News: Liz Hurley's Guide To Mumbai, India

Elizabeth Hurley, 44, is a model, actress and fashion designer. In March 2007 she married Indian textile heir Arun Nayar at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. They live with her son Damian, eight, on a 400-acre organic farm in Gloucestershire.

When to go: Traditionally, November through February is the best time for India, but I love it all year round. We often go in August, during the monsoon; it can be really romantic and less crowded.

Bakery: We buy our bread, cured meats and cheeses at Indigo Deli (indigodeli.com). When I first visited Bombay seven years ago it was virtually impossible to buy prosciutto or parmesan cheese; now you can get pretty much anything you want.

Dinner: Wasabi in The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel (tajhotels.com), Indigo (foodindigo.com) and Tote On The Turf (at the Mahalaxmi race course) are all favourites. My husband Arun loves Trishna (00 91 22 2270 3213), but it's only for the brave with cast-iron stomachs. For Indian food, we tend to get it delivered. Arun has a secret contact from whom he gets the most phenomenal tandoori crab.

Street: I love Marine Drive, where we live; there are gorgeous sea views and a lovely promenade to stroll along.

Bridge: The bridge that has changed everyone's life is the Bandra Worli Sea Link - it opened last summer and halves the time to get downtown or to the airport.

Shopping: My two favourites are Bombay Electric (bombayelectric.in) and The Oak Tree (on Cusrow Baug), where I've bought dresses, kaftans, shawls, earrings and bags. They both stock my beachwear designs, which are virtually the only bikinis for sale in Bombay.

Views: I love the view from the Taj Hotel; having a drink in the Sea Lounge, gazing out at the Gateway to India and watching hundreds of women in brightly coloured saris is a truly unforgettable experience.

Hotels: I love the Taj and the Oberoi, on Nariman Point (oberoihotels.com); the two hotels that came under fire during the terrorist attacks of 2008. During our wedding, our family and friends stayed in these hotels and it was horrific to hear of the atrocities. We pretty much go to one of them every day for lunch, tea, drinks or dinner.

Presents: The whole of Bombay is present-buying heaven. I'm constantly hunting down silver, fabrics, shawls and jewellery.

Romantic spot: You have to take a boat trip at night. The city sparkles, the air is balmy and, if you're lucky, someone may offer you a tray of chicken tikka masala. What more could anyone want?

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