DHARAVI SLUM TOURS- GENERAL

What will I see in Dharavi?
We focus on the small scale industries in Dharavi, such as recycling, the making of clay pots, embroidery, bakery, soap factory, leather tanning, papad (poppadom) making and many others, most of which take place in very small spaces.

We also pass by the residential areas, where you really get a feel of how the people are living and you see the sense of community that exists in the area. People from all over India and from all religions live in Dharavi, and you will see this diversity- for example there are Hindu temples, mosques and churches in the area.

It is quite an adventure to pass through the narrow alleys, and you will almost certainly lose your sense of direction!

Is Dharavi dangerous?
Although we cannot take responsibility should anything happen, we believe that the places that we visit are very safe. There are a lot of people in Dharavi (one million approximately in an area of 0.7 square miles) and there is a strong police presence in the area. Dharavi is generally full of hard-working, honest people, although for security purposes we ask you not to take valuables with you on the tour. Travelling through Dharavi is a real adventure, but in the small alleys you have to be careful of low hanging roofs, open drains, and occasionally exposed electric wires.

Is Dharavi unhygienic?
With the very high density of population and the limited infrastructure and sanitation facilities, there are areas which are quite dirty and smelly. We ask you to wear covered shoes.

What is the maximum number of people on the tours?
Five for the long tour. Six on the short tour

What clothing should be worn on the tour?
We recommend that you wear covered shoes as some areas can be dirty, especially during the monsoon months from June to mid September. We ask ladies to dress modestly.

Why can we not bring cameras on the slum tours?
We like to go into Dharavi and be as inconspicuous as possible. We do this by having small groups and by not allowing cameras. We do not want to cause any offence to the residents of Dharavi, or to anyone else on the tour. We understand that customers can often judge situations and decide whether it is appropriate to take a photo or not, but offence can be taken despite this, not necessarily by the subject of the phototograph.

If customers want, after the tour we can send them a webpage link with quality high resolution photos which can be downloaded.

There is also the opportunity to buy postcards and photos at the end of the tour, proceeds from which go for the community projects in the area.

Can I buy anything on the tour?
We don't sell or ask you to buy any products made by the residents of Dharavi on the tour. We don't want you to feel obliged to buy anything.

If there is anything particular that you find interesting on the tour, then by all means you can speak to the guide and he can help you buy it.

There is also the opportunity to buy postcards and photos at the end of the tour, proceeds from which go for the community projects in the area. But this is completely voluntary.

Is it appropriate to bring small children on the tour?
There are health hazards highlighted above which children need to be very aware of. Otherwise we see no problem with bringing children of any age on the tour. Indians are very welcoming and receptive to young people.

I don't like going on organised tours. Is it possible to visit Dharavi on my own?
Yes it is possible to visit Dharavi on your own, and in our opinion it is safe to do so. However you will not know the best places to go, the area is like a maze and you will not gain the same insight as with one of our guides.

I hear that Dharavi is going to be redeveloped. Will I still be able to see the area?
The redevelopment plan has been stalled many times and now it looks like the original plan has been scrapped and a new one is being suggested.

Due to the value of the land in Dharavi now, some say that some sort of redevelopment is inevitable but there are still a lot of issues to be resolved and the developers have still not been announced.

It should be possible to visit Dharavi even while the development (which would take several years) takes place.

I want to do a Dharavi tour and another tour on the same day. Is this advisable?
Yes, it's perfectly possible. The market tour is the only tour which also involves quite a bit of walking, so you might want to do this on a different day.

What is the difference between the short tour and the long tour?
On the long tour you travel in the comfort of an a/c car. We leave from Colaba (the main tourist area) and head to Dharavi, passing areas of interest en route such as a boys′ shelter, Kamathipura (red light area) and Dhobi Ghat (big open air laundry). The guide explains about these places and other issues facing the less privileged members of Indian society.

On the short tour, we provide no transport. You either have to meet the guide at the Dharavi slum, or at Churchgate station (near Colaba) from where you would travel by train with him to Dharavi.

See the Map page for more exact details of where to meet.

On both tours we spend about 2.5 hours going around Dharavi on foot.

The long tour seems very long. Why is this?
For the long tour, total time is approximately 4.5 hours. This includes transport to Dharavi and back from our office in Colaba, or to and from your hotel.

For people staying in Colaba, if you were to catch the train/taxi to Dharavi from Colaba, the transport time would be approximately 50 mins to an hour each way, so the total time to do the short tour and the long tour is approximately the same.

How is the private long tour different to the normal long tour?

On the normal long tour, you need to meet outside our office in Colaba at the stipulated time.

On the private long tour, other visitors do not come on the tour with you. We come to your hotel or residence to pick you up and we drop you back. The tour is more flexible as well to what you want to see.

Since we pass by areas of interest between Colaba and Dharavi, to get the most out of the private long tour, it is best to start from Colaba, Fort or Marine Drive. For tourists staying in other parts of Mumbai who wish to do the private long tour and hence be picked up from their hotel, we can advise on what will and will not be included in the tour depending on the location of your hotel.

