Calcutta – The Best of Town and Country

Calcutta, or as it is properly known in Bengali, Kolkata, is the capital of West Bengal. Situated close to Bangladesh, it is near to the largest river delta in the world, that of three rivers: the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna, which form an area called the Sunderbans. It comprises thousands of square miles of impenetrable mangrove swamp and is also home to a tiger conservation reserve.

There are many contrasts in West Bengal, and your holidays in this region will be both interesting and memorable. Probably the best approach is to do your exploring and discovery of Calcutta, before heading to one of the hill stations in order to wind down and relax before catching one of the many cheap flights India has to offer both internally and internationally. After arriving in Calcutta and finding your hotel - best to take an official taxi there - you will be keen to get out and discover the city. The most interesting place to watch people, and get a real feel for the society and culture of India is at the railway station. A lot of the people there are not actually travelling anywhere, but have made it their home which is quite a sobering thought. The nearby Howrah Bridge is well worth a look and again you will see many people going about their business.

There are quite a few parks in the city, which give good respite from the crowds and heat. Top of the list would be that of the 18th century Botanical Gardens with pride of place going to the 200 year old banyan tree. This was also the location tea was first taken and transplanted from China. The Eden Gardens are also very pleasant, and are home to the Kolkata Cricket Club. In terms of cultural attractions, one of India's best museums is the Indian Museum, where you can see all sorts of treasures from Buddhist carvings to art works from several eras, many of which were thousands of years ago.

This is but a flavour of what the city has to offer, but as explained before, you must take a trip to one of the Darjeeling hill stations. The best way to get there is by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway as this avoids the torturous and windy roads to the area. This was constructed in 1881, and reaches 7,407ft at its highest point of Ghoom. From here, your reward for all the travelling is apparent in the views across to the Himalayas and particularly of Kanchenjunga, which is the world's third highest mountain. You are well advised to do some exploring around the tea gardens and especially for those who love their views, a journey to the nearby Tiger Hill is on the cards. At dawn, you can see Everest as well as one or two of the other highest peaks in the world: truly amazing.

If holidays full of interesting contrasts are your thing, take one of the many cheap Flights to India and discover the state of Bengal yourself - you will not be disappointed.