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About Kolkata
The capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, Kolkata, is famed to be one of the best metropolitan cities in the country. Known as one of the busiest cities, the rich and illustrious history is a testament to the Kolkata's culture. The cuisine does not just reflect this that they are famously known for but also the city's pristine architecture. There are a plethora of sites and important institutions that must be visited to understand the history and the magnitude of the British influence on the city. From mishti dois to doi potol to rasgullas, the elaborate list of dishes from the Bengali culture can be found in every nook and corner of Kolkata.
Best time to visit Kolkata
The months from October to March is considered the best to visit Kolkata. The temperatures see a pleasant drop while the air is cool and comfortable. The December and January months see temperatures ranging between 9 degree Celsius and 11 degree Celsius, making it cold but beautiful. The winter season also sees various important festivals observed by the Bengalis such as Durga Puja, Laxmi Puja and Kali Puja. As it is a peak season, the flight tickets to Kolkata might soar a little.
Just like most of India, the months of April to May sees a tremendous surge in the temperatures, making the atmosphere too hot. In Kolkata, summers range between 30 degree Celsius to 40 degree Celsius, which is quite a lot to bear. It automatically affects the plans to sightsee, especially if you are a tourist. If you are unfazed by the harsh sun during the summer, then you should visit the city. The flight tickets to Kolkata are cheap and affordable. As the accommodations are so low-priced, you can reach the city and book a hotel too.
The city does witness tremendous rainfall from June to September, come monsoon. However, of all the months, August is the wettest for Kolkata during rains. The best part about rains is how the city is filled with hawkers selling munchies while chai becomes the partner in crime.
Places to visit in Kolkata
Ensure to add the Victoria Memorial to your itinerary of places to visit in Kolkata. The structure looks like it has been picked out of a fairytale with its exquisite Victorian architecture and the well-kept gardens. Discover more about the English influence by visiting Fort Williams. The enormous white structure has been an important part of British rule and continues to play a vital role in today's Kolkata as well. This 19th-century palatial estate located in the North of Kolkata once belonged to the royal families of Kolkata.
It would be a sin to miss the Howrah Bridge, when in Kolkata. The Harbour Bridge of India is the oldest and the busiest roads you will find in the city. The bridge has been built over the Hoogly river and plays a vital role in connecting two big cities, Kolkata and Howrah. The Tagore House is also one of the famous tourist attractions. The former house of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the Tagore House has photo galleries, paintings and literary works of the poet. Kolkata's biggest attraction, though, is the Sunderbans. Listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site and being called the largest tiger reserve in India, the Sunderbans have a reputation for bringing forth a surreal for travellers.
The city also has various temples, churches and mosques that can be added to your list of places to visit in Kolkata. St Paul's Cathedral is famed for its stature as the largest church in Kolkata. As for temples, since the Bengalis have extreme faith in Goddess Durga and her various forms, there are several Devi temples and shrines that you will see in the city. The Kalighat Kali Temple, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Birla Mandir, to name a few are beautiful temples with interesting architecture that should be explored. Do not miss the Nakhoda Mosque, which is located in Rabindra Sarani.
Things to do in Kolkata
There are several fun things to do within the city of Kolkata. You can take a book and sit by the Rabindra Sarovar to savour in the literature as well as the peaceful ambience of the place. Or you can always opt to go a little bonkers at the Aquatica, a water amusement park, touted to be the largest in the Eastern parts of India. If you think there is a lot more you need to know about the city, then the Indian Museum is your place to be.
The city has a few ghats such as Princey Ghat, located close to the Hoogly river and you should check them out. No trip can be signed off as complete with a little shopping indulgence. Head to the Park Street and haggle for some pretty accessories, Dokra and paper mâché masks when you're in Kolkata. You can further indulge in some street food binge too.
Food and Restaurants in Kolkata
The Mughals and British heavily influence Kolkata's food culture. It is believed that the Mughals played a catalyst to bring forth the famed Bengali sweets. The idea to use dry fruits in food was a Persian thing that they practised and have been doing to this day. While the enthusiasm for art and literature is very Western, the cuisine has a blend of Chinese, Portuguese and Armenian.
Flurry's, Mocambo, Fire and Ice Pizzeria, Mrs Magpie, to name a few, have the best Continental and English spread that one can ask for in Kolkata. The quaint restaurants don't just offer their lip-smacking food but also a piece of their soul when they interact with their customers. From cute cupcakes to a delicious English breakfast, these places would give you the best food in the city.
