The Holy Ganges - Downstream
OVERVIEW
This 6-night cruise along the mainstream of the Ganges operates between Farakka, reached by rail from Kolkata, and the city of Patna and can be combined with the Hugli cruises. Mughal ruins at Rajmahal, East India Company relics at Patna and Monghyr, and Buddhist monuments at Bodh Gaya and elsewhere, in this the Buddha’s homeland, make for an exciting voyage through the totally undiscovered territory.
Contact us for a detailed itinerary & cost proposal to include luxury river cruises experiences in your client’s itinerary.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Kamakhya Temple
Meet at Guwahati airport and take a short sightseeing tour of the city. Drive up 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 exterior. Visit the poignant Commonwealth War Graves cemetery. Finally, walk through a local market before embarking on your cruise vessel. We set sail and cruise for about an hour and a half upstream to Kurua on the north bank.
Day 2: R.V Charaidew
The day is spent cruising upstream, with hills rising on either side. Battling against strong currents, we reach an idyllic stop at Ganesh Pahar, where we can explore a delightfully serene hinterland lying under jungle-covered slopes.
Day 3: On a bankside
Leaving the hills behind, we enjoy our first taste of the wilderness experience, sand banks like icebergs on either side. We may make a short stop to visit a bankside village, creating a sensation as we do. We moor for the night in a lunar landscape of sand islands, with hopefully the Himalayas in view and providing a contrasting backdrop in the distance.
Day 4: Visit the Orang National Park
Rising early, we take to our country boat for another cruise up a sidestream, this time into the Orang National Park. Here in this rarely visited park, we mount elephants or take jeeps and ride through forest and grassland looking for rhinos, deer and other wildlife. Those departing today are picked up from the park and driven to Kaziranga. The rest return to the ship, head downstream again, and moor for the night close to Ganesh Pahar.
Day 5 : R.V Charaidew
We make the scenic approach to Guwahati, with jungle-covered hills rising to either side. We dock at around 1000 hrs and are transferred to the airport for an afternoon onward flight.