24 hours in Mumbai with an airline pilot: What to do, eat and see

One of the perks of my job as a Boeing 787 pilot for British Airways is the opportunity to explore the cities I fly to around the world. The challenge is to make the most of my frequent short layovers — typically 24 or 48 hours — and to balance favourite hangouts and precious downtime with new adventures.

Mumbai, In

FIRST STOP: HOTEL

We touched down in a light headwind on Runway 27 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 8.30am, but it was 10.15am by the time my colleagues and I reached our hotel north of Mumbai’s traffic-clogged historic core. In every city I follow my 10am rule: If I reach my hotel before then, I’ll sleep for three hours (we get early check-in). If I arrive after, I’ll stay up until a reasonable bedtime. So, no nap for me.

My other rule — pilots love rules — is to try to banish jet lag with a swim. After 1,500 metres of freestyle in my hotel’s nearly deserted pool and an instant coffee in my room, I headed down to the lobby.

dia, is one of my favourite cities and I’ve flown there dozens of times. Here’s how a visit last spring unfolded.

Raja, a Mumbaikar friend, first recommended the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum to me years ago — it’s Mumbai’s oldest museum — but I’d never been, so I fired up the Uber app to book a taxi. (Autorickshaws, India’s ubiquitous three-wheeled vehicles, while cheaper than taxis and easily booked on ride apps, aren’t permitted in Mumbai’s core districts.)