"Great General ..." a Kolkata (Calcutta) Travel Page by laptopshopper

I have been living in Calcutta all my life! 22 years now. And I prefer to call it Calcutta and not Kolkata. When nothing works - the Govt. likes to change names...

A city of amazing contrasts. At places - still quite British. Especially the Raj Bhawan area in the north. You will find tall buildings and right next to it - slums filled with beggers.

Calcutta hasn't been exposed to tourists much. As a result - seeing a white or a black skinned foreigner on the road is still quite a spectacle for a few. Many touts, but they won't harm you. They can speak good English at times and you will find them mainly in the New Market/Sudder street area. They will walk by your side on the footpaths... just try to ignore them.

Girls should dress conservatively in order to not attract too much of attention on the road. The weather is extremely warm in April May and June.

Durga Puja is the main festival of the city. Come in October each year. The vity gets all very crowded but its still worth being here that time for the sheer excitement you can see on people's faces.

Nightlife... Well - Don't go to Tantra. You might want to go to Dublin (ITC), Sheesha etc.

The city is really coming up with new shopping malls springing up every now and then.

Polluted. A bit laid back (which is frustrating), but I still like Calcutta....

If you are travelling and will be here, you can ask me anything you want to know more about this place.

Mornings in Calcutta are a unique point about the city. You can see many people jogging at Victoria Memorial and then driving to one of the Tea stalls. Especially the one on Elgin road where they meet up with friends over a cup of tea in an earthen pot called 'bhaand'. All this at 6 AM! Must try...