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All of the notes in the Indian currency feature the face of Mahatma Gandhi, a figure head in India. Again, a terrible joke!

Shopping in Mumbai is a terrific experience. You can find everything there from artistically tailored clothes and mass amounts of shoes, to pots and pans and and even knock-offs.

If you're one for chic, then you can easily find a Western-style mall with many European brand names. However, if you don't mind bazaar-style shopping, then you're in for a treat!

It's easy to find the many shopping districts in Mumbai, and most will carry everything you're looking for. However, a lot of it is geared toward Indian people, so expect to find countless stores selling Saris, Pashminas, and Kurtas. Depending on where you go as well, you're more likely to find clothing/items geared toward Hindus, Muslims, or Christians.

It's an odd sight at first because most women's fashion stores are completely run by men, and they're better equipped to give you what you want than some women!

When shopping in Mumbai, on India in general, you need to know the art of bargaining. I witnessed my family pull off some pretty amazing tricks as they tried to buy things, pushing the store owners to their wits end!

My mother enjoys a certain technique to start the deal-making process. She'll ask, "How much is this?" The shopkeeper responds, "That's 500 Rupees ma'am." To which my mother responds, "And how much are you giving it to me for?"
She then haggled until the store owner drove the price down to about 200 Rs. It seems petty, I know, but you'll learn pretty quickly that not everything's worth the sticker price.

Keep in mind that India is a tourist haven, and if you're not careful, it can turn into a tourist trap. For example, an Indian who visits the Taj Mahal would have to pay about 20, maybe 50 Rs. But a tourist, especially one who dresses and talks like a foreigner will end up shelling out 700 Rs. for the same tour.

So, don't be afraid to negotiate prices in Indian stores. Many sellers understand the game, and often enough will play it as well.

My family members go so far as to let them see you talking to other store owners about the same product, discussing the cheaper price at another store, or finally walking away until you hear 'wait! I'll give it to you for that price!"

Of course, you have to know when you've bargained down to the lowest point possible, and when it's time to pony-up because store owners give up as well, and shut you down completely.

If you are looking for fine Indian furniture with exquisite designs, head to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium in downtown Mumbai. It's filled with hand-carved furniture, decorative elephants made with enamel and leaves of gold, and silk clothing.

Items in that store are very fine, and gorgeous, and tend to be pricey. But it's elegant art work that, even if you're not buying anything, they definitely need to be admired.

The other biggest expense on a trip, is eating out.

If you have a weak stomach carry some Pepto Bismol with you, because the food you're going to eat will be spicy and could leave you with some indigestion, but it's great! Even my family, who eat Indian food regularly, found it a tad too much at times, but rest assured it's all very tantalizing to the taste buds.

You have to be very weary of where you eat. There will be many street vendors selling all sorts of treats like samosas, however the equipment they use may not be clean so you're best best is to avoid them. Another thing to avoid is the water.

If you go to a restaurant, order bottled water. The tap water there is not drinkable like ours is, and you could end up with a nasty stomach bug if you drink at the wrong place. In fact, anywhere you go in India, carry your own bottled water. With the humidity, dehydration is a big factor to watch out for, so you need to keep drinking fluids.

However, in restaurants, I have personally witnessed a waiter bringing us water with his fingers in the glass dipped in. Not very appetizing. Also, if you've watched Slumdog Millionaire and you're a little uneasy about ordering bottled water, you don't need to worry. That may happen in some places, but just steer clear of the shady looking restaurants.

Most eateries are moderately priced, and the portions are always quite large. Just remember when it comes to paying, a debit/Visa machine is almost unheard of there, so carry cash!

Here are some recommendations:  The Leopold Cafe in Colba, Mumbai.

If you want to catch some fun in the Mumbai sun, head to Juhu beach where many of the stars of Bollywood live. There you can find a lot of safe, but good food that compliments the cool beach breeze very well!

Just a warning, you may have to make a number of trips to the bathroom after!

Next time, I'll tell you about how the terror attacks on September 26, 2008 has changed the face of India.

Shoppers at a store in Mumbai (Photo by: Colin D'Mello/680News)

~Stay tuned for more of Colin D'Mello's travel tales to India.