Five must-visit destinations for your weekend trip to New Town
Even 10 years back, Kolkata’s tourism map didn’t have any major flag post in the New Town area. A waiting period of three hours before catching a flight didn’t throw up much exciting choices to explore around the airport till a few years back. Today, even a whole day is not enough to cover New Town as a tourist.
A nature lover, a sports fanatic, a foodie or a general traveler – kids, youth or the young at heart – New Town has something to offer to every traveler. Here’s what you can explore on a weekend trip to New Town, the most happening satellite township of Kolkata.
Eco Park: Toy train, ice skating, kayaking, paddle boating, water zorbing, bird watching, archery, bull ride, cycling, roller skating… you will be spoilt for choice if you are a sucker for fun activities at this 480-acre ecological garden.
Want to visit the Seven Wonders of the World without leaving the city? Head to Eco Park for an immersive experience clicking selfies before the Great Wall of China, making memories at the Colosseum or exploring the depths of an Egyptian pyramid. That’s not all, the park has several awesome zones – like Artist’s Cottage, Bamboo Garden, Musical Fountain, Japanese Zen Garden and more.
Mother’s Wax Museum: Till Madame Tussauds comes to the city, Kolkatans can make do with the Mother’s Wax Museum. Walk into the world of glitz and glamour, rub your shoulders with celebrities, pose with them for that up-close-and-personal selfie – bring history alive at Mother’s Wax Museum, albeit with intricately sculpted wax figures.
From Mahatma Gandhi to Swami Vivekananda, Kishore Kumar to Lata Mangeshkar, Salman Khan to Angelina Jolie… it’s a star-studded affair at the city’s very own wax museum.
Snow Park: Never mind the sultry heat outside or the heavy downpours, once you are inside Axis mall, up on the sixth floor, it’s always snowing. Like real. This is literally the chill zone of Kolkata. With jackets, boots and gloves on (don’t worry, they have these on rental), get clicked with momma and baby penguin, glide down the snow slides, throw snowballs at each other like Kashmir ki Kali or if you feel a little more adventurous try rock climbing for a change.
This is one place where kids enjoy as much as their parents, with the Eskimo igloo being one of the most popular spot for playing hide-and-seek. What’s the best part of being in the Snow Park? The sudden snow rain that instantly transports you to Switzerland!
Kolkata Gate: An icon for the iconic city, this recent addition to the New Town map has become one of the most photographed landmarks this side of the city. If you are a tourist looking out for Kolkata’s most celebrated landmarks, then after Howrah bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, Victoria Memorial and Dakshineswara temple, the Biswa Bangla Gate or Kolkata Gate at the Narkelbagan crossing of New Town is the latest inclusion in the list.
If the grandeur and view of the gate is not enough, get on top of the giant structure for a fine-dining experience. The visitor’s deck turns into a full-fledged hanging restaurant post 7pm, with a multi-cuisine menu on offer. From pasta to kebabs, soups to risotto tickle your taste buds while enjoying a panoramic view of New Town’s twinkling skyline.
Fanatic Sports Museum, Ecospace
Fanatic Sports Museum (FSM): After Bollywood, if there’s one thing that unites India irrespective of religion, caste, creed and language – that’s sports. For all sports lovers and fanatics, Kolkata has given them reason to celebrate and chee
From Sachin Tendulkar’s gloves that he used while scoring his 100th century against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2012 to P.V. Sindhu’s jersey from her 2016 Rio Olympics match and the gold medal winning gloves of Abhinav Bindra – the museum exhibits are a collector’s delight. Jerseys and other souvenirs signed by sports icons like Pele, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer make it a wonderland for all sports lovers. Don’t miss the sports journals and books dating back to the late 1800s and the collection of tickets to the seven Olympic hockey matches where India had won the gold medal.
Corporate
