INCREDIBLE NORTH EAST INDIA

The spiraling mists at Darjeeling and Sikkim rise upwards to reveal the Kanchenjunga in different aspects each new day. In like manner, one is enthused in a spirit of rediscovering the East. On one hand, there’s the vivacity in Kolkata - the land of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, presided over by the immense Victoria Memorial in white marble and on the other hand, there’s the golden triangle of temple towns: Bhubaneshwar - temple city of India, Puri - home of Lord Jagannath, and also a popular beach resort and Konark where you can join the spectacular Rath Yatra or gaze spell-bound at the stupendous Sun Temple of Konark rising amidst the sand dunes from the blue waters of the bay. Fall in love with orchid-bedecked Sikkim - the land that time forgot. See the Buddhist prayer flags fluttering in the breeze at the Buddhist Monasteries, such as Pemayangtse - an oasis of serenity and a repository of centuries-old wisdom and scriptures, surrounded by mountains and glaciers and passes, where time stands absolutely still. Sample the cheese in Kalimpong, a quaint bazaar town set in rolling foothills and deep valleys at the foot of the mighty Himalayas. Drink in Assam - as famous for its tea, as for its wildlife reserves - tigers at Manas and the one-horned rhinoceros at Kaziranga. Or holiday in Shillong, “the Scotland of the East” an ideal holiday resort through the year. Truly every day in East India is a new discovery.