Scott Dunn: ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST A HOLIDAY

Some trains take up to 60 hours to head from Northern to Southern India, and some are fast intercity expresses. You will see ‘Chi –Wallahs’ at work offering mugs of tea for about 5 rupees in small clay cups - they are perfectly safe to drink and are so full of sugar you will instantly wake up! Travelling by train offers better views than driving; partly as train tracks are generally always on raised terraces to avoid being flooded in the monsoon. Thus means you see a great deal of the country as you pass through.

The Shatabdi Express trains are most luxurious and offer ample legroom and comfortable airline seating, serving breakfast on board with tea. These trains generally run between the major cities (an excellent one is the Delhi to Agra train that departs at 0615). Ideally, you want to be in Executive Class. On less popular routes, there are Janshatabdi trains, offering 'Chair Class' a slightly more rustic version of the Executive Class, but still offering airline seating. These generally have smaller windows.

On longer train journeys, all trains operate a sleeper style service where the bottom bunk becomes a seat in the daytime. We only really suggest 1st or 2nd Class AC on these services, and only when Shatabdi trains do not operate the route.

We generally do not suggest overnight train journeys as these are usually far more uncomfortable than the glamorous images of Indian train travel sometimes portrays. It is however a necessity when travelling to some parts of India such as the Himalaya around Kumaon.

For those wanting the luxury trains, then the Maharajas Express (running in Northern India), the Palace on Wheels (Rajasthan) and the Golden Chariot (Southern India) are all excellent ways to spend a week travelling huge distances overnight and waking up to something new each day.

Stroll along Colaba Causeway Market, catch a Bollywood Film at Royal Cinema and then wander to Leopolds for a beer, or sunset drinks at the Dome. Indigo is another superb bar, located just behind the Taj Mahal Palace. For those with dancing feet, head to Shiro, Prive (must be arranged in advance), or head north to Zenzi, Enigma or Poison. Generally Bombayites head out quite late, maybe 10pm and keep going until around 3am. Somehow they all get up for work the next day.

What we love is the markets, and we suggest starting at Sassoon Market, where you can see Koli fisherman bringing in their daily catch. Continue to Crawford Market to see the fresh fruit and vegetables. Head to Churchgate Station at midday to see how Bombay lives and works, where Dabawallahs deliver 150,000 lunches to office workers. Continue to Dhobi Ghat to see the biggest open-air laundry in the world with 5,000 Dhobi Wallahs pounding the city’s washing clean. The best way to explore Bombay is by foot with your guide; there are art galleries, antique shops, cafes, museums and the amazing colonial architecture in Old Bombay.

For an excellent personal shopper, the best person to use is Monica Chudasama Vaziralli, who is an interior designer and interested in antiques, jewellery, textiles, fashion and carpets. She knows the best places to ensure you get the best price.

There are a myriad of different shops to choose from, if you have a particular thing you want to buy, do let us know and we will give you some options from our personal experiences, be it where to get a tailored suite, jewellery, crafts, antiques, books, interior design, art or furniture.

For markets (either for buying or for the experience) head to the Colaba Street Market for a traditional flea market, Crawford Market for fresh produce, Bhuleshwar for flowers, Chor Bazaar for antiques, Sassoon Market for fish, Mangaldas for fabric and Zaveri for Jewels.