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By

Nick

Battling Stereotypes, Hitting the Headlines & Making a Difference

In 2008, Slumdog Millionaire’s success put Mumbai’s slum community on the world stage. Millions around the world felt as if they really were a part of it, engrossed in the film, as they followed Jamal through the crowded streets of the city’s underworld.


Finally being on the world stage, in many ways, was one of the worst things that could have happened to the image of India’s slum residents. For the vast majority of viewers, the pickpockets, gangsters and helplessness depicted in Slumdog will be their permanent recollection whenever they hear that word ‘slum’. They will never visit India, and certainly not any of its underprivileged areas. “Dharavi? Where they blind the child beggars so they’ll earn more? I’ll pass, thank you very much.”

Plastic sits on rooftops waiting to be recycled.

There’s no sugarcoating the fact that slums are tough places to live. Dharavi, India’s largest and one of the world’s most notorious, faces a host of problems due to overcrowding – one million people inhabit just over 2 square kilometres, in a population twenty times as dense as the rest of the city.

 Scratch beneath the surface, though, and there’s another side to Dharavi. Amid the narrow alleys and open drains, a thriving ecosystem can be found, fuelled by an entrepreneurial backbone which sees the slum export over $660 million worth of goods every year.

Denied a head start in life because of where they were born, Dharavi’s residents are determined to break the cycle of poverty – and the existence of so many successful business owners, restaurateurs and tech start-ups reveals the community’s strong spirit of determination.

A local-led approach to quality education

Reality Tours & Travel, a socially responsible tour operator founded three years before Slumdog was released, has made it its mission to show people the true nature of India’s slums. Its signature Educational Slum Tour of Dharavi has revealed to visitors from more than 100 countries that there’s more to the area than Slumdog Millionaire’s misery.

The company’s focus on social and urban development issues is refreshing: 80% of profits fund a sister NGO, Reality Gives. Reality Gives has reached over 6,000 children, youth, and adults with their education programmes since 2009 in Dharavi and also Delhi’s Sanjay Colony slum since 2015. Using quality curricula developed through a blend of local and international expertise, their focus is on bringing quality standards from leading overseas institutes to India’s slum communities, all the while monitored closely by a Director of Education recruited from Harvard University.

On the face of it, there’s nothing remarkable about another educational NGO based in Dharavi; Reality Gives has many peers, which, some argue, reduces people’s ability to create their own change. This is the aspect where Reality Gives takes a unique approach. It hires and trains staff locally to deliver its programmes, with the vast majority of its teachers and operational staff coming from the communities they serve.

This local-led model has produced some remarkable stories of slum residents determined to create their own destiny in life. Karthika Nadar’s journey, which began when she joined Reality Gives’ Dharavi Girls Football Academy when she was 17, is one such example. Having grown up in Dharavi where she still lives with her family today, Karthika had reached a point in her life where she was happy but unable to choose the career she wanted. Employed as a compounder at a local pharmacy, she worked unsociable evening hours for a very modest salary. Her dream had always been to become a teacher and provide education to the community. Karthika took her first step towards this goal by joining the Academy. Quickly developing into a popular leader and seeking further preparation for her goal, she signed up to Reality Gives’ Youth Empowerment Program (a curriculum of English, Computer Classes, and Life Skills, which aims to help young adults tackle the world of employment). This proved to be a turning point for Karthika, who fulfilled her ambition by graduating from the programme and joining Reality Gives as an IT teacher. From the Community Centre where she once studied and now teaches in, she describes the programme as “the chance I needed to develop my English and begin my career. More than just learning, I began to feel strong.”

As Reality Gives continues to grow, its focus will remain on empowering slum residents. Together with Reality Tours & Travel, the two organisations are determined to redefine what the word “slum” means to the rest of the world. Rather than giving handouts to Dharavi, Sanjay Colony, and other underprivileged areas, they want to put educated, empowered residents on the world stage so that they themselves can challenge the stereotypes.

This article was originally published in The Logical Indian

Welcome to New Delhi: Getting to the City Centre from Indira Gandhi International Airport

Photo courtesy of IGIA

New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is the nation’s busiest airport. We aren’t surprised by this, as the city boasts a myriad of monuments, markets and food options to discover. We’ve put together a list of ways to make it easy for you to decide how to get into New Delhi:

Metro

We love New Delhi’s metro system. It is air-conditioned (which, during the inferno of summer heat is a lifesaver), cheap, and reliable throughout the day. Within 20-30 minutes, one can get from the airport to the city centre. Upon arrival, follow signs to the Airport Express metro line (“Orange line”). This metro line takes you from IGIA and stops at Dhaula Kuan, Shiavji Stadium, and ends at New Delhi Railway Station. Alternatively, if you arrive in Terminal 1 (domestic terminal), you can take the new “Magenta line” that is directly connected to IGIA Terminal 1.

