Hear about travel to Kolkata, India (formerly Calcutta) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam Sarkar from Travels with Dr. Sam about this city built by the British East India Company.
Why should you go to Kolkata?
Sam says, “It’s a real hidden secret. This is a city that has grand colonial buildings. It used to be the second city of the British Empire for the longest time. The first US consulate in the world was set up in Kolkata even before Thomas Jefferson was president in the late 17 hundreds. It’s a city that has produced six Nobel laureates. There’s a lot of art and culture festivals, and outstanding food. So I think there’s a lot to see.”
What Dr. Sam Recommends in Kolkata:
1. Start with European Heritage & Colonial Architecture
- Walking Tour with Calcutta Walks — Sam’s top recommendation for understanding Kolkata’s colonial history and European architecture.
- Highlights include:
- Victoria Memorial — “British Taj Mahal,” the most spectacular building in Kolkata.
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- St. John’s Church, Kolkata (oldest Anglican church)
- High Court Building
- Writers’ Building
- General Post Office, Kolkata
- Governor’s House
- The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata (oldest continuously operating hotel in Asia — Mark Twain stayed there)
TIP: Go on a Sunday or during off-hours for less crowd. Buildings are beautifully lit at night.
…
https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-kolkata-india/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris is the creator of AmateurTraveler.com. Amateur Traveler is a popular online travel podcast and blog that focuses primarily on travel destinations. The Amateur Traveler podcast was downloaded over 2 million times in 2023.
The Amateur Traveler is 18+ years old and they use Amateur Traveler to teach English at Oxford University and to test English proficiency for employment with the Thailand Foreign Ministry.
Chris has won a Lowell Thomas Award, 5 NATJA awards, and a SMITTY Award from Travel+Leisure as the "best independent travel journalist."
