Practical Information for visiting West Bengal

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the plains with 4G and 5G in Kolkata, and data is cheap.

Local SIMs from Jio or Airtel require a passport and visa and take up to a day to activate.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and cafes in Kolkata and adequate in Darjeeling.

The Sundarbans have very limited signal once you are into the creeks, and boats often have none at all — plan on being uncontactable for a day or two.

The hills have gaps between ridges, and landslides in the monsoon can take out both power and connectivity for extended periods.

West Bengal is generally safe and Kolkata has a reputation as one of the safer large Indian cities, with a slow pace and a good deal of street life late into the evening.

• Traffic is the main risk. Kolkata’s streets are crowded and buses are driven competitively.
• Monsoon flooding in the city, where waterlogged streets hide open drains; electrocution from fallen lines during storms is a real annual cause of death.
• In the Sundarbans, never leave the boat except at designated points. Tigers here do attack people, which is why the villages have watchtowers and the forest department restricts access.
• Hill roads to Darjeeling suffer landslides and closures in the monsoon.
• Political strikes can shut transport at short notice.
• Crowds during Durga Puja are enormous; keep valuables secure.

Kolkata has good private hospitals and is a referral centre for eastern India and beyond. Facilities thin quickly in the delta and the hills.

Vaccinations: routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid; Japanese encephalitis is worth discussing for rural Bengal, where it is endemic, along with rabies for longer stays.

Mosquito-borne illness: dengue has serious annual outbreaks in Kolkata after the monsoon, and malaria occurs. Use repellent consistently, and consider prophylaxis for the delta.

Waterborne illness: drink bottled or filtered water. Cholera is historically associated with the delta and outbreaks still occur in rural areas.

Heat and humidity from April to June are draining and can be dangerous.

Altitude in Darjeeling is modest and rarely a problem.

Remove shoes before entering temples and homes, and cover shoulders and knees at religious sites.

During Durga Puja, the pandals are open to everyone regardless of religion and visitors are welcome, but they are places of worship as well as installations — do not photograph the priest during rituals without asking.

Right hand for eating, giving and receiving; Bengalis traditionally eat rice with the fingers.

Tagore, Ray and football are safe conversational ground; take a view and expect it to be contested at length.

Alcohol is legal and available, with bars and shops throughout Kolkata; drinking in public is not done.

Photography in Kumartuli and the markets is generally welcomed, but ask.

Public affection is not the norm.

Emergency numbers: 112 nationally, with 100 for police, 102 or 108 for ambulance and 101 for fire.

Medical. Kolkata’s private hospitals — Apollo, AMRI, Woodlands — are the best in eastern India and used to foreign patients; payment upfront with a claim afterwards is normal.

In the Sundarbans, you are hours from help and often out of signal. Operators carry basic first aid; anything serious means a boat journey back.

In the hills, landslides close roads without warning in the monsoon — allow slack in travel plans and check conditions before setting out.

Cyclone warnings are issued well in advance and should be taken seriously in the delta and on the coast.

Several countries maintain consulates in Kolkata.