  • Operating hours: 04:45 am to 11:30 pm, every 10-15 minutes
  • Accessible from both Terminal 1 (Magenta line) and 3 (Orange line)
  • Cost: (IGIA to New Delhi Station) 60 rupees

Ride-sharing apps: Ola and Uber

Uber and Ola have made us lazier beings, as we succumb to the ease of booking a ride to take us directly to our destination. There are designated areas outside of the arrivals area where your Uber or Ola driver can pick you up from. Although there are no official signs to guide you, you can ask travellers or airport staff to point you in the right direction.

  • Cost: Approximately 250 rupees to 400 rupees (fares fluctuate according to demand)
  • Ensure you have data or internet connection, as well as the Uber/Ola app already downloaded on your phone to make your booking experience seamless
  • Note: Traffic at certain times of day in Delhi can cause long delays; thus, if you need to be somewhere at a particular time, do factor this into your plans.

Taxi

One of the most frequented methods of getting to central Delhi from the airport is via prepaid taxi. This service is overseen by the Delhi Traffic Police: taxi drivers are held accountable for their service.

Prepaid taxi are available at both domestic and international arrival areas. Upon arrival at Terminal 3, you’ll find a prepaid taxi counter inside the terminal as well as another one when you exit and head towards the taxi zone. We advise travellers to arrange for their taxi from the counter inside the terminal to avoid being approached by unofficial taxi drivers and touts. Your fare is pre-determined by the government and varies depending on the area you are going.

  • Cost: approximately 400-500 rupees to the city centre (a surcharge of 25% is applicable for late night travel from 11pm to 5am)

Here are few tips to ensure you have a smooth experience:

  • When you pay for your taxi at the counter, you will be handed two receipts (one green and one pink) with taxi’s number.
  • The green receipt is to be handed to the driver at the end of the trip; this is what he needs to show to get paid by the taxi office. Ensure that you do not give the taxi driver this receipt until you arrive at your destination. If your driver is being difficult, this receipt will be useful in navigating negotiations with him.

Bus

Buses are another cheap way to get into the city. Most buses are owned by the State-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or private companies. DTC runs shuttle services every 30 minutes, taking passengers from Terminal 3 to central New Delhi (for example, Connaught Place and Interstate Bus Terminals). These buses also offer comfort of air conditioning.
  • Pick-up/drop-off point: Terminal 3 “staging area,” across from the Centaur Hotel
  • For detailed routes and schedules visit: http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DOIT_DTC/dtc/all+services/igi+airport+bus+service
  • Note: when on the road in Delhi, traffic can pose a problem so do keep in mind that getting into the city centre may take longer than expected.

Airport Transfer

If you prefer to book an airport pick-up, we can arrange this for you.  Simply send us a direct message, call or email at sales@realitytoursandtravel.com for more information.

Happy travels! We can’t wait to take you around Delhi.

Welcome to Mumbai: Getting from the Airport to the City Centre

Finally, you’ve made the decision to visit Mumbai and explore all it has to offer!

We’ve put together a summary to help you decide how to get into the city upon arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport:

1) Taxi

This is a straightforward method to get into the city. There are two types of taxis you can take: pre-paid or normal metered taxis. Normal taxis be distinguished by their black and yellow exteriors, whereas the pre-paid taxis are equipped with air conditioning (sometimes referred to as “cool cabs”).

We recommend taking pre-paid taxis over metered taxis to ensure you get a fair rate into the city, irrespective of traffic conditions/travel time.

  • Cost: The average rate is around INR 500 – 600 for pre-paid, INR 625-700 for metered taxis
  • Travel time: 25 minutes to 2 hours

*Note that the time of day you arrive/depart and traffic will affect the length of time it takes for you to get in or out of town.

2) Ridesharing apps: Uber and Ola Cabs

Oh the wonders of technology and ride-sharing apps! Travelling via this option is seemingly effortless: the airport has designated pick-up points for Uber and Ola riders, as well as signage to direct you to these pick-up points.

Ask for the Uber or Ola Cabs counter upon exiting any terminal premises and you’ll be directed accordingly. In case you don’t have either application downloaded on your phone, Uber or OLA representatives at these information counters can help you book a ride. Rates are fair, fixed, and you can rest assured that you’ll be dropped off exactly where you need to be.

  • Cost: The average rate is around INR 250-500
  • Travel time: 25 minutes to 2 hours

3) Auto Rickshaws

These are the beloved black and yellow, compact three-wheelers that roam Mumbai’s streets. We daresay that autos are the most popular and cost effective means of travel around the city. Moreover, Mumbai’s auto-rickshaws are always metered, so there is no need to fret about price negotiations.

