Starting from its humble origins as a village on the banks of the mighty Hooghly (as the Ganges is called here), to its rise as one of the most important cities in the world, Kolkata (or Calcutta, as it is still referred to by many), was the capital of the British East India Company. The British legacy is evident in the grand Victorian Gothic buildings, impressive churches and wide boulevards. Kolkata is also the centre of the awesome Bengali art and culture.

Travel by road through wonderful mountain scenery to Kurseong, home to world famous tea gardens which produce the most delicate aromas of all black teas known to mankind. From Kurseong you travel by toy train to Darjeeling. Spread on a high ridge with stunning views of the Kanchenjunga and surrounded by tea plantations on all sides, Darjeeling really is a fascinating town.

Sikkim is still one of the last Himalayan `Shangri-Las' with its remoteness, spectacular mountain terrain, hundreds of varieties of orchids and ancient Buddhist monasteries. Add to this the charm of the people and their cultural traditions, and you have a land with few equals in the world!

The Bhubaneswar temples have delicate, almost filigree-like carvings whilst the erotic sculptures of Konarak are said by some to surpass even those at Khajuraho. Chilika Lake, Asia's largest salt-water lake, boasts of Irrawady dolphins and rich birdlife. The long sandy beach at Puri with its distinctive green/blue waters makes for a great evening stroll.

Guwahati is the gateway to Kaziranga National Park, the most famous attraction in Assam as it is home to the rare Great Indian One-Horned Rhinocerous. You won't find this rhino in many other places, so a visit to this park is something special. You can take jeep and elephant safaris into the park to spot the famous one-horned rhinos and a wide array of other animals, from wild buffaloes to delicate swamp deer and elusive tigers and a wide variety of birds.

Carved out of Assam in 1972, Meghalaya means `Abode of the Clouds', and they rarely go away. It is a cool, pine-fresh contrast to the warm Assam plains. Meghalaya boasts the delightful hill station of Shillong, as well as one of the wettest places on earth, Cherrapunji. Most of this precipitation falls April to September, creating some very impressive waterfalls.

Jorhat is a major tea hub in the Upper Assam region. The city is also a good base for visiting Majuli, the largest river island in the world. Majuli island, a World Heritage Site in the Brahmaputra river, is known for its beautiful rural setting and traditional tribal architecture. It is also famous for its monastic retreats where the worship of Lord Vishnu is through dance, music and poetry.

The Nagas have come to exemplify an exotic society - renowned for their fierce resistance to intruders and their practice of headhunting. Even though times have changed and Nagaland is fast modernizing, the people have retained many of their old customs. On this pioneering journey, you visit the remote northern part of Nagaland where life in villages has little changed. The scenery is stunning with green valleys, meandering streams, high mountains with deep gorges and a rich variety of flora and fauna.