The unofficial headquarters of Mumbai's tourist scene, Colaba sprawls down the city's southernmost peninsula. It's a bustling district packed with street stalls, markets, bars and budget to midrange lodgings. Colaba Causeway (Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg) bisects the promontory and is the traffic-filled artery connecting Colaba's jumble of side streets and gently crumbling mansions.
Sassoon Dock, south of the main tourist action, is a scene of intense and pungent activity at dawn (around 05:00) when colourfully clad Koli fisherwomen sort the catch unloaded from fishing boats at the quay. The fish drying in the sun are bombil, the fish used in the dish Bombay duck. Photography at the dock is forbidden without permission from the Mumbai Port Trust
While you're here, it's worth popping into the 1847 Church of St John the Evangelist, known as the Afghan Church (dedicated to British forces killed in the bloody 1838-43 First Afghan War. During the more reasonable hours of the day, nearby Colaba Market (Lala Nigam St) has plenty of activity and colour and is lined with jewellery shops and fruit and veg stalls.