Auto rickshaws in Mumbai, however, only operate in the suburbs and cannot enter South Bombay (Colaba, Fort area). The only terminal where you can catch an auto to reach the suburbs of Mumbai is from Terminal 1B, domestic departures. If you’re thinking of catching an auto from Terminal 2, the only way you’d be able to get one is to get to a nearby train station first.

4) Bus

This would be a difficult to navigate if you aren’t familiar with train travel in Mumbai; however, there are bus services that connect both international and domestic terminals to  train stations nearby—making it a cost effective means of getting into town.

BEST- Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport

  • Bus Route number 312: stops at Vile Parle (East) and Andheri (East) railway stations
    – Opening hours: 04:50 am to 22:50 pm.
  • To Vile Parle Railway Station include: Bus route 2, 35, 39, 322, 330, 374 and 384
  • To Andheri (East) railway station: Bus route 308
    – Opening hours: 05:10 am to 22:10 pm.
  • Vile Parle East: Bus route 321

*Note that buses do not run overnight. So, if you arrive at odd hours in the morning/night, you’ll have to take a cab/Uber/Ola.

5) Train

Unfortunately, Mumbai’s airport isn’t directly connected to any train station. But if you’re adventurous and would like to make your way into the city centre via Mumbai’s local train system, you can do so by travelling to the nearest station via auto/taxi first. Train travel is the fastest way to get into the city centre during peak traffic hours.

Here are some helpful points of reference:

FROM TERMINAL 1

  • Vile Parle Railway Station: only 2.1 kilometers from Terminal 1, which is about 20 minutes away
  • Other stations include: Asalpha Railway Station (8 km), Sakinaka Metro Station (12 km), Marol Naka Station (6.4 km), Airport Road Metro Station (6.2 km)

FROM TERMINAL 2

  • Andheri East Railway Station: 6 kilometers from Terminal 2, which is about 30 minutes away
  • Other nearby stations: Santa Cruz Railway Station (6 km), Khar Road Railway Station (8 km), Karla Junction Railway Station (13 km)

Happy travels, and hope to see you soon in Mumbai.

Balaji’s Story: Living & Working In Dharavi Slum

My name is Balaji and I am 27 years old. I live in Dharavi and have worked as a tour guide at Reality Tours and Travel for over 5 years now.  As a local from the slum, I have a lot to say about my neighbourhood –  the way it has changed with time and the changes that have happened to me in this time too by learning new skills in my job.  

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Camera Not OK Please: Why We Don’t Let You Take Photos On Our Slum Tours

Our very first tour of Dharavi was in January 2006; shortly after this, we introduced a ‘No Photography Policy’. Some press coverage had been critical of people going to Dharavi and taking photos, and when we saw the results, we agreed.

Over a decade on and the policy remains unchanged: guests on our educational slum tours are not permitted to take any photos for the entirety of their time with us. In a world where social media likes, shares, and retweets carry such clout, a ‘No Photography Policy’ might seem a bit outdated. Back this up with the old Indian adage that ‘the guest is God’, and the more recent marketing maxim that ‘the customer is always right’, and the policy might not only seem outdated but downright detrimental to our desire to grow our business.

Certainly, not being able to capture and share first-hand the vibrancy of the Dharavi, and Sanjay Colony slums may be a frustration for a minority of our guests. But whilst we want to exceed our guests expectations in every other way, there is another stakeholder group that takes precedence – the slum communities we serve… (more…)

Manoj’s Story: Making a Dream a Reality

My name is Manoj Ramesh Medwal and I was born and brought up in Mumbai. My parents both come from Delhi and I have one elder brother and one younger one. We live together with my mum. My elder brother is married and has two wonderful children. I’m really proud to be a nice uncle. We live in Mahalaxmi, an area in the South of Mumbai, not too far from Dhobi Ghat, the famous open-air laundry place of the city. This is my story… (more…)

My Mumbai Ramadan Tour With Reality Tours & Travels

Mumbai is known to be a fast city, where life just passes you by. Hailing from Mumbai, there are still various facets of our city which we are not exposed to. Mohammad Ali Road, one of the oldest quarters of the city, is one such facet most Mumbaikars have never experienced. Throughout the year, the bustling area is home to traders, merchants, labourers, overcrowded roads and a bevy of restaurants and many people do not venture into this neighbourhood, unless for work.
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Taking Tours & Challenging Conventions, All In A Day’s Work

My name is Shehnaz and I am working as a tour guide at Reality Tours and Travel. My family is originally from Bihar but my father moved to Delhi about 25 years ago to work and sustain the family. I was born in Delhi in a middle-class family and we are six siblings. My father is a tailor but I would like to call him an artist and, of course, my superhero…

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What Would The Neighbours Say? A Study Into Community Perceptions Of Slum Tours In Dharavi

Slum tourism has become extremely popular in the 21st century, especially in Mumbai. With its escalating use, throughout media and existing scholarship slum tourism has generated a heated and critical debate especially concerning ethics and its so-called ‘voyeuristic’ nature. However, scholarly research on slum tourism remains limited and fragmented.