I want to do a slum and sightseeing tour in a group with other people. Is this possible?
The slum and sightseeing tour is a private tour. There isn't the demand currently to do a shared tour.

I want to do a sightseeing tour in a group with other people. Is this possible?
The sightseeing tour is a private tour. There isn't the demand currently to do a shared tour.

I am staying in Colaba. Where should I meet for the short tour?
The easiest place to meet the guide is at Churchgate station- this is a 15-20 minute walk from Colaba.

I am staying near the airport/Juhu/Bandra. Where should I meet for the short tour?
The easiest place to meet the guide is at Mahim station. This is 35 minutes/35 minutes/20 minutes by taxi from the airport/Juhu/Bandra in the afternoon (50 minutes/50 minutes/30 minutes in morning) and will cost approximately Rs 150/Rs 150/Rs 40 (by non-a/c taxi).

I am staying near the airport/Juhu/Bandra. Should I do the short tour or the long tour?
If you wish to do the shared long tour (with other people), you need to be at our office at 8.30am. It will take about 80 minutes/80 minutes/60 minutes to reach by taxi so it would be an early start! If you still wish to go, then you might consider making your own way back to your hotel/residence after the Dharavi part of the tour.

If you wish to do a private long tour, then we would pick you up from your hotel/residence, but only the Dharavi part of the trip would be covered (ie. you would not see the red-light area and open-air laundry. There would also be an additional charge of Rs 200- Rs 500 to cover the extra distance that our car would have to come.

If you wish to do a private long tour and also see the other parts of the tour such as the red-light area and the open-air laundry, then contact us and we will try to arrange something

See the map to help you locate the areas.

Where is Dharavi?
Dharavi is situated between Mahim and Sion- two areas at the northern tip of South Mumbai, just before the suburbs commence (Bandra and Kurla). It is sandwiched between the Western and Central Railway lines. It is about 10km south of the International Airport and 18km north of Colaba, the main tourist area. See our map for a better idea.

I am meeting you at Dharavi. How long does it take to get there?
FROM COLABA:
By train: it is a 15-20 minute walk to Churchgate station and then it takes approximately 45 minutes to buy the ticket and catch a "slow train" to Dharavi (Mahim Junction).
By taxi: By taxi it takes about 50 minutes to an hour (cost approximately Rs 200)

FROM AIRPORT AREA:
By train: too complicated!!
By taxi (NB* by auto-rickshaw not possible): it takes about 35 minutes in the afternoon, and 50 minutes in the morning (cost approximately Rs 100).

FROM JUHU
By train: you need to go to Vile Parle or Santa Cruz Station and catch a "slow train" to Mahim Junction. Total time approx 30 mins
By taxi (NB* by auto-rickshaw not possible): it takes about 35 minutes in the afternoon, and 50 minutes in the morning (cost approximately Rs 100)

DHARAVI SLUM TOURS- "POVERTY TOURISM" DEBATE

Why go to Dharavi? Isn′t showing the slums and poorer areas degrading?
One of the aims of the tours is to dispel the myth that Dharavi is simply a place of squalor and (extreme) poverty. The reality is that Dharavi, despite its limitations, is different from that.

Dharavi is the heart of small scale industries in Mumbai, and on the tour we show you a wide range of these activities- from making clay pots and leather bags to recycling plastic. The area′s annual turnover is approximately US$ 665 million. In this regard Dharavi is unique compared to other slums in India, and indeed the world. For example, in countries such as Brazil or South Africa, where slum tours are well established, there is not this kind of productivity.

In Dharavi one sees the dignity, fortitude and enterprise of the people, where they are able to work and live in very small areas, with a very high density of population, and yet able to host a plethora of small scale industries.

The other objective of the tour is to raise money for the activities of our sister NGO ′Reality Gives′ in the area.

What do the residents of Dharavi think about these tours?
We are extremely sensitive and respectful about the dignity, privacy and feelings of the residents. In order to minimize this invasion on the residents' territory, we ask tourists not to take pictures and we only operate small group sizes .

The response from the residents has been either overwhelmingly positive (especially because money in reinvested in the community), or they are far too busy to worry about us.

Don't you think that using the phrase “Slum Tour” will put a few people off the idea of going? If you are focusing on the industry, why not say “Slum Industry Tour”?
Whether one believes that the term “slum” is pejorative or not, Dharavi is classed as a slum for legal purposes- for example the residents have rights under the “Slum Act”. We believe that using another word for slum would be misleading. One of the key objectives of the tour is to help dispel the negative image that some people have about slums, so to not use the word would be defeating this.

While the tour does focus on the industry of the area, it is a lot more than just looking at the many small businesses, and hence why we do not use the term “Slum Industry Tours”. It is about the people that work in these businesses, about the kids playing and coming up to say hello, and so much more.

MARKET TOUR

I want to do a Dharavi tour and a market tour on the same day. Is this advisable?
Yes, it's perfectly possible although the market tour is the only non-Dharavi tour which also involves quite a bit of walking, so you might want to do this on a different day.

BICYCLE TOUR

Do I need to be fit to go on a bicycle tour?
No- the tour is very easy riding; the terrain is very flat, we go at a slow pace and we stop regularly to see the sights on the tour and to listen to the guide.

