Tales From India
There would be no By Georgie if it wasn’t for Banyan. Specifically, if I hadn’t become good friends with Jamshyd Sethna, Banyan’s founder. Indeed, nine-and-a-half years ago Banyan became my first client, which set in motion the idea to create a community of the world’s best DMCs. And it was all on the back of a few genuinely life-changing trips to India.
As many of you know, it can be a confounding, sometimes overwhelming place. But with Banyan, I have always felt as if they – and therefore I – have done India justice: aligning with its colour and spirit in a way that leaves you a little changed (for the better!) when you leave.
With Katie on her first Banyan-led fam trip, I thought now was a good time to catch up with Lucy, who’s recent focus has been on Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).
Last month Lucy and the team opened their eighth office – Banyan Kolkata. A little-visited destination, the city remains, in Lucy’s opinion, something of an undiscovered gem. Showing guests parts of India that deviate from the better-known spots is a particularly strong suit of Banyan.
As for Kolkata, it has a well-deserved reputation for warm and welcoming people, not to mention an incredible depth of history, culture and craft. For me, it’s Kolkata’s more unusual places and activities that have lasted longest in my memory: from the fabulous flower market to the mud wrestling competitions, held every morning at dawn. See it to believe it.
For Lucy, a big part of the experience is the food. The traditional way to start your day is with a Chinese breakfast from the pushcarts in Chinatown. The authentic momo dumplings and bao buns at the bazaar (which begins at 6am) are not to be missed.
Banyan’s hotel of choice in Kolkata is the Glenburn Penthouse, which, from its terraces, has one of the best views in the city. In the morning, the mist rises through the trees of the adjacent park, shrouding the majestic Victoria Memorial Museum beyond. Glenburn also happens to have one of the city’s best Bengali restaurants, as I discovered when staying there last year on route to discover the incredible region of Sikkim.
Speaking of food, Banyan’s itineraries always include the chance to experience a home-cooked meal. “Guests are welcomed into a Bengali home like family for a delicious dinner – or they can try a spicy chicken Kathi roll from one of our favourite spots in the city,” says Lucy. “It really doesn’t get any more authentic.”
Once guests have had their fill, visiting one of the city’s textile-making NGOs is a must. Kolkata’s textiles and handicrafts are famous across the Subcontinent; particularly Kantha, a type of embroidery unique to Bengal and Bangladesh. It’s a decorative running-stitch motif used to make beautifully ornate quilts. My advice: leave space in your luggage.
Kolkata marks the gateway for much of what makes Eastern India so wonderful. Up there with the best experiences are the multi-day hikes through India’s Eastern Himalayan range. This is an untouched, incredibly diverse landscape, home to Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.
What’s important to impress here is just how ‘Banyan’ it is to have their own offices in the destination. For a country so vast and varied it’s vital, yet I can think of no other DMC in India with such a robust network.
It’s like Lucy says: “It really does ‘take a village’ to run a truly excellent Indian holiday.”