Reality Tours & Travel began, first and foremost, to serve the Dharavi Community. To bring people here to challenge the negative stereotypes they held about ‘slums’ and sensitise them to the multilayered, multifaceted cultures, communities and lives being played out in ‘Asia’s largest slum’. To turn the profits we made from taking these tours into tangible, positive change through our sister-NGO, Reality Gives. (more…)

Further Reading – Six Books To Help You Understand Slums

Salman Rushdie once wrote that “to understand just one life you have to swallow the world“. In Dharavi there’s an estimated one million lives. In Sanjay Colony, there’s a not inconsiderable 50,000.

As we try to convey on our educational tours, these communities are incredibly complex. Whilst the word ‘slum’ evokes a negative view (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition runs to ‘an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition‘) the reality is not so cut and dry. Yes, the challenging conditions show a lack of fairness in our societies and a failure of government  but there are also positive aspects; a strong sense of community, rents which make a rural urban migration possible and the potential for residence to play a part in shaping and moulding their environment.

Slums do not conform to a simplistic Dickensian definition of dirt, squalor and crime; neither should we assuage our sense of guilt at all that we have by romanticising the lives being played out there. The reality is it’s far more nuanced. To that end, here’s a few books straight from the Reality bookshelf which might help shape your understanding of what is an incredibly complex topic.

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What The Dabbawallahs Of Mumbai Can Teach The World About Sustainable Business

Freshly cooked dalokra, rice and roti are packed safely into a metal tiffin when the doorbell rings. A white capped dabbawallah is anxiously waiting for the lunchbox but he is sure to flash a smile before he speeds away on his bicycle.  At the local train station, he adds six more lunch boxes to a wooden plank that is hoisted onto his colleague’s head. It weighs 65 kilograms (143 pounds). Fighting the remainder of rush hour commuter traffic, the second dabbawallah steps into the luggage compartment of a Mumbai local, sets his cargo on the ground with the help of two colleagues and chats idly as the train pulls out of the station.
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Five TED Talks We Love, And Why We Love Them

Since 1984 ‘Technology, Entertainment, Design’ (more commonly known the world over as ‘TED’) have been sharing ‘ideas worth spreading’ relating to all things, from education to business, science to development. In the last 30 years, they’ve shared over 2,400 talks in more than 100 languages which have been viewed 500 million times.

These talks are a regular source of ideas, information and inspiration here in the Reality Group office – here are a few we love, and why we love them. (more…)

What’s Life Like When The Monsoon Comes To Mumbai?

The months of monsoon bring joy to millions of people not only in Mumbai but all over India. The torrential rains arrive after a torrid, long and tiring summer. The monsoon begins during the first week of June in the southwest coast. It then travels up through the Indian state of Kerala, up towards the North and usually reaches the city of Mumbai around the second week of June. (more…)

Ganesh & The Story Behind Maharashtra’s Favourite Festival

India is a very diverse country and every city has its own rich history and culture. A particularly striking aspect of this is the range of different festivals celebrated throughout the country.

One of the biggest festivals celebrated around this time of the year in Mumbai is “Ganesh Chaturti”. Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is one of the most famous Hindu Gods and easily identified by his elephant head. He is known as the God of Wisdom and Intellect, but also as “Ek Dant”- one tooth – and “Vighnaharta”- vanquisher of obstacles. (more…)

India At The Olympics – A Sporting Chance?

In a loose replication of Portuguese adventurers centuries ago, over the last couple of weeks thousands of the world’s top athletes have been seeking precious metals in Brazil. However one country in particular is slightly conspicuous by its absence from the upper echelons of that ultimate game of temporary national one-upmanship, the Olympics medal table.

India collected their best ever medal haul of 6 at the last games in London and were hoping to improve upon that momentum this time round having brought their largest ever team. It was hoped the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi might also kick-start a new generation inspired to improve their fitness and participation levels by seeing many of the world’s top athletes and comparatively unknown sports up close. Yet with the Olympics now over it appears India have headed backwards once more, having claimed a couple of medals only and no gold in Rio 2016. (more…)

What I Learned From Two Years in Dharavi: Reflections From Our Former Marketing Director, Nick

For the past two years, I have had the privilege of working in Dharavi: the heart of Mumbai, its center of small scale enterprise, and “one of the largest ‘slums’ in Asia”. Dharavi is an incredibly unique area that outsiders rarely get the opportunity to work in and learn from for such an extended period of time. It is an organically built neighborhood comprised of over 80 different communities that was born out of necessity and now houses up to one million people (who speak over 30 languages and follow six religions) and 15,000 small scale industries. (more…)

How Dharavi Makes A Difference: Eight Surprising Facts About Mumbai’s Largest Slum

Your average Mumbaikar might wonder why Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, has survived, slap bang in the middle of India’s burgeoning financial capital, for so long. As the city has grown and expanded, Dharavi has come to occupy a prime piece of real estate. Why not bulldoze it down and start again?