For the sweet tooth in you, visit Balaram Mullick and Radharam Mullick to taste their legendary flavours as they constantly work on improving and innovating new sweets to keep the customers engaged. The sweets shop is actually run by the Scion of the Mullick Dynasty that was prevalent in Bengal 150 years ago.
Kewpie's Kitchen, Koshe Kosha, Indian Coffee House, Paris Cafe and Kusum Rolls are some joints which offer amazing cafe and fast food. These places do add more intrigue to the food culture of Kolkata.
How to reach Kolkata
By Air
As one of the top cities of India, Kolkata has a domestic as well as an international airport. Touted to be one of the busiest airports in the country, The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, better known as Kolkata International Airport, has excellent connectivity with domestic as well as international cities. The flight connectivity to and from Kolkata is brilliant as the city has flights coming in from major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc. In fact, the airport also sees flights from Kolkata reaching other top international cities.
The international routes directly connected with Kolkata include Doha, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Chittagong, Dhaka, Hong Kong, etc. You can easily book direct flights from Kolkata to these international destinations without having to compromise on the time duration as well as layover concerns. Major Indian, as well as international airlines, also have dedicated flights and parking stations in the city's airport.
One need to fret over flight tickets to Kolkata as the busy airport sees a lot of action with many travellers making their way in and out of the city. Interestingly, out of all the top metro cities in India, flight tickets to Kolkata are the cheapest. This means you can always opt for a cheap flight to Kolkata and get great deals on the same.
By Rail
There are two important railway stations that connect the city from the rest of the country. The Howrah Railway Station and the Sealdah Railway station see outstation trains arriving in and leaving Kolkata. However, they are not the only two stations which see trains connecting to other cities. Even the Chitpur railway station, Shalimar Railway station and Kharagpur railway station have express and intercity trains connecting Kolkata with various cities within West Bengal and other states.
Some of the most famous express trains to travel to Kolkata are Duronto Express, Rajdhani Express and Jan Shatabdi Express. There are special trains such as Garib Rath Express and Yuva Express that also travel to the city. The train connectivity of Kolkata is excellent as it manages to connect with various states from Jammu & Kashmir to Kanyakumari. If you are unable to get flight tickets to Kolkata, splurging on a train ticket, especially an express train, is a good travel option.
By Road
The city's roadway connectivity is just as immaculate as the train and flight connectivity. Some of the major national highways and state highways connect Kolkata to important metro cities. Taking a road trip seems like a good option, provided you are travelling from Andhra Pradesh or Orissa or Jharkhand or even Bihar. The neighbouring states of West Bengal have dedicated buses to and from Kolkata as the domestic routes are well-connected. You can further connect to the North-Eastern states with utmost ease from the city as the domestic routes from Kolkata connect perfectly with Guwahati and Siliguri.
About Myanmar Airways
Myanmar Airways International Co., Ltd., is an airline based out of Myanmar with its headquarters in Yangon. The airline is privately owned and predominantly operates international route destinations across Southeast Asia. Its main hub is at Yangon International Airport. Myanmar Airways International's official logo comprises a pyinsa rupa, a mythical animal which is made up of an elephant, horse, bullock, white carp and a lion. The airline came into existence in 1946 by the government of Burma and was called Union of Burma Airways. It was formed by the government to only cater to domestic route services. However, international route services were added to the airline in 1950. The airline functioned as Union of Burma Airways until 1972, post which they acquired the name Burma Airways. The airline underwent a name change in 1989 from Burma Airways to Myanmar Airways. This move took place as the name of the country changed from Burma to Myanmar. Eventually, as the international services were transferred to Myanmar Airways International, the name and airline along with new management was set up in 1993.
The operations of Myanmar Airways International officially commenced in 1993. Myanma Airways and Singapore-based entity Highsonic Enterprises joined hands to create Myanmar Airways International as a joint venture. They also received financial and operational support from Brunei Darussalam's national flag carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines. A majority of the management team handling the airline consisted of Singapore-based staff. The airline also accommodated the new Boeing aircraft with an all-expatriate cockpit crew, trained flight attendants and incorporated the UK Civil Aviation Authority's operating standards. The consortium was terminated, and all the ownership of Myanmar Airways International went over to a Myanmar company. In 2001 though, a new venture was created with Region Air Myanmar (HK) Ltd., taking up 49 percent of the stakes while Myanma Airways continued to hold its 40 per cent in the airline.