Is the bicycle tour safe? I have heard that there is a lot of traffic in Mumbai
We start the tour early before the roads get crowded. We avoid the major roads and use the inner streets wherever possible

Bicycle helmets are available on request

There is a second tour guide who cycles at the back of the group

INDIAN VILLAGE TOURS

How long is the tour?
The tour lasts two days. You meet at 8am on the first day and catch a boat from the Gateway of India (in Colaba) to the mainland, and then you arrive back at 8.30pm the following day. You spend a night in one of the villages that we visit, in a separate house belonging to your host family.

If you are going straight to Goa afterwards, then you catch a train on the morning of the second day.

Do tours run throughout the year?
We can run tours throughout the year. In the monsoon the villages are beautiful and there is a lot of work going on in the fields.

However the boat which takes you across from Mumbai peninsular to the mainland does not operate during the monsoon. The monsoon's timings in Mumbai is approximately from mid June to end of September.

If the boat is not operating, we can happily take you by car to the villages, but the time to get there is approximately 5 hours (hence a lot longer than normal)

How much notice do I need to give to do the tour?
As with the other tours, it totally depends on how busy we are. The sooner that you can inform us, the better, although it may be possible to do the tour on a day's notice.

Can I take photos?
You can take photos in most places except for the tribal (Adivasi) village.

BOOKING/PAYMENT OF TOURS

Can I just turn up for a tour or do I have to book in advance?
You need to book all tours IN ADVANCE. You CANNOT turn up on the day at one of the meeting points without letting us know. Please contact us

How and when should I pay for the tours?
For the Dharavi short tour, you can normally pay on the day- to our representative in our Reception Centre in Dharavi after the tour

For all other tours, you need to pay in advance of the tour to confirm your booking in one of the following ways:

1. by visiting our office and making the payment, OR
2. by paying online by Paypal (we will send you an online invoice), OR
3. by depositing the amount into our bank account (Bank of Baroda)

What are the terms and conditions of booking the tour? Can I amend or cancel a tour having booked it?
Tour changes and cancellations can be made at least 48 hours in advance of the tours. For more details, see terms and conditions

When you send me the Paypal invoice, it's in dollars, not Rupees, why?
Paypal does not accept Indian Rupees so we have to accept in US dollars. We use the Yahoo Finance Currency Converter to calculate the amount payable in US dollars.

MISC

How do you maintain the quality of the tours?
The tour guides go through extensive training before going on the tours, and information is reviewed and shared so that it is as accurate as possible. We value greatly what our customers think- we ask them for feedback via speaking to them, via questionnaires which are filled out after each tour, and via our discussion forum.

Do you do the tours in other languages apart from English?
Unfortunately our guides do not speak any languages other than English.

When I get to the meeting point, how will I know who is the Tour guide?
He will be wearing a grey or cream polo shirt with the company logo on. In case of any problem, please call our 24 hour number- +91 9820822253

I am travelling by myself. There is a minimum requirement of 2 people. What can I do?
For the short tour, you can do the tour irrespective if there others on the tour or not.

We need at least two people to do the tours. Some tours, like the short tour in particular, are very popular and we don't normally have problems finding additional people for the tour. Other tours are not so popular.

If we are unable to find an additional person, we will let you know 48 hours before the tour starts to say that it is cancelled and any money that you have paid will be refunded.

If you are very keen to do the tour, then you could pay double the price. If another person subsequently joined the tour, then the additional cost would be refunded to you.

WHAT HAPPENS TO TOUR INCOME ON SLUM TOURS

What are Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)?
An NGO is a private non-profit organization, independent from government, which pursues activities to relieve suffering, to promote the interests of the poor, to protect the environment, to provide basic social services, or to undertake community development.

Why are you donating 80% of your profits after tax from the slum tours to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including your own NGO?
We do not believe that we should be showing places affecting the poorer members of society and profit from it. Nonetheless everybody working in the company receives a modest salary and all expenses relating to the tours are paid.

Why not donate 100% to charity?
We are using the remaining 20% of profits to pay off loans and to invest on the tours.

If you donate 80% of profits, why do you not operate under an NGO, or start up an NGO to run these tour activities?
We are running other tourist related activities and are planning to expand and do a lot more in the future, hence we cannot operate as a NGO. One of the main benefits of an NGO is not paying tax on one′s activities: however an NGO running commercial activities such as these tours would not automatically be exempt from Income tax.

How do you calculate the profits for the tour?
See Charitable Work page.

What happens if the company makes a loss from tour activities?
No donation will be given. The following year, this loss will be offset against any profits before donating 80% of the profits.

For every year up to the year ending 31 March 2008, we did not make a profit, although for the year ending 31 March 2009 we made a profit. For details of reasons why, visit Charitable Work page.

In earlier years while we were making a loss, we were still investing money into the community centre in Dharavi.

What about profits from other activities that the company does- are those donated to charity?
No.

How do we know that 80% of profits from the tours go to NGOs?
The accounts are audited (year end 31 March) by a registered auditor, and an auditors′ report is put online mentioning whether the 80% criteria has been met. See Charitable Work page for this statement.