5 Luxury Getaways in Kolkata for Valentine's Day or a Special Celebration
Two days into Valentine’s week and love is brewing in the air. With Valentine’s Day running in mid-week, do not let your significant other to whine about you being non-romantic. Surprise your beloved with a bouquet, an epistle and tickets to an extraordinary evening getaway without even worrying about taking leave the next day. And Bengal has its very own Valentine Day on Sunday (Saraswati Puja). So put up your best attire and spend a day-long togetherness in luxurious yet memorable city experiences right here in Kolkata.
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Amidst
the palatial architectures and vibrant hustles of its street Kolkata offers
some sparkling couple special experiences, perfect to visit at any time of the
year. Be it your anniversary or some cradled duo moments, Kolkata would awe you
with these unique city retreats.
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Feed your somber spirits in the Tram Restaurant
Kolkata and Tram are closely linked; it is one of
the few cities in the world that still runs the new version of the ramshackle
tram. Seated in a compact aristocratic interior of a tram, in motion, and
having your lunch, sweet-talking with your loved one; and watching the past and
present seamlessly fusing together, the division being the windowpane, the
royal buildings passing by it, with a piece of soft music pleasing your ears- the
flawless ambiance to celebrate a special day indeed.
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| Picture Courtesy: Curly Tales. You can watch their video here. |
Victoria Tramcar restaurant is a newly inaugurated
restaurant on wheels, winding through the city, from Shahid Minar in Esplanade
to Kidderpore and back. Offers both veg and non-veg Bengali cuisines. Tram
rides could be slow when passing through congested traffic; when you are with
your loved ones the delay could be cherishing.
Where: Taltala, Shahid Minar
Cost: Varies, generalised Rs. 999 for
non-veg and Rs. 799 for veg.
Working Hours: 12 Noon-
11PM (mostly so as to avoid the rush in the office hours). Typically there are
4 trips- 12pm-2pm; 2pm-4pm; 4pm-6pm and 6pm-8pm
Booking: Phone No: 9836129270; 9875327586.
Book on their website here.
Sail away on a River Cruise
Longed for going on a cruise with your loved one
and yet tight office schedules did not allow you to? Then Vivada jetty in Millennium Park, Kolkata has come to your rescue. River Ganges really does add
an extra charm to the beauty of the city, be it Kolkata or Howrah. And an
evening, sailing on the waters in a dainty illuminated cruise, down the Ganges
is yet another way to surprise your beloved. The purple lit Howrah Bridge and
the flickering fairy lights of the buildings ashore add the perfect ambiance aboard.
Vivada Cruises and Cross India Cruises offers the
best river cruises in the city and offers both veg and non-veg platter. Vivada's
fleet includes Paramhansa, Millenium, Matsakanya, Auspicious and
Jaladuta. Cross India offers Desire, Matsakanya, Paramhansa, Millenium,
Riviera, Sumangal and The Auspicious. I personally like Matsakanya and The
Auspicious which could be booked through both.
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| Picture Courtesy: CrossIndia Cruises |
Where: The embarking
for both is from Vivada Jetty, Millenium Park, Kolkata.
Cost: Breakfast
and evening cruise- Rs. 1050 per person; Lunch and Dinner cruise- Rs. 1575 per
person. Special Valentine package aboard "The
Auspicious" at Rs. 3540 for two.
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| Picture Courtesy: CrossIndia Cruises |
Working Hours: Breakfast
cruise- (8.30 am to 11.30 am); lunch cruise- (12.30 pm to 3.30 pm); evening
cruise- (4.00 pm to 7.00 pm); dinner cruise- (7.30 pm to 10.30 pm);
Valentine’s Day special cruise will
start 6.30pm onwards
Cross India: Website
/ Phone- 8282906050
Through BookMyShow
Find yourself sparkling on a Pensive Island
How about getting away from the honks of the city
to an island and have your salver amidst the tranquillity of the place itself?