Before the 2010 General Elections of the state, Myanmar's government sold 80 per cent of its stakes in the airline to a financial institution, Kanbawza Bank Ltd, while holding back 20 percent of its stake through Myanma Airways (Myanmar's government-affiliated domestic carrier which also has shares in the enterprise). Once Kanbawza Bank took up ownership of the airline, the operations of Myanmar Airways International saw a radical change in terms of its organisational structure and the domestic routes and international route maps. While commercialising the airline, Kanbawza Bank further introduced a domestic airline called Air KBZ. Ever since its radical change in operations, the airline has only been expanding tremendously in terms of flight routes and fleet size. Over the years, the airline has introduced various new routes and connectivity to make it a viable airline option for passengers. The airline also received an IOSA certificate (IATA Operational Safety Audit Program), making it the only airline in Myanmar to be the recipient of the same.
Presently, the airline company is independent of government influence. The airline's new fleet also accommodates an Airbus A320 aircraft which has a great engine and cabin facilities. The operations of Myanmar Airways International are wholly in compliance with the Myanmar Aviation Requirements and also follow the operating standards laid out by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Myanmar Airways International holds a reputation for keeping a clean track record of 0 percent accidents. The airline's operations and flights have not met with a single accident in all these years. It has also received the highest rating of seven stars on the Airline Ratings.com, a recognised safety and product rating entity. Over the years, the airline has managed to expand to various Southeast Asian destinations.
Fleet size of Myanmar Airways International
Currently, Myanmar Airways International's fleet has a total of 5 aircraft. It is purely an Airbus fleet with four Airbus A319-100s and five Airbus A320-200s. Much recently, the airline placed an order for two Embraer 190s. The aircraft is set to be delivered in 2020. Prior to the new all-Airbus fleet, the airline did hold a mixed set of aircraft for flight operations. During different periods of time in the past, the airline hosted Airbus A320-200s, Airbus A321-100s, Boeing 737-400s, Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 757-200s, Fokker 100s and McDonnell Douglas MD-82s. However, these aircraft have since returned from the fleet. All their aircraft have the provision of premium cabin class as well as economy class. The aircraft has been enhanced with the latest technology and engines to ensure that the flights do not meet with any technical difficulties or any accidents. They plan to continue holding the title of 'safest' airline and have worked towards upgrading their fleet with the same amenities and equipment. The two Airbus aircraft are narrow-body models.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance on Myanmar Airways International is the same as set by global standards. Depending on the ticket fare as well as the destination. The free baggage weight that is allowed by the airline for economy class is 30 kg. The business class passengers can carry a baggage allowance of up to 40 kg per piece. The airline has specific rules for passengers travelling to Seoul. The airline allows only 23 kg weight for baggage of passengers travelling to Seoul. In case passengers fail to meet up to the standards set by the airline, then an additional charge will be levied. Provision to purchase extra baggage is available, but the weight of the same depends on the cabin class by which the traveller is travelling. Essentially, passengers must also ensure that the dimension of the checked baggage should not exceed 158 cm. Similarly, the hand baggage allowance is also diverse depending on the passenger's ticket type. The airline allows a piece of hand baggage that can weigh no more than 7 kg and should be within the dimension of 58 cm x 34 cm x 23 cm. Along with this, the passenger can also carry an accessory bag which could be a handbag or a laptop bag or briefcase.
In-flight services
Myanmar Airways International's in-flight services are quite decent. The airline caters to a plethora of in-flight services and facilities to ensure that the passengers have a comfortable journey. The seating is exquisite and has the perfect recline with legroom. Along with this, all seats are equipped with personal entertainment systems with a slew of latest content such as TV shows, movies and more. The airline's flight attendants are also very friendly and helpful. In case you require a blanket or pillow or noise-cancelling earplugs, you can request for the same.
