Discover Kolkata
- A Secret Retreats journey -This journey has been personally designed by Husna-Tara Prakash and her family owns Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling and the new Penthouse in Calcutta, located just next to the family tea factory. When she married her husband Anshuman, she married also a passion for tea and the rich historic heritage of the city of Calcutta, that she is sharing here with us
We can of course adjust according to your request.
Highlights of the Journey:
- Heritage Monuments: Victoria Memorial, The Writers’ Building, The Governor’s House
- Mother Theresa’s Home
- Bengali delights
Calcutta (now called Kolkata) is the capital of India's West Bengal state; it has been founded as an East India Company trading post and was India's capital under the British Raj until 1911. It has kept a grand colonial architecture, art galleries and many cultural festivals. It is this glorious past that our host will show you; a visit in the history, through the monuments but also the art of living of Calcultta.
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Your Journey Day by Day
based on 2 person sharing the same room
If you arrive in the afternoon, you may have time to enjoy the home-made afternoon tea, with a selectin of tea from Glenburn Tea Estate (Darjeeling and Assam).
Check in for 3 nights. Dinner, at leisure
“The Park Street Cemetery and Victoria Memorial” – Two great institutions left behind by the British. The almost forgotten cemetery dates back a few centuries with poignant images of its early society; and the majestic Memorial that was embarked upon and completed just as the same conquerors abandoned their majestic capital to build another in Delhi. We go for lunch at Bomti’s; an art collector and socialite, delighted to welcome visitors to his charming flat in perhaps the most interesting heritage building on historic Chowringhee. Authentic and home-cooked Bengali cuisine served up with hot cups of fresh Darjeeling tea.
Boat cruise up the River Hoogly in a private river boat, to discover a hitherto unseen side of Kolkata, with a ring-side view of the myriad happenings on the river’s Ghats. You will sail past Belur Math, headquarters of The Ramakrishna Mission, as the city’s two huge and famous bridges, Howrah and Vidyasagar Setu pass overhead. Drop back to the hotel after 6pm to relax and free evening.
We then proceed to the calm, intellectual heart of the Bengali Quarter, the bastion of Bengali culture, and home of the multi-talented poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright, the famous Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore built this grand mansion in the 18th century, and the museum showcases the life of the family in 19th century Bengal, and their involvement in the Bengali Renaissance, the Brahmo Samaj movement and finally the Freedom Struggle of India.
Lunch at a lovely little Bengali Restaurant. In the afternoon we visit Kumartuli or the Potters’ Market, where giant life-like religious idols are created for the city’s numerous festivals out of river clay, bamboo and straw, and then adorned with elaborate jewellery and clothes, with beautifully painted features. On the way back into town we can visit the Motherhouse, Mother Theresa’s home and the centre of her Missionaries of Charity. Her modest tomb and the Spartan room where she lived and died, embodies her life’s work, with its simplicity and dedication to only helping the poor and needy.
Back to the hotel enjoy the rest of the day at the property
Discover Kolkata
based on 2 person sharing the same room
The total price includes:
Accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis at The Penthouse Glenburn.
All transportation from/to airport and during the excursions (private car)
Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the program
Meals mentioned in the program
Local English-speaking guide (other languages possible when required) for all tours mentioned in the program.
Tips & gratuities
The total price does not include:
VISA – Most countries need a visa for India (available online). Please make sure your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your departure date.
Other meals that are not included in the program.
Drinks, personal expenses.
Options and other activities not included in the program.
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