What people across Mumbai might not know is the way that the slum is influencing their lives; how the million people and over ten thousand businesses Dharavi is home to are a vital part of the Maximum City, rather than a blight upon it. (more…)

Is There A Right Way To Respond To Begging?

Mumbai, a city of over eighteen million people, is home to an estimated 300,000 ‘beggars’, people who survive by asking others for money or food in public spaces. Many are children, female or the elderly. A large number are physically maimed. From the bona fide Mumbaikar to the tourist in India for the first time, having to come face to face with this side of the city on a daily basis can, and should, be a cause of great distress, concern and reflection. (more…)

Anyone For Cricket?

Since the British were finally forced to retreat from India many of the reminders of the colonial period have also gradually been pushed aside. From statues of royalty being taken down to city names being changed, in general as a hard fought single nation pride has begun to develop so too has the confidence of independence and desire to break the connection to an imperial past. One aspect brought over by the British that Indians will likely never send back across the sea though is their love for a game involving a ball, a bat and some sticks to knock over… (more…)

Useful Apps To Help You Make The Most Of Your Trip To India

India is a vast and vibrant country with endless experiences available wherever you look and a culture that is truly unique. Many travelers flock to this birthplace of spirituality, home of mouth-watering cuisine and endless geographical beauty.

However, with so much to experience and such a different way of life to the one visitors are used to, many tourists struggle to navigate the frantic, occasionally over-crowded and somewhat stuffy life that mother India has to offer them. Fortunately, using these five apps can significantly improve your time spent in this wonderful country and help you get around easily and problem free. (more…)

Life Lessons From An 8,000 Kilometre Train Journey Around India

Earlier this year our Operations Executive, Mayur Parmar, had the opportunity to join Jagriti Yatra, a 15-day, 8,000 kilometre journey around India. The trip brings 450 young Indians together on a train to learn about our country. The journey is punctured by stops to learn from local leaders who are building India through innovative enterprise.

Last year, staff members of Jagritri Yatra came on a tour of Dharavi and Mayur met them and learned about their program. They encouraged him to apply and he did just that. When Mayur arrived on the train earlier this year, he quickly realized that coming from Dharavi and working for a social business made him unique among the 450 yatris, the majority of whom were studying to become engineers. Mayur took it upon himself to teach everyone about the unique community he is from and the company he works for. By the end of the journey he was a minor celebrity on the train and was selected by the Jagriti Yatra staff to address the group on the final day.

What follows is the speech that Mayur delivered to the 450 Jagriti Yatra participants and staff. (more…)

If Reality Tours Planned The Royal Visit To Mumbai

Will and Kate are in Mumbai, kicking off their whirlwind trip around India. In 2012, Prince Andrew visited Dharavi with the help of our founder, Krishna Pujari. For this royal visit, however, our services weren’t called upon. But that didn’t stop us from imagining the perfect one day Mumbai tour for the royal couple!

Our itinerary would be a mix of prominent sights tied with British colonial history, local experiences, and an introduction to Mumbai’s temples, markets, and slums. (more…)

[Interview] What Two Dharavi Youth Learned From An International Leadership Program In Rural India

Kaveri and Hasnain, two graduates from Reality Gives’ Youth Empowerment Program, recently joined youth from the French NGO Global Potential for a four day leadership course in our partner village, Chinchoti.

Global Potential is an 18 month leadership and entrepreneurship program for youth from underserved communities. A key aspect of their program is a 45 day service-learning project in a rural village. During the month and a half immersion, program participants learn from local youth and cultures, carry out internships, and support community projects in health, environment, education, and media.

This year, they came to India for the first time to explore potential partnerships and partner villages with our co-founder Krishna. They also took the opportunity to host an abbreviated version of their leadership course with their students, and invited Kaveri and Hasnain along too! (more…)

Celebrating One Year Of Chai Break: Our Top 5 Posts

1. Definitive Guide to Riding Mumbai Trains (With Pictures)

Mumbai’s local railway is aptly nicknamed the “lifeline of the city.” Mumbai is one of the densest cities in the world and the trains are its saving grace, transporting a staggering 6.9 million people per day. Trains can get so overcrowded during peak hours that it is common to have 14-16 people per square meter. If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry, after reading this guide you will have all the information to conquer the Mumbai local trains. (more…)

