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10

Kolkata Travel & Sightseeing Guide

Filed Under India

A trip to Kolkata
Filled to the brim with impressive relics from the British colonial period alongside abject poverty and abundant new developments, Kolkata is an imposing destination in northeastern India that is reinventing itself. International flights are limited to here, especially when compared to Delhi and Mumbai, but connections do exist, especially with Southeast Asia. There are also a handful of flights to Europe and North America. Most people come here to take full advantage of the Indian experience and to relive the days of the Raj at monuments such as the Victoria Memorial.

Flights to Kolkata
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport serves the city of Mumbai with a domestic and international terminal. Flights go numerous cities in the region such as Yangon, Bangkok, Dhaka and Singapore while there are also longer haul flights to New York, London and Dubai. The main carrier from here is Air India alongside a handful of international airlines which include British Airways and Lufthansa. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Kolkata try Thomas Cook. Getting between the airport and the city has been made easier with the extension of the metro to the terminal building. The best way to make the 20km journey is to flag down a taxi which usually works out at a reasonable price.

Around the city, take the metro for cheap travel, although with only one line you won’t always be able to get to where you are heading. The yellow taxis offer a more comprehensive service and usually agree to use their meters. Otherwise brave a bus or take a tram, the only such service in India.

Kolkata

Sightseeing in Kolkata
Kolkata competes with Delhi and Mumbai in the sightseeing stakes and can lay claim to more impressive colonial era architecture than anywhere else in the country. Plan to see the sights by district to avoid lengthy taxi runs back and forth. To the north of the city, the Marble Palace is worth a visit with its extensive garden and zoo. The building itself dates back to 1835 and houses a number of statues and paintings.

The Maidan is undoubtedly the place to be in Kolkata, as popular with locals as it is with tourists. This huge park houses the exquisite Victoria Memorial, a vintage British colonial which is as opulent as the slums of Kolkata are grubby. The Maidan is also home to the Eden, the most famous cricket ground in India.

Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
Kolkata is a melting pot of various Indian styles and more besides. Head over to the Esplanade for some of the city’s oldest and best restaurants while the little food cafés off Chowringhee Road offer a unique taste of Kolkata and remain extremely cheap. Kolkata specialises in Indian Chinese food, a unique take on traditional Chinese cuisine. Chili chicken and hot and sour soup are the most common pseudo-Chinese dishes on offer around the city.

Going out in Kolkata after dark does not present many options as with the rest of the country, bars are rare and drinking alcohol uncommon. Top hotels will certainly sell beer and you will find alcohol elsewhere but there is no night scene as such.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
New market is the most popular place to get hold of traditional East Indian souvenirs but there are markets located across the city. Saris and leather goods are among the locally produced goods you will find most often. For a modern mall, Kolkata-style, head to Metropolis Mall near Highland Park.

Daytrips
There are a number of interesting overnight or day trips that can be taken from Kolkata, all of which can be easily accessed by bus or taxi. The beach town of Digha is a popular Kolkata resident’s holiday destination boasting a large sandy beach and an abundance of cheap hotels. Close by is the quieter resort of Shankarpur, and a little farther on is Junput, which is an excellent place for leisurely beach strolls.

Spread out over southern Bengal is a handful of deltaic islands. Bakkali is one that should not be missed. Jutting out into the Bay of Bangal, this tiny island rarely gets crowded and is a great place for walking and cycling.

If it’s not the beach you’re after, the university town of Shantiniketan makes for an interesting visit. The unique university features outside lectures and classes, in pursuit of harmony between nature and nurture.

Must-see attractions
Kolkata is simply bursting with cultural attractions, boasting an abundance of colonial architecture, since the city was once the capital of British India. One of the must-see attractions is the majestic Dalhousie Square. This masterwork of colonial legacy stands on the same site as the magnificent General Post Office, which will also be greatly admired by lovers of architect.

Set in the heart of the university quarter, College Street is famed for its mass of second-hand bookstalls, where many of the sellers are able to recollect thousands of titles and prices. College Street is a must-see for all lovers of books and literature.

For a more native experience, the Kali Temple is a major pilgrimage site where it is still possible to see animals being sacrificed to placate the patron goddess of Kolkata: Kali, goddess of destruction.

The beautiful Eden Garden, set to the northwest of the city, is a welcome retreat from the hectic city. Home to the renowned cricket ground, the pleasantly laid out gardens offer the chance to picnic and watch locals play in their starched whites.

Best time to go
Being near the sea, Kolkata’s temperatures tend not to change much throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 27°C to 38°C year-round. The summer months can be extremely humid though, and this can be an uncomfortable time to visit. Winter days tend to be mild and most travellers find this a much more comfortable time to visit. The vibrant Durga Puja Festival, held in the first week of October is a wonderful time to come to Kolkata.

Rainy day suggestions
Although Kolkata does not experience many rainy days, it can be a good idea to have some indoor attractions planned, particularly if you are here during the humid season. The Academy of Fine Arts exhibits contemporary art and performances and the Asutosh Museum of Indian Art houses rare collections of fine art. The Birla Planetarium features a fascinating play of celestial bodies and the Indian Museum is regarded as being one of the best facilities of its kind in the country.

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