The Hooghly river, a side stream of the Ganges, is dotted with historic sites, from Kolkata at its southernmost tip to Jangipur in the north.…
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This 10-night cruise covers most of the highlights of Assam, with safaris in search of elephants and one-horned-rhino in Kaziranga National Park, visits to the ancient capital of the Ahom kings and to the Hindu monasteries on Majuli Island, and walks in tea gardens and through tribal villages.
Stretching from the erstwhile army town of Dibrugarh through the state of Assam to Dhubri on the Bangladesh border, the mighty Brahmaputra river winds beside wildlife parks, historic towns and cultural sights – the perfect mix for a fascinating cruise.
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Depart the UK for Kolkata on a connection via Delhi or the Middle East.
On arrival in Kolkatta, you will be met at the airport by a TransIndus representative and transferred to your hotel for the night. The remainder of your day will be ta leisure. Stay at The Oberoi Grand for the night.
This morning, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred back to the airport for your onward flight to Dibrugarh or Jorhat. On arrival, you will be collected by the Assam Bengal Navigation team and driven to the embarkation point at Neamati Ghat.
Your first excursion and experience of the rich variety of life along the Brahmaputra is Sibsagar, the one-time capital of the Ahom kings of Assam. Shan by origin but converted to Hinduism, the Ahoms ruled Assam for some 700 years until the 1820s. Their culture and architecture is a unique and intriguing amalgam of India and Southeast Asia. You’ll see temples with stupa-like profiles and palaces of distinctive form. The temple tank here is believed to be the world’s largest hand-excavated reservoir and quite the feat of engineering, as you’ll see. Lunch is taken at Horu Charai, a quintessential Assamese tea estate. Return to the ship and cruise downstream for three hours to Majuli island, one of the world’s largest river islands.
A microcosm of Assamese culture, Majuli is much-photographed but little-visited. It is a stronghold of the peaceful religion of neo-Vaishnavism, and the elegant island satras — some for celibate monks, some for families — showcase a unique way of life where the faithful live simply, offering worship through gayan-bayan (songs and musical instruments) and readings. You’ll visit a monastery at Auniati with its eclectic museum, then attend a dance performance at Kamalabari monastery. Later, return to the ship and cruise downstream for one or two hours.
A day spent mostly sailing languidly along the Brahmaputra, though you’ll stop for a short visit to a tribal river village. By afternoon, Kaziranga National Park will be on your left – wild elephants are sometimes visible from the boat, and once, memorably, a tiger, so keep an eye out for movement on the banks.
A day spent mostly sailing languidly along the Brahmaputra, though you’ll stop for a short visit to a tribal river village. By afternoon, Kaziranga National Park will be on your left – wild elephants are sometimes visible from the boat, and once, memorably, a tiger, so keep an eye out for movement on the banks.
oday, you’ll be driven to Kaziranga’s Central Range for a morning jeep safari. Covering an area of approximately 430 sq km, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros and the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It has also earned the distinction of having the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers (one every five sq. km.), making this park an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot. With its marshy swamps and thickets of elephant grass, this park supports large populations of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, and Capped Langurs. Kaziranga National Park frequently draws comparisons to the Serengeti in Africa due to the park's abundance of wildlife and birds and is considered a birding paradise. Bird species found here include the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Himalayan Griffon and many more. In the afternoon, you’ll explore more of the Kaziranga National Park on another jeep safari.
Cruise downstream under the seemingly endless new bridge to dock at Tezpur. After lunch on board, you’ll visit the remains of the 6th-century Da Parbatia temple with its exquisitely carved portal. Cycle rickshaws transport you through the bustling bazaars to Cole Park with its collection of mediaeval stone carvings. Later, you’ll reboard the ship and cruise downstream to moor for the night near the isolated Singri Hill.
The day is spent on the river, traversing a magical lunar landscape of sand islands before closing in on the range of hills beyond which lies Guwahati. Moor for the night not far from Ganesh Pahar.
This morning’s voyage is particularly picturesque, sailing by jungle-covered hills on the south bank. Reaching Guwahati by midday, you’ll moor opposite the city and climb up to the pretty Aswaklanta temple before driving out to the temple ruins of Madan Kamdev, their erotic carvings an indicator of the strong tantric traditions of the area. Return to the ship and cruise downstream to Sualkuchi either this evening or the following morning.
Take a walk through Sualkuchi, a bustling little town and the centre of Assamese silk production. Your visit to the weaving workshops is a rare opportunity to witness the whole process of silk manufacture, from cocoon and spinning to dyeing and hand-weaving into exquisite mekhela chadars (a two-piece sari, the traditional attire of an Assamese woman). You then sail up to the dock close to the great Saraighat bridge and take a tour of Guwahati, driving up Nilachal Hill to the Kamakhya temple. With its tantric rites and animal sacrifices, the more squeamish may prefer to content themselves with its exteriors. Visit the poignant Commonwealth War Graves, the museum and the colourful bazaars.
Disembark the ship in the morning and transfer to Guwahati airport for your flight to Kolkata. You will be met and transferred to the Oberoi Grand Hotel for the night on arrival. The remainder of the day will be at leisure in Kolkata for a spot of sightseeing or shopping.
Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home.
✓ International Flight to and from the UK
✓ 12 nights accommodation, 10 of which will be on the cruise
✓ All excursions on board the cruise with English-speaking guides
✓ Entrance fees to sites and monuments listed in the tour itinerary
✓ Meal plan: Full board on the cruise and Bed & Breakfast in Kolkata
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