How Seneca Can Prepare You For India

India will not be what you expect. You will meet people that are friendlier and more generous than you ever thought possible. You will taste foods so delicious you’ll begin to wonder why Indian food isn’t everyone’s favourite. You will see sights so beautiful that they will remain embedded in your memory for the rest of your life. But you’ll also have to overcome challenges so great that many travellers write off India entirely. Logistically, you will face a myriad of transportation issues. Culturally, you will have some of your most basic assumptions about life and society come into question. And throughout your visit, a thousand and one things will threaten to make you sick. Your time in India will be uncomfortable in one way or another, but these challenges and the beautiful moments that inevitably follow are precisely why we travel: to get out of our comfort zone, challenge ourselves and broaden our worldview. Recognizing this goal and preparing yourself for the challenges that you will inevitably face can dramatically improve how much you enjoy your trip. The first century Stoic philosopher, Seneca, is the unlikely guide to the importance of mentally preparing for your trip. (more…)

Celebrating 10 Years in Dharavi

On January 4, 2016 Reality Tours and Travel celebrated 10 years of working in Dharavi. To mark the occasion, we’ve created a video that looks at the different ways in which we have impacted some of the lives of the tens of thousands of people who have been a part of our story.

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Essential Guide To North Indian Food (With Pictures)

Among the first of many realizations you’ll have when you arrive in India is that there is no such thing as “Indian food.” The Indian subcontinent packs in as much or more diversity than Europe and the food is no exception. To help you get your bearings, we’ve created a guide of our “must-try” foods in Northern India. (PS: You should also come on our Old Delhi street food tour and we’ll show you the best places to sample these dishes!)

Chole Bhature – छोले भटूरे

The quintessential Delhi street food, Chole Bhature is spicy chickpeas eaten with fried bread (bhature). Typically sold at street stalls or small restaurants, it can be a great snack or meal at any time of day. It can be easily identified by the puffed up bhature.

As with any street food, be sure to evaluate the cleanliness of the stall before ordering. Checking how busy the stand is and how they handle the money (ideally someone who isn’t handling the food!) are both good indicators. (more…)

[Interview] What Is Reality Tours’ First Guide Doing Today?

Please introduce yourself. Where did you grow up? What were you doing before joining Reality Tours?

My name is Ravi Mishra. I grew up in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh but I ran away from home when I was 13 because of issues at home. I picked a train at random and ended up in Navi Mumbai. It was my first time in a big city, everyone was rushing and it was only 4 or 5am! I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have any money but I managed to find a few odd jobs in Navi Mumbai because I was good at writing and math. Later I learned how to ride a motor bike, so then I could get a job as a delivery boy. I worked for a few restaurants and in a fashion store before I shifted to Colaba in South Mumbai. I worked for McDonald’s there and a courier service. At this time an NGO helped me get enrolled in secondary school and I was able to graduate a year later. (more…)

Dharavi: A Micro City Within A City

Suraj, one of our senior guides, recently wrote an article about Dharavi for the German magazine, Masala, a publication that aims to build an intercultural bridge from India to Germany.


What is a slum?

I have met many people from all around Mumbai and the world and when I ask them this question, 90 per cent of the time I hear something related to poverty, crime and drugs. I won’t say all of this is false. It may be true for slums in other places but not where I’m from. (more…)

Our Staff’s Recommended India Reading List (Non-Fiction)

India is a country where great wealth and prosperity sits side by side with incredible hardship and poverty and making sense of the great contradictions is a nigh on impossible task. But that hasn’t stopped people trying. Here are some of our favourite attempts to understand and explain this diverse, compelling and fascinating country that we call home.

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Dharavi, The Dalai Lama, And Striving For Abundance Without Attachment

 Asim, our Operations Manager in Mumbai, traveled to Dharamsala along with three Dharavi businessmen to sit with the Dalai Lama on a panel discussion about enterprise and poverty.


I was recently invited to Dharamsala along with three entrepreneurs from Dharavi to sit on a panel discussion organized by American Enterprise Institute. Abundance without Attachment was the theme of the program. They wanted to discuss about enterprise and poverty, and how to lift people up. There were around 50 people present in the room and they were interested in hearing our stories from Dharavi. (more…)

Diwali & What It Means To Us

Diwali is tomorrow! In this post, two of our guides, Jitu and Balaji, explain the history of Diwali, why it’s important, how they celebrate and how it is celebrated by Jains. To learn more join us for our Diwali Dharavi Tour and Celebration next year!

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Our Recommended New Delhi Sights

New Delhi, the modern day capital city of India, has been the centre of a multitude of different empires throughout the ages, the remnants of which can be found scattered throughout the city. From rich, diverse history and architecture to arguably India’s best food and shopping, Delhi truly has something to offer every type of traveller. Once the initial shock of Delhi’s overpopulation and pollution subsides, you will get a glimpse into the mystery of Delhi and why this city is so great.

