Mumbai Health and Safety

Colaba has its share of beggars, con-men and pickpockets but crime is fairly low key. Locals often complain about shady characters and heroin users loitering around Grant Road train station, which is the city's most unsavoury neighbourhood. If you're on foot, avoid the red light area in Kamathipura at night (you may want to avoid this dispiriting area at all times).

Indian attitudes to skin colour are closely bound to notions of caste: generally (but not always), the darker the skin, the lower the caste. Some black travellers and many African students in Mumbai report incidents of racism - usually name calling, mockery and petty acts of discrimination. Conversely, Indian bar and restaurant owners report regular problems of drunkenness and sexual harassment of customers by African students. These attitudes may affect the welcome black travellers receive in some areas.

Another potential problem area is the ongoing tension between Hindus and Muslims in the city. Muslims accuse the Hindu majority of bigotry and discrimination; Hindus blame the Muslim community for the spate of terrorist bombings that have rocked the city since the 1990s. This is a conflict that has been going on since the Muslim invasion of India - the best travellers can do is avoid potential flashpoints like temples and mosques at times of heightened tension - for example, during upsurges of violence in the Middle East.