Assam Bengal Navigation is the original cruise operator on India’s Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers, having navigated these mighty waterways since 2003. A world away from…
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Tailor-made Tour 10 days from £2945 per person
Places Visited: Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, Nameri national Park, Kaziranga national Park, Guwahati, Kolkata
Assam Bengal Navigation is the original cruise operator on India’s Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers, having navigated these mighty waterways since 2003.
A world away from the more well-trodden roads of India, the eastern corner remains untouched by mass tourism. From dancing monks to one-horned rhinos, colonial vestiges to terracotta temples, remote villages to bustling cities, travelling by boat opens up a treasure trove of history, culture, wildlife and religion.
This active expedition cruising along the mighty Brahmaputra, visits two national parks, local villages, a silk centre and some beautiful monasteries away from the beaten track. Your journey on the Brahmaputra will be aboard either ABN Charaidew II or ABN Sukapha.
ABN Charaidew II
With 18 cabins in total, including two spacious deluxe cabins, 12 standard twin/double cabins, and four standard cabins with a queen bed for solo travellers, ABN Charaidew II is a boutique, modern ship that wonderfully blends traditional Assamese aesthetics with touches of colonial elegance. All standard cabins have French balconies, while the two deluxe cabins have a private balcony.
ABN Sukapha
ABN Sukapha was designed specifically to navigate the mighty waters of the Brahmaputra river, making her an extremely adept yet comfortable active expedition-style ship. Her 12 cabins are bamboo-panelled, roomy and offer panoramic views of the river. Cane furniture on board, objet d'arts and handlooms on the ship are all locally made by talented artisans from Assam.
Holiday Types
Cultural Holidays Wildlife Holidays River Cruising Holidays Luxury Train Holidays Family Holidays Honeymoons Beach Holidays Adventure Holidays
Suggested itinerary
Day 1
Kolkata
You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel The Oberoi Grand for 1 night. The remainder of your day will be at leisure.
Kolkata, or ‘Calcutta’ as it was known prior to 2001, is the capital of West Bengal state, and India’s third largest city, with a population of approximately 14.1 million. The trading post originally founded by the East India Company in the 17th century served as the country’s capital until 1911, and continues to be a major regional hub, albeit one with well-chronicled problems.
The backdrop to this vibrant cultural life is an architectural heritage spanning two-and-a-half centuries of colonial rule. Built to commemorate the British Raj at its zenith, the Victoria Memorial is Kolkata’s most grandiloquent monument – a stately blend of British, Mughal, Deccani, Moorish and Venetian styles whose marble domes soar majestically above the banks of the Hooghly River, surrounded by ornamental lakes and parched maidans.
Elsewhere in the city – connected by an efficient Metro system – lies a wealth of museums and art galleries, the famous Kali Ghat temple (after which the city was originally named) and hallowed turf of the Eden Gardens, high altar of Indian cricket. But above all, Kolkata is a place whose everyday sights frequently prove the most arresting: the flower sellers spreading out their wares in the dawn light at Mullick Ghat; the wrestlers, devotees of the Monkey God Hanuman, exercising on the nearby riverside steps; the overloaded barges of straw arriving at Kumartuli Ghat, where voluptuous deities are fashioned out of clay for the annual Durga Puja festival; and the streams of rickshaws, trucks and pedestrians pouring across Howrah Bridge at rush hours.
Accommodation Options
Day 2
Kolkata - Guwahati - Cruise ship
Transfer to the domestic airport and board a flight to Guwahati airport. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your cruise at Pandu port. Enjoy lunch while cruising downstream to Sualkuchi. An afternoon walk through Sualkuchi, a bustling little town at the centre of Assamese silk production, offers a chance to visit weaving workshops. Witness the whole process of silk manufacture, from cocoon and spinning, then dyeing to hand-weaving into exquisite mekhela chadars (a two-piece sari, the traditional attire of an Assamese woman). We then sail up to dock close to the great Saraighat bridge.
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Day 3
Nilachal Hill and Kamakhya Temple
After breakfast on board, you disembark for an excursion to Nilachal Hill to see the holy Kamakhya temple. With its tantric rites and animal sacrifice, the more squeamish may prefer to content themselves with the exteriors. Visit the poignant Commonwealth War Graves cemetery before embarking on your cruise vessel at Uzan Bazaar. We return to the ship and set sail past Kurua on the north bank.
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Day 4
Uzaan Bazaar
In the morning, we cruise to the riverside village with its lush green fields of vegetables. The day is spent mostly cruising upstream and presents an opportunity to catch up on reading, writing about your experiences so far, or simply watching life unfold on the riverbanks and jungle-covered hills that rise on either side. Enjoy an Indian cooking demonstration onboard.
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Day 5
Tezpur
This morning you cruise on to reach Tezpur where, after lunch, you’ll visit the 6th century Da Parbatia temple ruins with its beautifully carved portal. Later, explore the town by cycle rickshaw, stopping at Cole Park with its medieval stone carvings saved from sites all over the region. Enjoy free time in the local market. The ship will be waiting at the town’s waterfront for you to reboard.
Accommodation Options
Day 6
Tea Gardens and Uloni Market
After an early breakfast, drive for around two hours to the Nameri National Park at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the old North East Frontier Agency. Here, you take a float trip of around two hours down the Jia-Bhoreli River through the park. There are excellent bird-watching opportunities here (look out for the great Hornbills) and, perhaps, the chance of sighting wild elephants. After lunch, take a village walk before returning to the ship. Continue upstream, passing below a seemingly endless new bridge across the vast width of the riverbed, to moor at Silghat.
Accommodation Options
Day 7
Kaziranga National Park
Today, you drive to Kaziranga’s Central Range for a morning jeep safari. Enjoy lunch at Diphlu River Lodge before taking another jeep safari in the little visited Burapahar Range before returning to the boat. Covering an area of approximately 430 sq kms, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros as well as 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, the 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.
Accommodation Options
Day 8
Kaziranga National Park
This morning, go on a visit to a local tea garden and the weekly market of Uloni. In the afternoon, drive to Kaziranga’s Western range (Bagori Range) for a jeep safari through the lush, biodiverse landscapes of the park.
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Day 9
Guwahati, Kolkata
This morning you bid farewell to the crew and new friends as you set off for the 4-hour drive to Guwahati airport. Alternatively, we can arrange a 40-minute transfer to Tezpur airport or a 2 ½ hr transfer to Jorhat airport. On arrival in Kolkata, you will be transferred to your hotel for the night, and the remainder of your day will be at leisure.
Day 10
Kolkata, UK
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Accommodation Options
Tailor-made Tour 10 days from £2945 per person
What's included
✓ 7 nights accommodation aboard your ABN cruise vessel and 2 nights at a five-star hotel in Kolkata
✓ 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
Places and Experiences in this tour
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