Calcutta (India) > Reviews > Calcutta - not for the faint-hearted

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	The cities outskirts are beautiful, cheap to travel
Disadvantages:	pollution, electricity failures, language barrier

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Never been abroad to a developing country? After having recently visited Calcutta, I recommend this city to be visited by all who feel they need a new challenge, and at the same time wish to revel in the sunshine and, for once, smile when it rains cats and dogs. The challenge? Whilst many of the shops and services are labelled in English, many people of Calcutta prefer to speak the language of Bengali although many will understand English. The taxi is possibly your best method of transport, and the value of the rupee to the pound allows you to travel across the city for less than 10 pounds. Taxi rides can be fun what with pot-holed roads or flooded streets but if you have back problems this place is not for you. Be prepared for many mosquitoes and insects....the more on the outskirts of the city you are, the more insects there will be. Accommodation in a high-storey flat is recommended, but for temporary vacation, missions such as the Ramkrishna mission in Gol Park are ideal bases for tourists. Next problem you will face is the load-shedding where electricity generators will turn off for several hours during the day which can be a problem at night and when it is hot and you require the ceiling fans to work. Another problenm is pollution. The city is an asthmatics hell. Places to visit include Nicco Park and the Victoria memorial but really the reason for going there should not be to see what the cities sights are, but the entire city itself. The people are very friendly. But if you can last 2 weeks without TV, quality radio, decent conversation (due to language barrier)and all the other problems, i will be very much impressed.