Eastern India & Kolkata Holidays

Eastern India retains much of India's colonial architecture and atmosphere, and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is an endlessly fascinating city, but there is far more to see aside from the capital of West Bengal. Kolkata had, until recently, a reputation for squalor and poverty, but in this vibrant city of 13 million inhabitants sits an important part of east India's historical heritage in buildings such as the Marble Palace, the Botanical and Eden Gardens, the Victoria Memorial, and in the museum. This delta is home to one of Eastern India's many and diverse ecosystems - Sunderbans with its huge mangrove forests (where we have a huge replanting programme in place) and tiger reserve. There's even more to Eastern India holidays: further to the north the Himalayan foothills are perfect for trekking. One of the key areas is Darjeeling, where you can stay in a lodge surrounded by rolling tea plantations and spectacular views of the Himalayas. From here you can continue north into Sikkim for a few days walking. Once an independent Himalayan Kingdom like Bhutan, the state is scattered with monasteries along what was once the main Himalayan trade route.

Eastern India & Kolkata holiday ideas

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Eastern India & Kolkata Guide

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India Testimonials

14 reviews
4.9 / 5
"Our driver Sonu Deepesh was amazing! Always on time with the cleanest car and gave good information on route. There are too many memorable moments! The Kite Festival, Varanasi, Agra, visiting the village in Shahpura, the street tour in Jaipur, entry by tuk tuk into Jophur and nearly hitting an elephant, the people, and the colours. It was all wonderful."
Julianus - Kent
Published on 30th January 2025
"Frances listened and understood everything we wanted from our first trip to India. The reason for our trip was my birthday - a big one - and Original Travel pulled out all the stops. OT's organisational qualities are excellent. Our driver, Jebin, was great! So charming, so helpful and going above and beyond for what we asked of him. Staff in the London office are so helpful and easily contactable even down to booking a restaurant for us before we left. We love the fact that you care about the world and choose hotels that look after our planet too."
Eric - Derbyshire
Published on 28th November 2024
"The planning and organisation of the trip was perfect. All the local reps and guides were great, without exception. Having a local WhatsApp contact was really helpful. The driver was excellent. We would not have changed the itinerary at all, Frances did an excellent job. She listened to our needs and had the knowledge / experience to address them. We had a bit of down time, but not too much or little."
Nick - Oxfordshire
Published on 26th November 2024

What you can find in Eastern India that you won't find anywhere else?

Eastern India and Kolkata holidays give you the chance to explore this vibrant, mesmerising city: a place with real soul. Immeasurably immense, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is a city of 14 million inhabitants, making it the second most populous city in India, after Mumbai and before Delhi. But it is also spectacularly rich in culture, and retains many beautiful vestiges of the colonial era as well as boasting dynamic new-town suburbs that have sprung up following the city's recent and rapid economic development. A visit here introduces you to the vibrant colours and loveable commotion of India, a country that is impossible to ignore and impossible to forget.

A short flight from Kolkata is Assam, where we recommend joining a river cruise along the Brahmaputra river to visit Kaziranga National Park and (hopefully) see indigenous one-horned rhinos. Even further north and east the forested hills are populated by tribal people more Burmese than Indian in appearance and culture.

Finally, for yet another variety of Eastern India holiday, Orissa's temples and beaches are well worth exploration.

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