To help you get to know this chaotic metropolis, we’ve compiled a customized list of our favourite sights in New Delhi!

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Mumbai Rush Hour Transport Race (With Video Of Bicycle Ride)

It’s 6pm, you’re in Colaba and you need to go north, what do you do? Risk a traffic jam in a taxi? Get a free body massage in the train? Weave in and out of traffic with your motorbike? We decided to put six forms of transport to the test and figure out the answer once and for all.

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Solo Female Travel Tips From “Happy Travelling Girl”

This week we have a special guest post by Krishna Ganatra from Happy Travelling Girl, an organization dedicated to making traveling a safe reality for women. They share with us their top trips for travelling solo in India.


I was reclining at one of the pillars at Vitthal Temple in Hampi. We had been cycling since morning and, being peak season, Hampi was packed with travellers, tourist and school children. My travel buddy, Megha, and I had been in town three days and had been feeling the odd sensation of being strangers in our own country.

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Ganesh Chaturthi: Mumbai’s Biggest Festival

Nick takes us through his experience last year during Ganesh Chaturthi and explains what he learned.


The Modern Origin

There weren’t any crowds when we turn onto the side street indicated on our map. It was surprising considering my friend and I were trying to find the housing society responsible for the modern form of Ganesh Chaturthi, Mumbai’s biggest festival, during the holiday itself. We went down the entire lane only to find a small Ganesh in a nearly empty housing society courtyard. We decided to ask them for directions.

As we walked into the courtyard, with facads in the old Portugese style rising up on either side of us, a young man sitting on a wooden platform in front of the Ganesh pandal immediately bounced to his feet and came to greet us. He was incredibly friendly and quickly informed us that this was indeed the first society to celebrate the festival in its modern form, which they have been doing continuously for the past 121 years.

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From Dharavi To Smokey Mountain: What It Takes To Run A Responsible Tour Company

Chris Way, co-founder of Reality Tours, takes us through his work with Smokey Tours in Manila and compares it with the challenges he faced in Dharavi.


I have been acting as a Consultant for Smokey Tours since March 2013, when I visited Manila for the first time. Juliette Kwee, from the Netherlands, who was working as a missionary for a Manila based NGO working in the slums, saw the potential of providing slum tours in the area. The benefits that she saw were the obvious ones- employment opportunities for the tour leaders, tour receipts being used directly to help the people in the area, but also, she wanted to be a connecting agent between visitors wanting to help out and organisations doing work in the slums. (more…)

The Surprising History Of Mumbai’s Favourite Sandwich

Vada: spiced, mashed potatoes deep-fried in a batter of chickpeas.

Pav: the ubiquitous white bread rolls.

Put these two simple foods together with some spicy chutney (sauce) and it transforms into Mumbai’s iconic street food: vada pav. The idea is said to have originated from a street vendor named Ashok Vaidya who worked outside of the unceasingly chaotic Dadar train station in the 1960’s and 70’s. In search of a way to fend off the commuters’ hunger, he devised a simple snack that could be eaten on the go. Needless to say, his idea was a success, and it has since been elevated to one of Mumbai’s favourite street foods. But the interesting part of the story is the simple sandwich’s deeply political history. (more…)

4 Essential Travel Tips From “7 Years In Tibet”

Prison escapes, a forbidden city, treacherously high mountain peaks, ancient belief systems – forget Shantaram, Seven Years in Tibet is the best travel story I have ever read. But while I was impressed by what he saw and learned, it was how Henrich Herrer accomplished these things that stood out to me. The story highlights 4 essential pieces of travel advice that can help us not only travel responsibly, but also get the most out of our trips.


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My Experience In Dharavi

Chris, a university student from the United States, shares with us what he took away from his visit to Dharavi.


This past May, I made my first trip to India. My mother and I have been traveling internationally every summer for the last several years, but had only recently set our sights on the second-most populous country on Earth. Having stayed mostly within Europe on prior trips, we were looking for something a little farther out of our comfort zone, something more exotic. We were feeling adventurous, and India was more than up to the challenge.

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Our Staff’s Recommended India Reading List (Fiction)

Fantastical, lyrical and awesome in its nature, Indian fiction often derives much of its inspiration from real life events, lending credence to the old saying “the truth is stranger than fiction”. It can offer incredible insight into the country’s history, politics and culture in an incredibly engaging, entertaining and all too often, heart breaking manner.

A common and popular example of this is Shantaram (now almost as much of a pre-requisite to getting through customs as a visa is), so, without using the ‘s’ word, we asked our staff for their personal favourites.

