Mumbai on a budget, just about any street corner will offer Indian snacks like samosas or potato curry along with more hearty, low-cost meals. Vada Pav is a particularly tasty and cost-effective Mumbai speciality, a kind of potato pancake that is sold everywhere. For thalis, a complete Indian meal with accompaniments, sometimes unlimited, head to various hotspots such as Rajdhani at Crawford Market or Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya off Kalbadevi road.

Like the rest of India, Mumbai is home to colourful  street bazaars and department stores. The most comprehensive markets include Chor Bazaar on Grant road and ‘Fashion Street’ in and around Mahatma Gandhi road.

Mumbai offers visitors a wealth of parks and gardens that make a pleasant respite from the vibrancy of the streets. The best time to be outdoors in Mumbai is of course in the cool season between December and February.

Five Gardens
If you want to catch a glimpse of outdoor recreation Mumbai style, then this is the best place to come. These gardens are all located within a fairly compact area in central Mumbai and make a good place for a walk or even jog for those feeling energetic early in the morning when the heat of the day hasn’t quite kicked in. The parks feature some splendid, old art deco buildings just to add to the ambience.

Manori
This small island near Malad features among the best beaches in the whole of Mumbai. It’s a good place to cool down and have a swim although currents can be strong here. Head to the northern side of the island for the best stretch of sand.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
At more than 100 square kilometres, this wonderful expanse of green in the northern suburbs of Mumbai makes for an excellent day out. Over two million people make the short trip from downtown Mumbai every year, making it one of the most popular of its kind in the whole of Asia. Unsurprisingly, the park contains a bewildering array of flora and fauna along with the Kanheri Caves which were sculpted into the rock between the 1^st and 9^th centuries. Each contains Buddhist shrines and motifs. A small zoo and safari tours are available for visitors. A toy train runs around a 2.5kms-long circuit and there are also other attractions such as a boating lake.