THE ALL GANGES & BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER

DAY 1 GUWAHATI

Transfer to ship from airport and explore this pleasant Assami city visiting the Nilachai Hill temple and Commonwealth Graves. Late afternoon cast off upriver.

DAY 2 SAILING

Sail all day making headway against strong currents through the lush Assami countryside. Get acquainted with your crew and guide with onboard activities such as lectures and food demonstrations.

DAY 3 TEZPUR

Afternoon exploration of Tezpur by trishaw we visit the De Parbatia temple with its richly carved portals and Cole Park with its collection of medieval carvings collected from across the region.

DAY 4 NAMERI NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, drive for some two hours to the Nameri National Park at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the old North East Frontier Agency. Here, we take a float trip of around two hours down the Jia-Bhoreli River through the park. Enjoy the breath-taking scenery and bring your binoculars for a chance to spot some birdlife. After lunch, take a village walk before returning to the ship. We are treated to a traditional Assamese folk dance before dinner and moor at Silghat for the night.

DAY 5 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Jeep safari to Kaziranga, with an area of approximately 430 sq kms, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros as well as the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It also has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers with one every five sq. km however these remain extremely illusive and are unlikely to be spotted. The park is an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot with its marshy swamps and thickets of elephant grass which supports large populations of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, and capped langurs.

Besides wildlife, Kaziranga National Park is also a birding paradise. A few of the bird species found here are the oriental honey buzzard, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed eagle, Himalayan griffon to mention a few. In the afternoon we set sail again downstream.

DAY 6 VILLAGE LIFE

As we sail along the vast Brahmaputra River downstream, riding the strong currents, we stop for a walk through a typical Assamese village and learn more about their simple lives.

DAY 7 TEA GARDEN & SILK VILLAGE

Early morning visit to Noonmati Tea Garden on the outskirts of Guwahati to witness the tea producing process. After lunch sail down past Guwhati to moor at Sualkuchi, a major centre for weaving in Assam. We learn about the entire silk making production from the cocoon, to spinning and weaving to make the typical saree worn by Assami women.

DAY 8 KOLKATA - BARRACKPORE

Disembark in the morning and transfer to airport for your flight to Kolkata. Upon arrival transfer to the ship for embarkation at noon. Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore to land and take a walk through the cantonment - past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House.

DAY 9 CHANDENAGORE

Continue sailing upstream to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950. Visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House, erstwhile Governor-General of French India.

DAY 10 KALNA

After breakfast sail upstream and land at the country town of Kalna and take rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 lesser shrines. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.

DAY 11 MAYAPUR

Explore the village of Mayapur, the headquarters of the ISKCON movement with a new temple comparable in size to the Vatican and largely funded by Alfred B. Ford, the great grandson of car maker Henry Ford. Meet Krishna followers and walk through the pilgrims’ bazaar.

DAY 12 MATIARI

Visit the brass-working village of Matiari, a charming riverside village. Interact with the locals of Matiari and witness the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Continue cruising upstream and time permitting visit the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, to change the course of Indian history. Moor close to Murshidabad for the night.

DAY 13 MURSHIDABAD

This morning, walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden that encloses the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah – the last independent Nawab of Bengal – and his family. Continue a little way upstream to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace hosts an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque and Nashipara Palace before driving out to see the Katgola Palace. Built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants, Katgola Palace represents the other side of the coin of the 'White Mughal' period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town.

DAY 14 AJIMGANJ - FARAKKA

Continue up the Hoogly which transforms into a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Morning walk through the fields of the delightfully sleepy village of Baranagar to visit its three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples. This is rural India at its most idyllic. Visit the Jain temples at Azimganj before continuing on to the Farakka Barrage.

DAY 15 FARAKKA - RAJMAHAL

Today pass through the Farraka Barrage onto the Ganges proper. In the afternoon we explore the quaint town of Rajmahal.

DAY 16 SAILING

We sail up the mighty Ganges river toward the confluence with the Koshi river. Stop along the way for a short village walk and enjoy our onboard entertainment.

DAY 17 BHAGLAPUR – SULTANGANJ

We sail early morning toward Bhaglapur, a hub of silk production. We witness the silk weaving and explore this small town before returning to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we visit Sultanganj with its pair of great granite rocks, one crowned with a mosque and the other a small temple dating from the 16th century.

DAY 18 MUNGER

Munger is now a large and industrialised city but has an interesting history. In 1762, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger, and established a firearms manufacturing centre here. Explore the Mughal fort, East India Company cemetery and step inside the Bihar School of Yoga founded in 1964 by Satyananda Saraswati. One of the leading yoga schools in the country. The institution has developed yogic techniques through a synthesis of traditional yogic, vedantic and tantric practices and contemporary health science.

DAY 19 MOKAMA

Stop at Mokama, once home to Jim Corbett the naturalist and protector of the Indian tigers. Surrounded by farmlands, Mokama has the second hightest production of lentils in the country. Learn about the freedom fighters from Mokama such as Lalldin Saheb, whose during the freedom struggle was sentenced to jail during the British rule.

DAY 20 BARH

Explore Barh, a town famous for Hindu ritual cremation at Urmanath and the Alakhnath Temple.

DAY 21 PATNA

Enjoy a city tour of Patna, capital of Bihar state including a visit to The Golghar, a large stupa styled granary built in 1786. Farewell dinner with your crew.

DAY 22 PATNA TO VARANASI

Disembark your Pandaw vessel ready and transfer to Patna station for your 1st class train to Varanasi. Upon arrival to Varanasi, transfer to your hotel or the airport.