A short flight from Calcutta by air (it is also connected by flights from Delhi and Madras) is Port Blair, capital of the Andaman Islands. Though travel is restricted here, those islands open to tourism, with their lovely beaches and coral beds, are a traveller’s delight. On Port Blair, the Cellular Jail and Anthropological Museum merit a visit. Excursions can be taken by motor launch to the islands of Wandoor and Jolly Buoy and to the bird sanctuary at Chiriyatapoo.

Orissa has a chequered history which has successfully assimilated and synthesised the best of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu cultures. Orissa or Kalinga as it was then called was a settlement of non-Aryan and Aryan settlers. It was a formidable maritime empire with trading routes stretching up to Bali, Sumatra, Indonesia and Java.

Tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas, Sikkim is a Himalayan wonderland with its lovely views and exotic orchids, and its forest-trails. A virtual Shangrila overlooked by Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak, Sikkim is attractive equally for the sightseer, the adventure sports enthusiast and those interested in Buddhism and Tibetology.

Calcutta, three hundred years old, traces its history to the landing of Robert Clive on the banks of the Hooghly beside three villages. It was from here the monumental British Raj was launched in India. The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta is the major entry point.