Assam is one of India’s most fascinating and diverse states and cruising is the perfect way to relax and enjoy the beauty of this forgotten region. Sailing along the Brahmaputra gets travellers close to the most wonderful destinations in this stunning state. Cruising the Brahmaputra, one of the great rivers of the world, is surely one of the life’s great pleasures.
Day 01 Guwahati/ Kamakhya Temple/ MV Mahabaahu/ Peacock Island/ Sail
Arrive at Guwahati International Airport and with packed lunch we drive to the Kamakhya Temple. This Temple is devoted to the eternal Feminine- the goddess of desire whose name is Kama Khya, granter of desires.
After the Temple visit, drive towards Pandu Port and enbark the Cruise . After the essential safety briefing and a short presentation on the Peacock Island, check into the cabins.
All gather on the open deck to enjoy the first sail and scan the river for a fleeting sight of the Gangetic Dolphins. We visit the Peacock Island and return to Cruise where we enjoy a talk on ‘Kamakhya and the Occult in Assam’
An evening in the Soma Lounge followed by the ‘Kamrup Swaagat Bhoj’—a sit down welcome dinner completes the day.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 02 Village Visit & Cruise
Cruise lifts anchor early. We enjoy Yoga on the deck for an hour and move on to breakfast, while the cruise heads on through the hills towards an island that is occupied predominantly by a Bangla speaking Muslim community who are involved in extensive farming.
After breakfast we enjoy a talk on ‘Assam, its geographical location in the national and international context and how it is acclaiming recognition’
We enjoy A talk on ‘The River Brahmaputra and the tribal life’, over a cup of tea and some snacks.
We anchor at a deserted island for the evening and enjoy sitting around a bonfire to indulge in barbecued snacks.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 03 Sail To Silghat/ Visit Tea Estate And/Or Jute Mill (By Cruise/Road)
Cruise sails early and we enjoy Yoga on the deck and move on for breakfast and for a talk on ‘Wild life in Kaziranga and wild life in India’
We sail on for the next couple of hours and enjoy a relaxed lunch and reach Silghat. After a talk on ‘Tea and Jute in Assam’, we take a short drive to Kaliabore Tea Estate which is a vast expanse of undulating estate with tea bushes, watching the tribal women pick tea leaves. We proceed to the tea factory to see the process of finally producing Assam Tea and coming to terms with all that goes into preparing a cup-of-tea. (The tea factory is not operational from mid-December to mid-February as the tea is at its dormant stage during this time of the year)
We return to where the ship is anchored. Close by, a co-operative Jute Mill is an interesting place to understand how the Jute fiber takes the form of very eco-friendly gunny bags.
By sunset, we enjoy a cultural evening on the ship. We have an early dinner and retire for the evening.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 04 Kaziranga National Park/ Weaver’s Village At Bishwanath Ghat
We rise very early today and after a warm cup of tea and some snacks, Get dow from cruise and drive towards the Kaziranga National Park. The most prized inhabitant of Kaziranga, is the Greater One-Horned Indian Rhinoceros, but the Park is home to as many as 180 different mammals including wild elephants, tiger, deer, Asiatic wild buffalo and a rich variety of birds.
We reach the Kohora Mihimukh range of the National Park and are ready to start our morning adventure; once-in-a-lifetime jeep safari where we search for the elusive rhinoceros, tigers, swamp deer and hog deer and more and a large number of very interesting birds. The park never ceases to surprise us.
After breakfast at a resort in Kaziranga, we drive on to Bagori, the Western Range of Kaziranga and get into the open jeeps for some more wild life adventure and an extensive coverage of this magnificent park.
We return to Cruise for a leisurely lunch and a relaxed afternoon.
After the leisurely pace of the day and having recovered the lost sleep, we once again get together for A talk on ‘Silk in Assam’. We get into the tenders to reach the shores of Bishwanath Ghat. We visit the Shiva Dol in reverence of Lord Shiva and there is no way that we can avoid the women with their weaves. We enjoy a walk through the village and see how this suburban village thrives.
