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mumbai

Mumbai: Visiting Antilia and Malabar Hill’s Pramod Navalkar Viewing Gallery

By Mithun Divakaran
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Oct 16, 2025
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India, Mumbai, Travel

Date: January 20, 2025

After arriving in Bandra yesterday, I just had one full day left to spend in Mumbai. The plan for today was visit Mukesh Ambani uncle’s house, Marine Drive, and then visit Jio World Drive mall if I had the time.

Poori channa dal street food Mumbai — I had brunch at the same street stall I discovered yesterday because for ₹40, the pooris were great!

Indian Oil office Mumbai Worli Sealink — I hired an Uber just to take a ride across the Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge

Mumbai skyline distance India — Taking this route gets you a nice view of Mumbai’s skyline from across the bay… if the weather co-operates

Just like I routed my journey from Parel to Ulwe purposely to ride across the Mumbai Transharbour Link Expressway, I routed my Uber journey to Worli simply to experience the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link expressway — Opened in 2009, Bandra–Worli Sea Link is a 5.6 km long, 8-lane wide sea bridge that links Bandra in the West of Mumbai with Worli in South Mumbai.

Mumbai Bandra-Worli sealink cable-stayed bridge India — This is a cable-stayed bridge and the 5th longest bridge in India

Mumbai skyline view from Worli Sealink — There is a land extension from Worli into the sea. If I had the time, I could have checked out Worli Fort here — which was built by the British in the 1600s

Mumbai skyscrapers Worli India — You can tell from this view that there’s a height limit on Mumbai’s skyscraper construction

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Atal Setu expressway crash barriers Mumbai

Mumbai: Getting to Navi Mumbai via Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu); ForRest Hostel review

By Mithun Divakaran
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Sep 17, 2025
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India, Mumbai, Travel

Date: January 17, 2025

After window-shopping at Phoenix Palladium mall followed by some skyscraper-gazing yesterday, I had to check out of Pals Hotel and head to Navi Mumbai.

Breakfast at Pals Hotel Mumbai — Breakfast was better today — egg burji, buns, and some corn flakes. Enough to fill me up.

I checked out and booked an Uber to take me across the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link a.k.a Atal Setu.

Driving to Atal Setu Mumbai — I took an Uber to Ulwe because I figured that’s the best route to ensure the driver takes the Atal Setu

Atal Setu underpass Mumbai — Because to get to where my hotel was in Navi Mumbai, the driver didn’t *have* to take the expressway

I purposely chose to go to Ulwe just to take a ride on the brand new expressway.

At 21.8 km, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) is the longest sea bridge in India, and the world’s 12th longest sea bridge. It’s the fastest route connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai (Navi = new). The ₹17,843 crore ($2.1 billion) was 80% funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The lead contractors were Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Japan’s construction major IHI Corporation.

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Mumbai: Phoenix Palladium mall and skyscraper-gazing around Worli

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Aug 14, 2025
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India, Mumbai, Travel

Date: January 16, 2025

After a tiring first day in Mumbai, where I saw Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves just a few hours after landing in Mumbai, I had a good night’s sleep and felt well-rested. I was staying at Pals Hotel in Parel.

Pals Hotel breakfast buffet Thepla Mumbai — I went downstairs to have breakfast. It’s a very basic buffet, so don’t expect too much at this hotel.

There was some poha, thepla (both Gujarati dishes), corn flakes, and tea. It was enough to get rid of hunger, that’s all.

Gutkha stain Pals Hotel Mumbai — The disgusting sight of gutkha spit stains. It’s everywhere in Mumbai — inside or out! Yes, this was by the stairs in the hotel 🤮

I went back to my room and did my work for a couple of hours. I didn’t really have anything planned to go see today so after I finished my work, I decided to head to Phoenix Palladium Mall — Mumbai’s most famous mall.

Pals Hotel Parel Mumbai — This is what Pals Hotel looks like from the outside

Mumbai Parel high rise buildings — I hailed an Uber as it only cost ₹169.91 to get there.

Just as with food, I’m shocked to see Uber cost a lot less in Mumbai than Bengaluru! I didn’t know how to get to Phoenix Palladium using public transport and the car ride only took some 20 minutes.

Old housing Mumbai Lower Parel — There are a lot of buildings like this all over Mumbai. Shops below, housing above.

Belleza store Mumbai — Some buildings make way for newer establishments

Mumbai roadside food vendor Parel — Street food is so common in Mumbai — can’t blame the locals. It’s so cheap and good.

Palladium is not Mumbai’s biggest, that would be Phoenix Marketcity in Kurla, but Palladium is the premier mall in what is considered ‘downtown Mumbai’.

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