Mumbai & Cochin India 2006

[Saga Ruby]

Anybody have current information about reliable day-tour guides (car and driver) for Mumbai and Cochin? I think much time would be devoted to traffic!!

 

I have few wishes and wants for this shore excursion in December - the Gateway to India and just a few other locations. Suggestions?

 

Ruby

[blue whale]

In Mumai, we just went out of the gate at the port where there were lots of taxis, and we were lucky to snare a good one. You could do the same. We are returning in 07 and intend to do the same thing; ditto with Cochin. In Cochin, be sure to go to the Jewish quarter and then to the area where the main church is located. We loved walking the street in the Jewish quarter and going into the shops. By the church, we saw the big nets used in that area for fishing. So asked to be taken there.

[Saga Ruby]

I appreciate the info. Sometimes I pick out a cabbie in a port and sometimes I arrange a car and driver. If you have had success with this method in India, so be it.

 

I always research my ports before I get there, so it should be EZ to give my abbreviated touring ideas to a cabbie.

 

Again, thanks for the encouragement.

 

Ruby

[Emdee]

I am from Mumbai and when I go back I rent a car and driver for the day when I want to drive around or go shopping. Its much more convenient than a taxi because Mumbai has wonderful shopping and I can leave my parcels in the trunk when I am in the next shop. I have never had a problem with a Taxi but I know others who found themselves ripped off. Besides the Gateway, Marine Drive, drive by Haji Ali and also visit a Dhobi Ghat ( open air laundry).

The gold market is interesting though crowded. Diamonds are another great buy in Mumbai. In fact most of the jewellery sold on board ships is made in India these days or so I was told on the Rhapsody of the Seas.

[Saga Ruby]

Thank you for the information. How do you find a car and driver for your shopping? Do you arrange by email ahead of time or choose someone when you arrive in your hometown or do you use the same service each time you visit Mumbai?

 

Sometimes when I travel overseas, I get a cabbie who is not quality. I usually have them drop me off at any major hotel, where I ask the concierge to get me a car and driver. So far, there has always been one at the hotel so off I go.

 

I appreciate your naming the tourist sites I might visit. I have no particular plans for Mumbai and your kind suggestions give me something to look forward to. I had forgotten about a Dhobi Ghat and will be sure to visit there and I would enjoy the gold market.

 

Many thanks,

Ruby

[slgjhg]

Hi Ruby,

 

We visited these two ports in 2004 and enjoyed and excellent day in each port.

 

 

Noticed further down on the board you had posted a thread for Mombai and Cochin. We also did these ports on our cruise and I used lapassagetoindia.com.

 

There is a thread which contains all the details, however, someone said they got no response. I find that hard to believe, given the level of service we received.

 

All the suggestions you have received are very good. However, be aware that Mombai is a very dirty, busy city and being met at the pier by someone with your name is quite reassuring and I highly recommend it. We were wisked away to a wonderful museum and on for all the other adventures which have been recommended.

 

In Cochin, our group kept growing from our departure in Rome. We originally started with 6 people. Through the ships internet I communicated with lapassage and by the time we reached Cochin, we were at least 20. Our air conditioned bus, the ship could not guarantee this, was at the port with our name, the cost was far less than the ships tours and we saw everything they did. Everyone was so gratful and we had a terrific day.

 

By the way, in Mumbai, it was just my husband and I and our driver and guide. Cash payment to the lepassagetoindia contact person upon exiting the port gate. Well worth it.

 

I found them on the trip advisor and fodors boards. You should check them out.

 

I am posting this here because I know you have visited recently. I will cut and paste on your other thread.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[Saga Ruby]

You have been a wealth of information for me. I'm sailing on Oceania this November Istanbul to Singapore, which is, I gather a reverse version of your trip in 2004. I'm so excited - by the time I get home, I will have circumnavigated the globe in one trip.

 

Thanks to you, I have an email out to Moustafa at DeCastro; am waiting for a reply. It will take him a bit of time to price out my requested itinerary for Egypt but I'm keen to use that company.

 

And I appreciate so much your info about LePassage in India. I don't really want to do the shore excursion - those 12-13 hour days are killer. But what you have described is more up my alley. I know Mumbai will be as hectic and crowded as Cairo but I need to at least set foot in the city. My goal is to see the Gateway to India, have afternoon tea at a nice hotel, maybe shop for material. We shall see.

 

Again, many thanks for your input and advice - it is most appreciated.

 

Happy sails,

Ruby

[slgjhg]

Ruby,

 

I hope your trip on Ociania is wonderful. We actually went from Rome to Bangkok. It was quite remarkable. I loved everyday. I fell so badly that you were not able to connect with Castro Tours. They did such a wonderful job for us and a very busy itinerary.

 

The improtant thing is to be comfortable with the people you work with. It sounds like you have found someone who mets that critiria, so do what feels right.

 

 

I hope your trip is wonderful and that each day is filled with pleasure and excitement.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[Saga Ruby]

The improtant thing is to be comfortable with the people you work with. It sounds like you have found someone who mets that critiria, so do what feels right.

 

I agree with your sentiment. I did want to tell you that Moustafa replied to my email today. He is on his annual vacation and will contact me on Monday. Having said that, I am so close to being booked with Champion that I will not be using DeCastro although I'm sure, as you said, that they do an excellent tour. And I got a reply from Sales at DeCastro in the same day. I wanted to be sure you knew they responded within 10 days.

 

It was a coincidence of timing. The lady at Champion Tours, Maha Adawy, has been most efficient and flexible with my personal wants and wishes. She is quite hard-working and responsive so the planning of my visit has moved forward quite rapidly.

