Mumbai is the financial, commercial and industrial capital of India. A cosmopolitan city, it is also a centre of fashion and home to the largest film industry in the world. The city hums with the constant activity of more than 15 million people. Mumbai used to be just a collection of fishing villages. The real development commenced only during British colonial rule. Hence most of the historical monuments are relics from the British Raj.

Not far from Aurangabad, at Ellora and Ajanta, are some of the finest examples of cave architecture in the world. Constructed mainly by Buddhist monks as early as 200 B.C., the caves form a pocket history of Buddhist art and thought. At Ellora the caves are masterpieces of sculpture whereas at Ajanta the caves are famous for their magnificent paintings.

Goa is so beautiful that it is not surprising that the Portuguese stayed on for 450 years! They endowed the predominantly Hindu land with a Latin language and flavour that is still very alive and thriving, decades after the Portuguese heyday. One can drive through peaceful towns with their Portuguese style bungalows, stop at a small taverna for a drink of feni, or bask for hours on the pristine beaches.