We had the chance to spend 23 hours in Kolkata on a long layover from Hyderabad, India to Bangkok, Thailand, so we jumped on it. Based on a relationship that I had in the city, we set up a local guide who took us to a few authentic places that left us with a sense of how the people of Kolkata really live. We tested many of the excellent street food options including the chicken egg roll, puchkas, and bhapa doi. We road on the crowded train from the extremely busy Howrah Station. Visiting the College Street Coffee House is a must in Calcutta, so we made sure we sipped coffee in the busy upstairs hall. In and out of rickshaws, uber, and taxis, we saw the vibrant city and even had the chance to slow down for a shave with a street barber. We had a great time on our short visit in the former capital of India, please listen along on this fun episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk. Main Topics Covered: Kolkata (Calcutta) India Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world.  Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon.  Laying over in a city can be a great way to see it. We did the same in Doha, Qatar as well as Copenhagen, Denmark.  Our personal guide in Kolkata was Pratik Jio - reach out to him if you visit the city as well.  Being able to visit the Ganges was a big deal to both of us.  Puchkas or Pani puri, are very tasty street food that you will find everywhere around the city.  Carrom is a game we found walking the streets. It’s basically hitting checkers with your hand into four corners like the game pool.  Bhapa Doi is made by blending yogurt and condensed milk. It becomes more tasteful with the garnishing of almonds and pistachios.  College Street Coffee House is the most famous of Indian Coffee House branches in Kolkata.  The Chicken Egg Roll was one of the best street foods I have ever eaten. I love paratha so to have a burrito style snack with that tasty combination was heaven in my mouth.  The Howrah Station is the busiest railway station in India. It can be intense at times. The streets of Kolkata were chaotic and energizing. Many forms of transportation were fighting for space on the tight roads.  Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world