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4 Questions To Quickly Vet Travel Related Organizations

Research is an important aspect of traveling responsibly. If you’re going to support a travel company, whether it’s a hotel or tour operator, you should ideally research them before choosing them. We have created the following list of 4 questions to help guide your research. If it is difficult to find the answers, if the answers are ambiguous or if you don’t like the answers, you might want to reconsider choosing that particular organization.

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8 Mumbai Areas To Explore That Aren’t Colaba

Mumbai can be a difficult city for tourists; it’s hot, crowded and difficult to get around and on top of that there aren’t many famous sights to help guide your visit. But there is actually a lot to see and do once you start searching beyond the well-known sights. Instead of searching for sights to see in Mumbai, a better approach is to look for neighbourhoods to explore. Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city, rich in history and culture and each of its neighbourhoods has a unique feel and something different to offer. Here is a list of our favourite neighbourhoods to give you some ideas of areas to explore outside of Colaba.

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Mayur’s Journey With Reality Group: From Dharavi To Australia

Born and raised in Dharavi, Mayur has worked with Reality Group for over five years. In his own words, Mayur tells the story of his journey with Reality Group and how it led him to find his passion.


Working with Reality has been an achievement. I joined Reality Gives as a caretaker.  Through this job, I have grown as an individual and my communication has improved. When I started it was not possible for me to speak English. Now, it’s very easy for me to speak in English and for that I thank the team at Reality.

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How To Do Delhi Like A Local: Pradeep’s 5 Favourite Places In Delhi

Our Delhi Tour Guide Manager, Pradeep, lets us in on his 5 favourte places in Delhi.


Delhi is my home and I love it because I know a ton of places, people and things to do here. I can’t imagine my life without these five places in Delhi. Almost every day, I go to one of these places.

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Making The Switch To Dharavi: When Adding Value Is Not Just About Profit

Our new CEO, Paul Whittle, discusses what prompted him to leave his comfy job at a major tour operator in London to join us in Dharavi.


“You’re doing WHAT?!”

This sentiment, be it a sense of enduring fascination from friends or a cry of anguish from a long suffering family, has pervaded most of my adult life. Six months after leaving a well paid and highly respectable job in London to go on a bicycle ride from the UK to Turkey this last summer, the exact same reaction was again ringing in my ears. This time two wheels had been exchanged for three as I found myself in a tuk tuk whizzing through the streets of Mumbai to my new home. The daily commute now being to the slightly less luxurious surroundings here in Dharavi, one of Mumbai’s and indeed Asia’s largest slum communities.

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Eid al-Adha in Mumbai: One Square Kilometer Of Goats (Part 2)

The morning of Eid, after repeatedly assuring us that it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, Asim kindly invited the foreigners from the office to his family home nearby Dharavi for Eid al-Adha. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous for this: I had never seen anything sacrificed before. We wound our way through the narrow streets to Asim’s home and greeted his extended family. Everyone was sitting around the living room in their Sunday best casually chatting and surfing the internet on their smart phones. The scene looked like it could have been the living room of any of my family’s holidays, except for one key difference: there was a skinned goat cut in half sitting in the center of the living room. The head and legs were on a platter underneath a chair. What a way to start off the week!

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Definitive Guide to Riding Mumbai Trains (With Pictures)

Mumbai’s local railway is aptly nicknamed the “lifeline of the city.” Mumbai is one of the densest cities in the world and the trains are its saving grace, transporting a staggering 6.9 million people per day. Trains can get so overcrowded during peak hours that it is common to have 14-16 people per square meter. If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry, after reading this guide you will have all the information to conquer the Mumbai local trains.

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The Danger Of A Single Story: Why Dharavi’s Other Story Needs To Be Told

“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

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Undiscovered Mumbai Neighbourhood: Koliwadi

One hundred and thirty five hutments jut out into the Arabian Sea, bravely defying nature and real estate moguls. Slated for redevelopment for almost a decade, Worli Koliwadi, or Worli fisherman village has, like so many other Mumbai settlements, continued to survive due a mix of legal, bureaucratic and geographical factors. But for us this means that there is one more interesting and unique Mumbai neighbourhood to explore!

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Eid al-Adha In Mumbai: One Square Kilometer Of Goats (Part 1)

Note: this one isn’t for the faint of heart!

It was a boiling hot Saturday morning and my stomach was not feeling 100%, but there was no way I was missing this. When you get invited for a behind the scenes peak at your friend’s most meaningful religious holiday, one I had never even heard of before I moved to India, you don’t make excuses, you go. So I ate the blandest breakfast I could muster (oatmeal), drank a few liters of water, spent some quality time in the bathroom, and headed north to Asia’s largest goat market.

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Reality Changer: Flora

After a project with her sister didn’t work out, the pair of sisters set off on a three week trip to India to take a break. Little did they know they would find inspiration for their next project!

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