East and North East India with Jasmine Trails

From the mighty Himalayas to the fertile Gangetic plains and from steamy mangrove estuaries to dense tropical forests, West Bengal is home to a remarkable range of wonderous destinations and experiences. The region has been on the forefront of India’s heritage of literature, theatre, art and reformist thinking, producing some of the country’s most talented personages.

Calcutta, the bustling ‘City of Joy’ is a beautiful fusion of the old colonial-era charm and an upcoming hipster culture. Having been the capital during British rule, it is home to brilliant colonial architecture as well as traditional quarters where old aristocratic mansions can be seen.

The cool hills in the north offer respite to the weary traveler with their crisp air and easy, laid back pace. Charming colonial buildings and Buddhist monasteries make for an interesting contrast. The small town of Darjeeling, well known for its rolling tea plantations, offers majestic views of snow-capped mountain peaks, with the Kanchendzonga rising higher than all the others. Its alluring waterfalls, quaint villages and historic narrow gauge ‘toy’ train makes Darjeeling an attractive destination. Closeby, the smaller town of Kalimpong, renowned for its orchids, offers beautiful hikes for nature lovers.

A river cruise on the Hoogly, a distributary of the holy Ganges, is a fantastic way to explore regions less accessible but well worth visiting.  Old European trading towns or proto-colonies, jaw dropping terracotta temples, charming riverside villages, mosques and grand palaces – this and much, truly off the beaten track but important in the history of India after the arrival of Europeans.

‘Abode of the clouds’, the Himalayan state of Meghalaya is blanketed in lush forests and dramatic hills from which many rivers and streams flow out creating deep, narrow, steep-sided valleys. Nature has blessed the region with mild climate and bountiful rainfall, and exotic flora and fauna. Meghalaya’s population which consists of many diverse tribes, follows a matrilineal system and is believed to be descended from the earliest humans who lived in the region.

At 4,500 ft above sea level, Cherrapunji stands out as one of the wettest places in the world, from where stunning views of the plains of Bangladesh can be enjoyed. An amazing variety of rare orchids, ferns, and moss make it a botanist’s paradise.

Deep inside the dense forests are some astonishing man-made natural wonders- the living root bridges – trained to grow from ancient rubber trees. These fantastical root bridges which look like a tangle of roots provide a brilliant alternative to modern bridges and a sight to behold. The beauty and culture of this off-beat region never fail to mesmerize!