1 Chandni Chowk
Get up close and personal with the sights and sounds of everyday Calcutta with a walk (or jostle) through Chandni Chowk Lane, a crazy multitude of small streets leading to Central Avenue. The area is lined with shops and stalls selling everything from dog collars to Alfonso mangoes. The crowds prevent cars from entering, but auto-rickshaws still get through, honking at ear-splitting levels. You'll also hear Hindi film music blaring from loudspeakers on hawker carts, the Muslim prayer call from the nearby mosque, and plenty of ribald local language. The best time to visit is mid-morning on weekdays. Avoid the evening rush hour.
2 Flury's
You can't visit Calcutta and not stroll down Park Street, the poshest address in the West Bengal capital. Old Calcuttans still talk of the 'good old days', when the tea room served English afternoon tea. You won't find cucumber sandwiches or jam-filled scones any more, but you can still get a passable Danish pastry, fruitcake and cups of Darjeeling tea for about HK$15. Try getting a seat near the tinted-glass front for a view of life in Calcutta's fast lane (closed Mondays, tel: [91] 33 2229 7664).
3 Auction houses
The auction houses on Russell Street, off Park Street, are a legacy of Calcutta's 'Brown Sahib' colonial past. Visit on a Sunday afternoon and you can catch the excitement of bidding for anything from nouveau-riche furniture to old enamelware. Suman's Exchange, Russell Exchange and Modern Exchange attract a small group of faithful regulars, and auctions usually begin at 1pm, so arrive earlier to check out what's on offer. If you're lucky, you could walk away with antique silver cutlery or an ivory chess set for a song.