From the Pitch to the People: Michael Hussey Visits Dharavi with Reality Tours
Michael Hussey Visits Dharavi with Reality Tours & Travel, and what seemed like an ordinary day quickly turned into an unforgettable experience for all of us. As I sipped my usual morning chai, a colleague casually mentioned that we had a “Michael Hussey” booked on one of our Dharavi walking tours. I brushed it off, […]
Visit Dharavi Now: Explore Before Redevelopment Transforms It!
Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest and most densely populated slums, is on the verge of a major transformation. With the Dharavi Redevelopment Project officially underway, this iconic neighborhood of Mumbai may soon undergo a dramatic change, altering the landscape, community, and industries that have thrived here for decades. As plans take shape, now might be your […]
Top Things to Do on a Mumbai Sightseeing Tour
Mumbai is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations of India. Because of the unique seaside location, this city has expanded to fill the surrounding seven islands. It has also become one of the biggest trading hubs of this world. Traveling in this city can help people to understand modern Indian culture. Full […]
Mumbai – a Visit to the City Which Never Sleeps
Dear readers, Mumbai is one of the leading metros in India if not the leading one already. It was earlier referred to as Bombay. It happens to be the biggest city in India and is also the capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra. To begin with, Mumbai was a collection of 7 islands […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