Popular routes and top cities for Myanmar Airways International
Myanmar Airways International caters to only a handful of destinations as it predominantly operates in the Southeast Asian destinations. The major cities that the airline operates in are Mandalay, Yangon, Phnom Penh, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Jinjiang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Linyi, Ningbo, Qingdao, Yantai, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei and Bangkok. The airline also caters to two Indian cities, namely Gaya and Kolkata. As a country which follows Buddhism heavily, Myanmar has reserved a flight route to Gaya, the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. The massive Mahabodhi Temple Complex is located in Bodh Gaya which receives a tremendous footfall of pilgrims from around the world during Buddha Purnima. At around this time, several pilgrims from Myanmar also head to the Indian holy city to visit the Bodhi Tree where Gautama Buddha rested and eventually attained enlightenment too. Further, the airline also has a few codeshare agreements with airlines, namely Air KBZ, Asian Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Malaysia, Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines.
Why travel by Myanmar Airways International?
Despite being in the aviation industry for a long time, Myanmar Airways International is still growing and expanding to reach the other big airlines in the world. Taking smaller steps and touching significant milestones has helped the airline form a strong base of loyal customers. Myanmar Airways International is known to be one of the few airlines with zero percent of accidents to have occurred to any of its aircraft. They plan to maintain this record and hence, are very finicky about the inclusion of newer aircraft to their fleet. However, that has only helped shape their reputation. The airline has excellent domestic route connectivity and is also quite ideal for connecting with various international routes in the Southeast Asian countries. The official website of the airline enables ticket booking, learning about flight status and more such informative details.
Passengers can book a Myanmar Airways International flight on their official website and receive details regarding everything ranging from the web check-in process to baggage allowance restrictions, on their email. Further, Myanmar Airways International's flight schedules have also been added to the airline's page to help passengers understand which flight would be ideal for their journey. They have also introduced miles programme for frequent flyers and customers who wish to be members of the airline's miles programme. They do come with many attractive benefits that the customers would definitely like. Plus, it would only enhance their experience with Myanmar Airways International.
About Kolkata Airport
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is located in Dum Dum, in the state of West Bengal. The airport serves the Kolkata metropolis and is about 17 km away from the city centre. It was earlier called the Dum Dum Airport but was later renamed as the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, in 1995. The airport is sprawled over 1,641 acres and is the largest hub for air traffic in the eastern locales of the country. It is also one of the two international airports in the eastern part, along with the Bagdogra Airport. The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport accommodates the 20 million passengers, making it the fifth busiest airport in the country apropos passenger traffic. The Kolkata Airport falls behind Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore airports in terms of passenger traffic. The Kolkata Airport is also known to be a major hub for flights to connect to the Northeast parts of India, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, to name a few. Much recently, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport received the honour as the Best Improved Airport in the Asia-Pacific region.
About Kolkata Airport Terminals
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport recently received the new integrated terminal called T2. It is spread over 2,510,000 sq ft and can accommodate about 25 million passengers yearly. This is massively better compared to the previous terminal, which could only hold a capacity of 5 million. The L-shaped structure has six levels, 128 check-in counters and about 78 immigration booths with 12 customs counters. The airport also has passenger lounges that are provided by Air India. T2 is well-equipped with 18 aerobridges and sees remote parking bays of 57. The airport authorities have further planned to erect an 18-foot statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the T2 complex. The domestic terminals have been shut down for a good while the integrated terminal is in function. In the past, the airlines did see some setbacks as Lufthansa withdrew services to Frankfurt, leaving the airport with no nonstop and direct connections to countries beyond Asia. However, since the extended new terminal, the international operations have resumed and are attracting several airlines as well.
About airport authority
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is owned and served by the Airport Authority of India. The AAI has been catering to the extension, maintenance and development progression of the domestic and the international terminals of the Kolkata Airport. Over the years, the statutory body has been extending its development plans to make the airport more efficient. AAI was initially two separate boards namely, National Airports Authority and International Airports Authority of India, handling domestic and international flights respectively. In 1995 though, the two individual bodies were merged to form the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The present works to make the Kolkata Airport more accessible is in progress. There are talks of the airport receiving connectivity with a metro rail system to connect to the main city of Kolkata. Currently, buses and prepaid taxis are the only ways to reach the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Hence, the metro line would connect to the terminal directly.
