Crawford Market – Mumbai, India

One our favorite things to do when traveling is look for local “markets.” These are by far some of the most exciting areas in any city and a great way to get a feel for the local community. While traveling in Mumbai India we visited a fascinating, and extremely busy, market called “Crawford Market.” This is one of Mumbai's oldest markets as it has been around since the 1800’s. The Market itself is actually housed in a beautiful old building built during British rule so it looks very European. Lindsay and I caught on of the thousands of black and yellow cabs to the market and after a short and exciting drive through the streets of Mumbai we saw the beautiful building of Crawford Market come into view. When we first stepped into the market we were both floored by how busy and active it was. There were thousands of people wandering through row after row of fruit stands. Most of what we saw were produce stands with every kind of fruit or vegetable you could imagine. However, towards one end of the market there were animals of every kind being sold (think of an exotic pet store). There were birds, puppies, etc in hundreds of cages spread out amongst numerous little vendor stalls. Mumbai in general is a crazy city and this market just added to the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells of this amazing city. After only a short while of wandering we were exhausted and left Crawford Market to continue exploring the city. If you ever find yourself in Mumbai India make sure to check out fascinating, and busy, Crawford Market.