Bengal Hotels India

West Bengal is one of the states in the east of the Indian subcontinent. To the east is Bangladesh, to the northeast are Bhutan, Assam and Sikkim. Orissa lies to the southwest and Nepal is in the northwest. It’s an ideal location for exploring ancient temples and heritage sites or simply taking in the spectacular scenery. West Bengal has a hot dry period from March to early June, monsoons from July to September and cool winter from October to February, so choose your time to visit carefully.

West Bengal is a must on any tourist's itinerary in the eastern part of India. Calcutta is the state capital and is important in terms of the arts, science, medicine and literature. The city retains some of the most striking colonial buildings of the country.

A former British colony, the Victoria Memorial is an impressive building with manuscripts, paintings and sculptures. Digha is the Calcutta beach resort and is a wonderful getaway with excellent surfing. Among the top destinations for tourists is the Sunderbans wildlife sanctuary which has one of the largest tiger of the famous Bengal tiger populations, surely a must for any nature enthusiast.

You can spend a night here in a stilted forest bungalow, allowing maximum opportunity to see this marvellous animal. Also well worthy of a visit are the Himalayan Mountaineering Museum, Ghoom Buddhist Monastery and the Singlaa bazaar. All the botanical gardens are full of wonderful tropical plants.

The Birla Planetarium is one the earliest planetaria in India and a popular tourist attraction. Tiger Hills, the highest point in Darjeeling, offers the most exotic view of the Kanchenjunga peaks. The sun rising from over the Tiger Hills is an unforgettable experience.

You can also visit Mirik, the land of oranges or the city of Kalimpong which is famous for its orchids and curio shops. Kurseong offers a panoramic view of the Gangetic delta from Eagle's Crag. The Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is renowned for elephants and other wild animals.

There are numerous accommodation options available in the region, but popular hotels include the Glenburn Tea Estate, Oberoi Grand and Hyatt regency in Calcutta. Bed and breakfast choices include Windsongs and the Rater Tara Diner Rabi.