Top 10 Mumbai Places

1. Take Membership at NCPA, my second home. Maybe 1st. From Powai, a drive down the majestic Eastern Freeway takes me there in just 40 minutes. Freeway is Mumbai's equivalent of a German autobahn ;) Ha ha, an item on the list in its merit.

2. NCPA deserves a separate write-up. Every concert by Jazz addicts, and not to miss Symphony of India (SOI), and in-house NCPA production is unbelievably great. Tops my Mumbai list with its huge number of activities, theatres, and workshops. Singing workshops and whatnot. I enrolled for one, and seeing my tardy pace, they refunded me the money...Aap se nahin hoga Madam ;) Jokes apart, great place and a great caf. During the plays, quickly rush out for the excellent cold coffee, and chutney sandwiches

3. Buddhist Kanheri Caves - What a gem in Borivali. Trek right up to the caves and beyond. The key is to make it before the crowds pour in, The gates open much later in the day, and take the wicket gate on the side of the entrance that is broken. Walk around, sit, and laze, it's a gentle slope .. on your way back, have cutting chai at the base of the caves.

4. Drop by the Sewri Jettyone winter morning to see awesome famingos and other birds. The Best time to park yourself there is before 6 am. Take a good camera, or else they just look like a pink haze in pictures. I visited towards the end of March and regretted not making this trip in the winter. Be prepared for lots of filth around and the area is quite polluted as well. Just our good fortune that the birds still visit us, despite our inhospitable conditions

5. The Trip around Churchgate - Get lost in the most attractive part of this city - Colonial Town and Fort. Walk the Parsi breakfast trail, eat white bread, maska & akuri; see the Asiatic Library. Trivia from the library houses an original copy of Divine Comedy that Mussolini wanted to buy for some millions of dollars but the library trust refused, Wander along a bit and find the oasis of silence at the hidden Church at Churchgate. Complete the Churchgate tour at Tea Board caf?, with tea quotes all over and a little brass bell to call the attendant. The popular one there is Apple butter tea, which I couldn't stand. My vote goes for the Apple tea and maybe Banana caramel tea, which should be classified as a dessert.

6. Foot Massage at Marina Drive. Take a run, then sit down to savor the breeze, and walk across to Rustom Jee for an ice cream sandwich (a recent discovery for me). Walk back to the promenade. As the sun sets, find a foot massage guy roaming around. For 100 rupees, it's heaven that lasts for 10 minutes. Battle the crazy stares of on-lookers, as you won't find any women getting this done.. yep stares, even in the coolest town in India. Grin and bear. Lest you get ideas, it's just a foot massage.

7. Kala Ghoda Arts festival. If you are in town in late February, drop everything off and go. Check out the art installations, shows, lovely flamenco, book readings, cycling, and walking tours around the old town. Each section has a master curator, who leaves no stone unturned to get the best Indian and international artists. And Yes, Don't bother with the Kala Ghoda website, it?s a pain. The HT site allows you to add events to your calendar, perfectly. And Apologies it Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda J

8. Prithvi Theatre Festival - Need I say more? Brilliant line up.. choose your flavor and dig in

9. Join an acting class or anything to do with Bollywood. It's liberating. Have written about this earlier as well? Discover your gestures, find your inimitable uniqueness and just be. And, you have to hear aspiring actors talk about their crazy diet plans, superlatively hard workout regimes, and countless rejections at auditions on daily basis. If this is what actors have to go through to become stars, they deserve every bit of fame. Respect!

10. Tea@TajI deliberately kept food out of this list, but the evening tea buffet at Taj is not about food, it's an experience and must-do with parents, who enjoy the old-world charm and indolent pace so much more. Dig into the buffet, have endless cups of chai, and see the dinghy fade as the sun sets. Similar experience at the Trident Lounge as well, but the Taj Chai makes it so much more charming.

11. Tata Literature Festival? This is the new kid on the block to watch out for. It as set in character as Jaipur Lit fest. Tata Lit includes shades of theatre, loads of drama, sessions by publishers, very new writers, first-time authors, and almost an entrepreneurial jamboree for Writers.. Tata Lit happens simultaneously at NCPA and Prithvi and also gets some awesome theatre acts from around the world. Will be the next iconic Kala Ghoda in a few year''s time. Wait and watch

Okay, that's 11. Never mind.

A very dear friend of mine once said You can never get lost in Mumbai. On the contrary, you may just find yourself here. True That