Elephanta Caves with Dharavi Slum Tour

Elephanta Caves with Dharavi Slum Tour - AHM : 1166

Elephanta Caves

Proceed to the Gateway of India to take the catamaran for Elephanta. Boat leaves at 0900 hrs from the Gateway of India Pier. Enjoy a one-hour boat ride across Mumbai Harbour brings you to the lovely, green Elephanta Island. Here you visit some of the huge and intricately carved Cave Temples dating back to the 7th century and dedicated to the Sun God - Shiva. Large panels depict episodes in his life. The central sculpture represents Shiva's three aspects as creator, preserver and destroyer. Return back to the pier at 1330 hrs.

Open from 9 AM to 5 PM. Elephanta Caves are closed on Monday.

Dharavi Slum Tour

If you come to Mumbai as a tourist for a few days and you spend your time in the posh southern tip of the city, around the Gateway of India and Marine Drive, it is easy to forget that a big part of the urban population in India lives in slums and has to fight for a livelihood every day. Around 60% of the citizens of Mumbai live in slums and Dharavi, with a population of at least half a million, probably has become the most famous one of them, especially after the success of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".

The tour starts with the Guide taking you through the commercial area of the slum. Especially waste recycling is a big business in Dharavi and the residents and workers who scavenge materials from all over the city bring them to the little workshops in order to clean, process and recycle them, from old aluminium cans to plastic chairs. But also foodstuffs like biscuits or pottery items are produced in Dharavi. The visit of a roof right in the center of the settlement allows you to get an impression of the vast dimensions of the place and the number of people who must be working and living there.

On the tour you will be guided by the local Guide who will be fluent in English. With his extraordinary knowledge that you experience the sights and sounds of Dharavi as only a local would. The Dharavi tour leaves from a central location in Mumbai and takes you through the heart of the slums, teaching you its history, bringing you in contact with its people and introducing you to its way of life & their standard of living. After Dharavi its time to see other parts of Mumbai.

Tour Ends