logo photo from Dharavi photo from Dharavi photo from Dharavi
 

"The tours are conducted with exemplary sensitivity, and the co-operation of the residents." - Daily Telegraph (UK)
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"I could not think of a better introduction to this fantastic country. I'm not sure i'll ever be able to explain the effect this tour had to me personally, but it certainly had a huge impact on my way of thinking, i'm forever grateful!" - Tomi
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Dharavi Slum Tours

SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR SUMMARY OF DIFFERENT DHARAVI SLUM TOURS
 
"Insightful tours of Dharavi are run by Reality Tours and Travel" (2007)
 
 

We think that Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia, is one of the most interesting places to see in Mumbai. A few visitors such as Prince Charles and Bill Clinton have been to Dharavi, and it is by no means dangerous to go alone, but the beauty of Dharavi lies not on the main roads but in the small hidden alleys where thousands work and live in a number of small enterprises, where goats roam freely and where children play with carefree abandon.

  TOURS' MAIN OBJECTIVES
• break down the negative image of Dharavi (and India's slums) and its residents
• highlight the small scale industries in the area
• bring people of different countries, races, religions and social classes together to increase understanding and empathy
• use tour funds to develop our Community and Education Centre
• give 80% of tour profits after tax to NGOs helping in Mumbai's poorer communities 		   
 

On our tours, you will see why Dharavi is the heart of small scale industries in Mumbai (annual turnover is approximately US$ 665 million) since we show you a wide range of these activities- from recycling, the making of clay pots, embroidery, bakery, soap factory, leather tanning, papad (poppadom) making and many others, most of which take place in very small spaces.

We also pass by the residential areas, where you really get a feel of how the people are living and you see the sense of community and spirit that exists in the area. People from all over India and from all religions live in Dharavi, and you will see this diversity- for example there are Hindu temples, mosques and churches. It is quite an adventure to pass through the narrow alleys, and you will almost certainly lose your sense of direction!

Mumbai has a lot of things to see besides Dharavi. We do more traditional sightseeing tours, which can be combined with the slum tour in one action packed day on our slum and sightseeing tour! On this full day tour, you do the Dharavi tour in the morning, have lunch (normally vegetarian, but you can choose) and then do the sightseeing in the afternoon.

The tour is not just about observing. One of our guides, who all speak very good English and have a wide knowledge of the area, will explain the industry and talk about the people including the issues that they face. You are encouraged to ask questions! We want the tour to be as comfortable for you as possible and so we have a NO TIPS POLICY. The guides are paid a good wage and are rewarded on the basis of the questionnaires which we ask everybody to fill out after the tour.

We do not believe that we should be showing places affecting the poorer members of society and profit from it. We have started a Community/Education Centre and 80% of profits after tax from these slum tours are donated to local NGOs (charities) and in May 2007 we opened at Community and Education Centre.

We offer a wide range of tours at a very reasonable price, the idea being that we want the tour to be accessible to all.

Although the office is not open on Sunday and Bank Holidays, TOURS RUN EVERY DAY

 

SUMMARY OF DIFFERENT DHARAVI SLUM TOURS

 Click on any for further details:
 
       
 
Do you want to see and understand life in the Indian villages, getting involved yourself? You visit three different communities in the beautiful countryside and stay the night in one of them.

Do you want us to book a room for you in Mumbai, or in India? We will make reservations for hotels of ANY budget, and in most cases we ensure that what you pay will not be more than the listed price.

Do you want to travel independently around India on your own itinerary but without the hassle of booking trains, coaches, domestic flights and hotels? We can do as many or as few of these tasks as you wish, at very reasonable, transparent rates.

Do you need help for any purpose in Mumbai? Filming? Research? Shopping? Sourcing a manufacturer? We are not experts in these fields but with the assistance of our Hindi speaking staff, we will help find what you want. Please contact us with your requirements, no matter how bizarre they may be!!

 
 

1/26, akber house, nowroji fardonji rd, opp laxmi vilas hotel, colaba. mumbai. 400 039. india.
tel: 022 22833872. email: info@realitytoursandtravel.com
Copyright © 2007 Reality Tours and Travel Private Limited

many photos of dharavi, where indicated, have been provided courtesy of julien cassagne (http://juliencassagne.free.fr).
any use is forbidden without authorization of the author