Top airlines flying from Kolkata Airport
The Kolkata International Airport is the hub for airlines and flights flying to the North-Eastern parts of India. Many domestic and international airlines operate from the city. Kolkata is the hub of the East in India. The Kolkata Airport, one of the oldest in the country, has tremendously good connectivity to the North Eastern cities of India. Airlines such as Air Asia, AirAsia India, Air India, Alliance Air, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara, operate from the Kolkata International Airport. The futuristic airport manages to connect to cities such as Imphal, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Aizawl, Agartala, Shillong, Jharsuguda, Tezpur, Silchar, to name a few. These domestic airlines operating from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, have dedicated flights to various other cities in India too, including the major ones such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
As the fifth busiest airport, Kolkata does offer good connectivity to the North East cities as well as countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and other countries in Southeast Asia. International airlines such as Bhutan Airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Cathay Dragon, China Eastern Airlines, Druk Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Malindo Air, Myanmar Airways, NovoAir, Qatar Airways, Regent Airways, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways, Thai Smile and US-Bangla Airlines, operate from the Kolkata International Airport. The airport also has international airlines connecting cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and more.
Facilities at Kolkata Airport
Airlines lounges - The airport accommodates a handful of airline lounges along with the airport's dedicated lounge. As an international airport, the Kolkata Airport does cater to world-class facilities at the lounge including spas, restaurants and relaxing seats to unwind.
Baggage - Some of the big perks of baggage at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport include the provision of baggage wrapping services. This is to avoid the bags from being mishandled or for the contents to be affected. A wrapping fee is charged at the airport, which can be paid by cash, online payments or with the use of a debit or credit card. Along with the wrapping service, the airline also provides a storage facility. You can keep your bags here if there is a long layover or you can ask for a porter service too, to take care of your luggage. The services can be availed for up to 30 days, but the airport would carry a thorough security check before allowing the baggage to be stored.
Child care centre - For travellers in-transit with infants, the airport has reserved special child care rooms. The facility has all the child care essentials, including a changing table for the baby. They can be found at the arrival as well as the departure section of all the terminals. The room is well-maintained and hygienic.
ATMs and forex - Foreign exchange services are also available at the airport for travellers who may need extra liquid cash. Money transfers and other such money-related services are also available at the airport. These are specifically reserved for international passengers or travellers flying out of the country. Dedicated local banks have also been made available at the airport to help the passengers.
Postal services - In case you need to share some important document via courier or other mailing options, the airline has reserved a postal service specifically for such situations. You can find the postal services within the premise of the airport. You can find out more about this at the information desk located at regular intervals in the airport.
WiFi - The airport also allows free WiFi services within the vicinity. You can directly connect to the airport's WiFi network with a valid Indian mobile number. The services are available at the domestic and international terminals, at the waiting areas. The high-speed connection can be availed for approximately 45 minutes. Following this, the passenger will have to pay a fee to get access to more internet.
Medical services - There are round the clock medical facilities available at Terminal 2 of the airport. The medical services are managed by the Airports Authority of India along with Medica Super Speciality Hospital. They have inspection rooms as well as emergency paramedic supplies as well.
Special assistance - Passengers who require special assistance with respect to being escorted in a wheelchair or help with the braille symbols, can request for the same. It would be best to inform the airline ahead of time so that the airport staff can be accommodated to cater to the same. A staff would accompany the traveller with mobility or other health conditions.
Smoking zone - Smoking in public has been prohibited by the government. Hence, special smoking lounges have been installed within the premise of the airport. You can find them at both the domestic and international terminals.
Retiring room - The airport has introduced a convenient retiring room for passengers who have layovers. There are retiring rooms and dormitories at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport that passengers can avail to rest and freshen up.
How to reach Kolkata Airport
By Rail and Metro
The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was once well-connected to the main Kolkata Suburban Railway system. From the Dum Dum Cantonment railway station (now Kolkata Suburban Railway Station), the airport was connected at the Biman Bandar station. However, with the state's plan to work on a metro line that connects the airport to the railway, the station has been shut for construction. Presently, the metro rail is under construction with the Kolkata Suburban Railway system's connectivity shut down. The distance is 4km long and elevated which also passes through Jessore Road. Once the metro rail completes construction, it will be directly linked with the terminals of the Kolkata Airport.
By Road
Currently, the only way to reach the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is by hailing a taxi or getting a prepaid ride. The airport and the city have excellent prepaid taxi facilities and AC buses that do connect the city with the airport. The 2 km flyover built from Kestopur to Raghunathpur was specifically constructed to increase the efficiency of reaching the airport and to avoid the traffic. You can make bookings of a prepaid taxi can be made at the booths and counters at the domestic and international terminals of the airport. You can easily reach Kolkata International Airport by road.