We return to the ship to enjoy an evening on a deserted island and then proceed to a scrumptious dinner.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 05 Dhansiri Boat Safari
This morning, cruise sails early towards the Eastern Range of Kaziranga for boat Safari. We enjoy breakfast and a talk on ‘The River Brahmaputra and the life that exists alongside’.
We proceed for the safari in our tenders for about two hours. The shores are high but one can see roof turtles on protruding drift wood, water lizards, otters, elephants, wild buffaloes, rhinos, darters, herons, pied kingfishers, white throat-ed kingfishers, serpent eagles and many more. The sightings are always determined by the weather conditions.
We return for lunch. This evening we enjoy the Chef’s Cooking Demonstration followed by a talk on ‘Majuli’, the seat of Vaishnav culture.
The evening on a deserted island with bonfire is always unusual. We enjoy dinner on Cruise.
NOTE:(*Bonfire may be avoided if a suitable sandbank cannot be found or if we experience inclement weather conditions)
Overnight in Cruise
Day 06 Mishing Village Visit/ Majuli Visit (By Cruise)
After Yoga,we sail towards the Mishing Village and further on to Majuli, a cosmos of Assamese culture where various philosophies co-exist and thrive.
After breakfast, we enjoy a talk on ‘Majuli’ the seat of Vaishnav culture’.Thereafter we set off in our tenders to a Mishing Village.
The Mishings live on the bank of river in ‘Chang ghar’, houses with raised platform. All Mishing women are expert weavers. The indoor life of a Mishing person revolves around the kitchen area where the family can get together.
Cruise leaves behind the Mishing village and after lunch, we enjoy a talk on ‘Sibsagar and the Ahom civilization’ followed by a visit to Majuli Island.
We get on the tenders and arrive on the mainland where a drive takes us to a scenic corner of a Satra for an interesting cultural performance by Satriya singers and dancers. Next, we drive to Kamlabari Satra to witness the Vaishnavite priests dancing to the rhythm of cymbals, drums and chanting in the temple premise.
We return to the ship and we prepare for a Traditional Assamese evening.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 07 Neamati Ghat/ Sibsagar/ Home Hosted
After an early breakfast, we start our day-excursion to Sibsagar, the ancient city and capital of the Tai-speaking Ahoms who came in the 13th Century AD to the area from the north-east and were essentially of Tibeto-Burman origin. Sibsagar town literally means ‘the ocean of Lord Shiva’ as it is built around a huge man made water tank ordered by the Ahom Queen
The Shiva Dol, constructed in the year 1734 is believed to be the highest Shiva temple in India. We visit The Talatal or Kareng Ghar, the palace of the Ahom Kings and the Rang Ghar, an amphitheater, a place of entertainment or important meetings for the Royals and their guests. Thereafter, we drive to a Tea Estate for a relaxed afternoon where we enjoy a traditional Assamese lunch with the Tea-estate family who have been involved in the tea business over a period of a century. Here, we sip our beverages as we explore the lawns and proceed to indulge in traditional Assamese cuisine.
We return to cruise by sunset and enjoy a relaxed evening in the Soma lounge before proceeding for dinner.
Overnight in Cruise
Day 08 Neamati Ghat/ Jorhat/ Departure
We start the day with Yoga and/or go for a walk along the swamps to catch a sight of owls, orioles, yellow footed green pigeons, changeable hawk eagles, adjutant storks, quails, sea gulls hunting with the dolphins and pied kingfishers, swallows and martins diving to fish.
After relaxed breakfast Check out from the cruise and transfer to airport to catch flight for ownward journey.
*************TOUR ENDS*********
|
City |
Nights | 5* Hotels |
| Brahmaputra cruising | 08 | Cruising |
- Accommodation as per the program.
- 08 Nights cruising on River Brahmaputra
- Meal Plan – Full Board basis (i.e. breakfast, lunch & dinner)
- Entrance fees.
- Local English speaking guide.
- All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
- All taxes
- Personal Expenses.
- Camera / Video Camera Fees.
- Medical Aid.
- Tips.
- Travel Insurance.
- Visa (If any).
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.