Where to Stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
Kolkata is a firm favourite of the Steppes’ India team. Renowned for being home to great thinkers, polymaths, artists and revolutionaries, Kolkata has an irrepressible spirit. Home to the East India Company in the early 18th century it went onto become the launch pad for the complete colonisation of India under the British Raj while also gaining a reputation for insurrection. Today, it is considered a bit of an outlier with India’s powerbase further west in Delhi, and as such it has a defiant character distinct from India’s other mega cities. With some estimates putting Kolkata’s total population at close to 15 million, it is a city that pulses with an energy that rarely abates, epitomised by the city’s famous flower market. Read our blog on Kolkata, to get a feel for what a guided city tour has to offer.
It’s all here. Things to see and do, places to explore and moments to discover.
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
Gain an in-depth perspective of one of the most culturally significant parts of India onboard the Ganges Voyager. This all-suite boat has just 28 cabins offering spacious, high-ceilinged suites, with beautiful hand-painted murals, inspired by the…
For the curious traveller, rivers have a strong and somewhat, romantic allure. Follow their course and you are sure to discover people with a fascinating history, culture and solid sense of place. The Ganges is no…
A long-awaited project from the owners of Glenburn Tea Estate, this elegant nine-bedroomed boutique hotel, colonial in style, is a perfect bolthole for anybody preferring home from home when staying in Calcutta. Occupying the top two…
The Rajbari Bawali, situated in a small village, one hour south of Kolkata is a historical neo-classical palace. Replete with decorative Italian architectural motifs, breezy balconies and graceful colonnades, it was formerly the resplendent headquarters of…
Visitors tend to retreat from Kolkata and the steamy plains to enjoy the cooler climes of these beautiful regions. Reaching Darjeeling in West Bengal and beyond into Sikkim is achieved by either an overnight train from Kolkata or a short flight to Bagdogra followed by a three-hour drive.
The old colonial summer retreat of Darjeeling is a hugely popular destination, surrounded by spectacular views, lush tea estates and thickly covered forests. Darjeeling itself is now rather crowded, dirty and noisy however one can stay just outside in some glorious little home-stays such as Glenburn Tea Estate and make day trips into the town. The idyllic setting and stunning views of the Kangchendzonga range are well worth the visit.
Continuing across the border from West Bengal you enter Sikkim. This state is renowned for its rich variety of plants and flowers as well as its ethnically diverse population. Sikkim is an orchid lover’s paradise while the monasteries of Rumtek and Pemayangtse are just two among a wealth of fascinating centres of Buddhism in the state. Organic farming and ecotourism have really taken off here and serious trekkers are exploring the less developed routes on offer.
Head east from Kolkata by plane and fly to Guwahati or Dibrugarh, the eastern state of Assam to spend time cruising on the mighty Brahmaputra River. There are some excellent boat options on which you can spend four, seven or 10 nights onboard exploring this far-flung part of India. For wildlife enthusiasts, stay at Diphlu River Lodge and visit the excellent Kaziranga National Park, home to the endangered one-horned rhino. Assam is renowned for tea production. Every year in December the tea planters come together and celebrate with a Tea Festival.
Better known for the Hornbill Festival every December, Nagaland is also rich in history. The Hornbill Festival celebrates the rich culture of Nagaland. This annual melange of cultural displays from all 16 tribes of Nagaland, known as the last head-hunters, includes colourful pageants showcasing the cultural treasures of the Land of the Nagas.
You can reach Nagaland from Assam if you wish to combine the land of tea with tribes. We are fond of Phejin Konyak who is a fascinating lady, owner of the Konyak Tea Retreat and great-granddaughter of the infamous tattooed head hunters of the Konyak Nagas.
Kohima, the state capital, is home to one of the most important battles of World War II. It is home to the WWII cemetery and museum. Walk Kohima Ridge, the site of one of the bloodiest of all battles fought between the British and Japanese.
Neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh was called the North-East Frontier Agency by the British, it was effectively a no-go zone. Today you can reach Debang valley from Assam. The Reh festival is celebrated every February by the local Mishmi tribal villages. Wakro is home to the Mishmis, a Mongoloid tribe with Tibetan-Burmese origin. The abundance of natural beauty, colourful and charming tribes and ancient archaeological sites make the place a perfect destination for nature lovers, adventurous tourists, archaeologists, and anthropologists.
Meghalaya, known as the Scotland of the East, has breathtaking scenery. The Living Root Bridges are the most extraordinary pieces of art and engineering by the Khasi’s. The David Scott Trail is a beautiful one day trek covering 17 kilometres through spectacular scenery. Named after the British administrator during the British Raj his operations lasted 29 years in the Khasi Hills.
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