Everyday Practicalities
- Tipping: round up for taxis; ₹50–100 for hotel staff who help; 5–10% in restaurants if there’s no included service charge.
- Bargaining: expected in markets and with non-metered rickshaws, never in shops with price tags or restaurants. It’s a friendly game; smile, counter at roughly 40%, meet in the middle, and remember you’re often negotiating over really small amounts.
- Toilets: carry tissues/wet wipes; hotel, mall, and café toilets are your friends.
- Dress: Mumbai is probably India’s most or second most liberal city - wear what you’d wear in a smaller conservative European city. For temples and religious locations: shoulders/knees covered, shoes off.
- Photos of people: ask first — and be ready for the reverse: you will be asked for selfies, especially in the city. Saying yes twice and then a friendly “sorry, we have to go!” is a fine strategy.
- Head wobble: the sideways wobble means yes/okay/I hear you. You will start doing it yourself by week two. There is no cure and it is strictly a superior means of communication. I have had full conversations with strangers over head wobbles.
- Scams, briefly and without drama: the full repertoire is basically (a) “your hotel is closed/moved,” (b) creative taxi pricing, (c) gem/export “opportunities.” All are solved by booking with apps, confirming with your hotel directly, and not buying gems.
- Emergency numbers: 112 (general), 100 (police), 108 (ambulance).
- Do use things like getyourguide and try out cooking classes!
Expectations
- People will stare, but they don’t mean any ill will! Often people are just curious and friendly if you choose to interact with them.
- If you’re white, You might get asked by people to take photos. They don’t mean to do anything bad with the photos, usually its to share with their whatsapp groups that they met a white person. They accept and leave you alone if you say no.
- Pollution and trash are both going to be jarring for you. I’d like to say its getting better, but we might not be at the peak yet. Civic sense and cleanliness are only rolling out one area at a time.
- Be firm with your statements, people view most polite “no”s as non-definitive and with room for negotiation. Be assertive in your “no” and people will respect it. It takes some getting used to, but it will improve your experience and people will not feel bad when you say no.
- You will face a culture shock once you land, ease yourself in and take breaks often. If you feel overwhelmed, find the nearest cafe to recharge at.
- A lot of you might have heard of the caste system and have questions about it. I’d like to say its an artifact of
the past, but unfortunately it does still exist. The amount it plays a role in someones life depends on the region
of India and their personal privileges. As with a lot of social issues, it would take generations to really
eliminate. The younger urban population does engage with the topic more openly if you’re intrigued. As a short term visitor, it would not play any role in your life nor would you need to embrace it in any shape or form.
Survival Apps
| App | What for |
|---|---|
| m-Indicator | Mumbai local trains, metro, bus — the essential one |
| Uber / Ola | Cars + autos |
| Google Maps | Works brilliantly incl. live transit |
| IRCTC Rail Connect / ixigo | Train tickets (Aurangabad, Hosapete) |
| Mony/UPI One World | QR payments everywhere |
| Zomato / Swiggy | Restaurant discovery + food delivery to the hotel |
| The communication layer — hotels, drivers, guides all use it | |
| Blinkit / Zepto | 10-minute groceries (water, sunscreen, forgotten toothbrush) |