 

Ruby

[slgjhg]

Ruby,

 

Thanks for letting me know about Moustafa, he did such an excellent job for both our groups. (although, it sounds like you will be using another company, please tell him I say hello and send warm regards when he contacts you on Monday)

 

I wanted to let you know the name of the person we worked with for the two ports in India. I recently dug out my old folders and found the card of the person with whom I worked at Le Passage. His name is Ravi Kiran Kotian, email - mumbai@lepassagetoindia.net and the website : http://www.lepassagetoindia.com.

 

I assume you are discussing independent tours with your roll-call. That can be a wealth of information and such fun with the planning.

 

Have fun with your planning.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[Emdee]

Ruby, by the Gateway is the Hotel Taj Mahal. A nice hotel to sit down and have tea. Another good drink to have there is Falooda a kind of cooling milk shake with rose essence and icecream.

If you want to buy material or saris the place to go is Marine Lines. Any cabbie or driver will know the shops there are a few in a line. Its not too far from the Gateway or the gold market. Kala Niketan is one of them.

Colaba Causeway 2 minutes from the Gateway - has some good leather and shoe shops - Rasulbhai is excellent for leather though pricey.

The two big hotels in downtown Bombay - Taj and Oberoi are good for an assortment of shopping.

We always rent vehicles through friends . When we travel in the rest of the world we usually rent self drive or through the hotels with chauffeurs. Usually self drive in Europe but with chauffeurs in south america or asia.

 

Have a wonderful trip. I hope to do the Radisson world cruise one of these years but I did pick up an Oceania book and it looks lovely.

 

Miriam

[Saga Ruby]

Thank you so much for the excellent information. You have "built" an excellent itinerary for my day in Mumbai - everything you have presented is what I want to do including the Falooda.

 

I sent a request to Le Passage to India two weeks ago about booking a car and driver and have not heard back. If you have any friends who would like to book me for the day in their personal car, I would be happy to pay them instead of a commercial enterprise. If I have no luck at all before I leave in November, I'll get a taxi at the pier to the Hotel Taj Mahal and have the concierge hire a car and driver for me for the day.

 

Miriam, I wanted to extend my sympathy to you about the Mumbai train bombings and hope that your family and friends are safe and in good health. Here's to better days.

 

Kind regards,

Ruby

[Emdee]

Ruby, thanks but fortunately my family and friends are ok. It is a sign of the times....

My friends dont usually rent out their cars.. they usually know someone who is in the business. If you dont get anyone in advance try the Taj. Tourist Department could be OK too - I used them once when I visited Agra.

Have a wonderful trip.

I am off to South Africa - safari and cape town next week and on the Paul Gauguin for New Year.

 

Miriam

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, thanks but fortunately my family and friends are ok. It is a sign of the times....My friends dont usually rent out their cars.. they usually know someone who is in the business. If you dont get anyone in advance try the Taj. Tourist Department could be OK too - I used them once when I visited Agra. Have a wonderful trip. I am off to South Africa - safari and cape town next week and on the Paul Gauguin for New Year.Miriam

 

In talking to you, I have gotten a good "mindset" about how I'm going to get around Mumbai, so I send all good wishes for your own happy travels. I never heard back from Le Passage to India and, thanks to you, I am now confident that I don't need a tour operator to provide a private car.

 

Enjoy your spend time in "Seth Affrike." What a beautiful country. And cruising over New Year on the Paul Gaugin - you are obviously quite the traveler and not just a tourist.

 

Happy travels and thanks again for your excellent information.

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

The good, the bad, and the ugly - I had hired Makson Car Hire and paid a $25 deposit in September for a full day of sightseeing and shopping in Mumbai. Short answer - do not hire Makson.

 

The ship was tied up at Ballard Pier by 7:00am and cleared by 8:00am. I got off to see what lay on the other side of the pier terminal and there were long lines of black-and-yellow taxis plus many tour buses for the ship's tours. Since I had ordered the car for 10:00am, I went back onto the ship and had breakfast, then strolled out to get my hired car. It never came.

 

I was prepared for almost anything in Mumbai. I wasn't surprised the car was not there, so I called the owner of Makson and he said I had ordered the car fo 10:30. I replied that I had the email in my hand stating "10:00am." Then the owner said there was a procession in Mumbai for a national holiday (which was true) and the car would be there as soon as possible.

 

Many SMS messages and phone calls later, I never had a car. It was noon and I had lost 2 hours in this one-day tour of Mumbai. I walked 300 yards to the "green gate" at Ballard Pier where there were hundreds of taxis and my hired car at the front! The driver spoke no English but handed me an invoice with name and itinerary. My name looked like a Scrabble puzzle - it had no basis in fact to my real name. When I asked the driver to move his seat forward, he didn't understand.

 

A taxi driver came up and was interpreting for me with the Makson driver. I wheeled around, asked the taxi driver his name, he said "Jimmy," and I told him I was paying Makson $53 for certain tourist spots and would he take me around? He said he would do it for $50. So off we went for a most marvelous, fun day in Mumbai.

 

Jimmy and I had a late lunch at "Excellensea" which was a local restaurant crowded with upscale Indians. The ground floor is air-cooled, upstairs is air-conditioned. Needless to say, we dined upstairs. I enjoyed a fine dish of grilled tiger prawns, naan bread - it was a delicious meal. When I returned to the ship, two different crew members said they had seen me at Excellensea.

 

I vastly overtipped Jimmy and walked back to the ship very happy. Later, in telling my tale of Mumbai, another passenger said they had the exact same experience with Avis - waited an hour, no one ever came, so they hired a cab.

 

I have no idea how to solve the "car and driver" problem in Mumbai. I would definitely just walk out the "green gate" and listen for someone speaking good English, agree on a price, and hire them.

 

Happy sails!

Ruby