And hence Café Ekante totally serves its name; ekante means solitary. Onwards
through the waters of an artificial lake of Eco Park, café ekante is a
houseboat café nestled on an island in the lake. A boat ride from the boarding
points in Eco Park to the cafe amidst the cottages is a quick break from the
daily blues, one might even stay a night in the cottages.
Cost: Rs. 800 for two.
Working Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 1 PM
to 10.30 PM; Monday closed
Booking: Phone: 8334065345 /
9830984112.
Booking could be done through the Facebook
page.
Still not convinced, have a view here
Catching the view from the Kolkata Gate
A walk through the ring-tunnel, hanging in the air,
25 m from the ground, supported by the arches, a civil engineering marvel right
in the city named as the Kolkata gate or the Biswa Bangla Date. The
circular walk through is supposed to host a restaurant, a gallery, and a
souvenir shop. And the view is overlooking the whole skyline; skirted in
the middle by the tracks of the Metro on one side and the series of colorful
flats on the opposite end. Sunset from here and watching the city
transform into a canvas apt for light painting is an obvious way to make
memories on the V-day.
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| Dusk at the Biswa Bangla Gate |
Where: Narkelbagan, Rajarhat more
Timing: Open from 8th to 14th Feb, i.e.
the whole of Valentines week. 12Noon to 5PM with 45 min slot starting
each hour. No visit on Monday.
Cost: Rs. 100 entry fees;
Restaurant costs are similar to Cafe Ekante as it is another outlet of Cafe Ekante.
Getting old in the Horse Carriage
Ride
The touch of olden Kolkata is yet again revamped in
a full-fledged AC horse carriage. It was the brainchild of Sudip Sil who
transformed the horse carriage ride into a hotel ride on wheels. The
carriage interior is decorated with thick transparent curtains giving an
aristocratic touch to it.
Where: A
round of Victoria Memorial through the Race Course South gate, moving on to
Fort William and then back to the stand. On requests, the round can be extended
to Princep Ghat. So depending on your budget one might spend the rest of the
hours in Victoria Memorial or Prinsep Ghat.
Timing: anytime
Cost:
Regular Horse Carriage
Round near Fort William: Rs 500
Round near Princep Ghat: Rs 1,500
Small round: Rs 300
A.C Horse Carriage
1 round with A.C- Rs.1200
1 round without A.C – Rs.500
1hr ride with A.C- Rs.6000
Full night – Rs.10000-15000
Booking: Once you reach Victoria Memorial
you could talk it out with the horse carriage owners
However if you want to plan for a long romantic weekend try out these places for sure.
15 comments
Oh!! There are so many romantic options! Eco Park sounds absolutely wonderful and the perfect way to spend time together!
ReplyDeleteThese all look so romantic and beautiful! Great tips for thos in Kolkata to be romantic.
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas- I think the Rover Cruise would be my top choice. That would be amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love all these ideas but I especially love the idea of a tram restaurant and I can never pass up a river cruise
ReplyDeleteThese all sound romantic and fun! The tram restaurant sounds really cool – I've never heard of anything like that before.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant guide. I did not know there are so many options. The tram hotel looks lovely! And I can't get over how reasonably prices everything is. 100% doing Victoria on Wheels when I am in town next.
ReplyDeleteLovely!!! :)
DeleteNice idea for Kolkata and Valentine's Day. I like the tram restaurant.
ReplyDeleteAmazing options to spend time with your valentine. Tram restaurant looked really romantic
ReplyDeleteSounds like there is no shortage of options for romantic travel in Kolkata :) will have to consider it for a February trip next year!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great, Now just a guy to do all this with!
ReplyDeleteThese are all fantastic romantic ideas for Valentine's Day. I would like to ride in the horse carriage!
ReplyDeleteSuch amazing and unique restaurants! Would be so cool to experience some of these dining options. I would especially try to do the tram ride restaurant:)
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely ideas. Kolkata seems like a romantic destination year round to me. I’ll make it there soon :)
ReplyDeleteNever been to Kolkata, but it has to be on my bucket list. Such an amazing place.
ReplyDelete