West Bengal overview

West Bengal in the east of India is often described as a miniature version of the country as a whole. It stretches from the mighty Himalayas in the north through foothills, forests and the wide alluvial plains of the centre on through the swamps of the Sundarbans to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The capital Calcutta is a remnant of the British East India Company and its colonial past is still evident in the architecture. Heading to the far north travellers will arrive in Darjeeling and the home of the champagne of teas. It is also where the Himalayas tempt those who have a hindered understanding of the effects of gravity to sling a rope over their shoulder, strap on some crampons and start muttering something about base camps.