Slowly on the Ganges: An Eight Hundred Mile Voyage Across India
Paul Strachan writes:
In October 2009 we were the first passenger ship to sail between Calcutta and Varanasi on the Ganges since the 1930s. This was a historic occasion, but not without many challenges and difficulties. This is the most beautiful and culturally varied river I have explored - but it is also the most daunting for crew and passengers alike.
The eight hundred mile expedition is of fifteen days duration and only ten sailings are planned for the coming season. The expedition takes in a number of the most important historical sites in India including the colonial splendours of Calcutta, the sacred places of Buddhism around Bodh Gaya and Benares, now called Varanasi, the great cultural centre of Hinduism. In addition, the Pandaw stops daily in smaller towns and villages to see handicrafts, rural life and a variety of local cultures as we pass from region to region.
Given the practical difficulties of crossing India by land, a river cruise makes the best sense covering a vast landscape in comfort and safety and exploring the real India well off the beaten track. The scenery is amazing and the excursions ashore are varied and exciting. Each day is quite different with a wealth of things to do and see. The standard of guides in India, with their good English and intellectuality, is far better than in the other countries we operate in and the lectures and briefings proved highly stimulating.We also have a paramedic on the team who doubles as resident naturalist.
Each of the subsequent river expeditions will be highly adventurous and should not be booked by the faint hearted. Itineraries are skeletal and indicational only. The daily schedule will be subject to constant revisions. Some excursions may be cancelled, whilst you may find yourself on excursions never offered in the first place! All depends on water levels and flow rates, the weather, local bureaucracy and a hundred other factors that make and shape a cruise. Do not expect this to be a slick well-oiled operation like our cruises on the Mekong! These cruises really are expeditions in the full sense of the word.
The food is mainly Indian and this is generally good, but over 10 days can become repetitive. This is a new destination for us, working with a new crew in a country with quite different standards to what you would find in South-East Asia. Please bear this in mind if you are considering booking this cruise.
I would say, though, that this is the 'Mother of Rivers' - no other river can match the Ganges in terms of scenery, cultural variety, quantity of historic sites not to mention profuse bird and wild life. This definitely is the way to do India.
Read more about the Maiden Voyage on the Pandaw Blog
To see pictures taken by guests on recent India cruises please clink on the link below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/pandawcruises
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 | Slowly on the Ganges 14 nights aboard RV Bengal Pandaw 7 departure dates from 27-Sep-10 to 28-Feb-11 Itinerary | Map | Select departure date |
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