Cruise the lower Ganges discovering the hitory, villages, people and wildlife of Bengal. We cruise the River Hooghly (as this stretch of the Ganges is known), which flows from Farakka on the main river down to Kolkata. Embarking in Kolkata we explore the old European colonies just outside the city before cruising upstream to Murshidabad, capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, the battlefield of Plassey close by, and the many monuments of the medieval Islamic capital of Gaur. A highlight are several delightful and little known Bengali Terracotta temples.
Wildlife - Birds, dolphins and langurs.
With an on board naturalist you will spot a wide variety of birds (More than 180 on the list) and, excitingly, you will get glimpses of the rare Gangetic dolphins that inhabit this part of the river. Langur monkeys hang around some of the towns and temples that we visit and we usually see squads of huge fruit bats flying along the river at dusk.
Added extra - Highlights
During the cruise we will have a demonstration of how to cook a good curry, how to dress is a Sari or Dhoti, a short concert from some local musicians and an exhibition of some traditional dancing.
• KOLKATA/CALCUTTA - Before/after the cruise you can/should enjoy the madness that is Kolkata. Noise, colour, movement, smells - everything is happening non-stop all the time. The City of Palaces, Calcutta was the capital of British India for around 150 years, and boasts much superb colonial architecture, fantastic markets and some great monuments and museums. It can also claim to be the intellectual capital of modern India, and is a thriving, bustling, colourful and up to date city, with some excellent shops. In the northern suburbs lie the old French, Dutch and Danish colonial enclaves, still retaining a distinctive flavour.
• KALNA - A pleasant agricultural centre, boasting some of Bengal’s finest terracotta temples.
• MURSHIDABAD - Capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, losers at Plassey, and a delightful backwater town full of abandoned mosques, tombs and surprisingly grand European style palaces. Nearby Baranagar boasts further examples of charming terracotta temples.
• FARAKKA BARRAGE - Where the Hooghly flows out from the Ganges, this great dam, opened in 1975, protects much of Bengal from flooding as well as generating electricity.
• Battlefield and village of Plassey - Pelassi
The site of Robert Clive's famous victory over the combined French and Indian forces that signalled the start of Britain's 2 century domination of India. The battlefield is marked by a small monument but the nearby village is a delight.
• Matiari village brass foundaries
The small village of Matiari is famous for its cottage industry of brass. You can watch the whole process from the smelting to the beating, shaping and patterning. Seeringly hard work in ih extreme heat.
• Baranagar & English lessons
We will visit the small village of Baranagar and the terracotta temples dotted around the village. We will also visit the English Academy in the village, heavily sponsored by the ship's owners, the academy teaches English to aspiring students and we get a chance to sit with them for 40 minutes to discuss our lives and families, football and cricket, and anything else that comes up in conversation.
The State of Bihar has banned the import, sale and consumption of alcoholin Bihar State. This means that during the cruise we will not be able to sell beer, wine, or spirits on board while passing through the state. There are no exceptions for foreign tourists. Bihar stretches from just upstream of Farakka through Patna as far upstream as Buxar.
History and villages of Bengal
Fantastic Indian Cuisine
Villages and people of Bengal
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or [email protected]) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or [email protected]) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
You will be collected from your hotel late morning and taken to the jetty. Embark at midday on your ship and cruise past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore, land and take a walk through the cantonment past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame, and Flagstaff House, its garden housing many of the British statues removed from central Calcutta.
Sail up to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, and visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House containing a small museum. Sail on past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura. Land to visit the imposing Imambara at Hooghly then reboard your ship and cruise upstream leaving urban sprawl behind. Sail into the night to a mooring near Kalna.
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 shrinelets. Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur, its skyline dominated by the vast new ISKCON temple. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.
This morning visit the brassworking village of Matiari where you can see the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Later cruise on and visit the battlefield of Plassey where in 1757 Clive’s defeat of Siraj-ud-Daulah changed the course of Indian history, finally mooring at Murshidabad.
Land and walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Moghul-style garden enclosing the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah and his family. Continue a little way upstream to where the Nawab’s great Hazarduari Palace, built by an English architect
in 1837, dominates the waterfront. Inside are an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Visit also the great Katra Mosque and drive out to two amazing buildings of the late 18th century, the Nashipara Palace and the Katgola Palace. Both were built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants and represent the other side of the coin of the “White Moghul” period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Overnight on the riverbank across from town.
Moor at the delightful sleepy village of Baranagar with three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples to which you walk through the fields. This is rural India at its most idyllic. Continue up the Hooghly, here a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Carry on up a long canal section to a mooring close to the Farakka Barrage.
During breakfast we cruise to a mooring by the Farakka lock. Disembark and take a full day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda, or English Bazar. This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in 12th century, then as the muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century. There are plentiful remains of mosques, palaces and gateways and you visit a number of the most interesting before rejoining the ship in the evening at Farakka.
During the day, our ship will pass through the lock which raises it up to the course of the Ganges proper. You are taken to visit a nearby market, and to visit a delightful rural village. Alternatively at extra cost a full day itinerary can be made by road to Pandua and its Sultanate-period mosque.
This morning we leave Farakka and sail out into the main stream of the River Ganges, almost sea-like here just above the Barrage. We sail upstream much of the morning, before anchoring at Rajmahal, beneath the Rajmahal Hills. Rajmahal is one of those places, so common in India, which feature in no guidebook and yet offer both interest and atmosphere; once known as Akbarnagar, the town was founded by the Mughal Emperor Akbar as his eastern capital. Shah Jehan, builder of the Taj Mahal, spent much of his youth here. There are remains of palaces, forts and mosques submerged in vegetation which we shall explore. We sail on as far as Manihari Ghat.
This morning continue cruising upriver, passing the confluence with the Kosi, coming down from Nepal and keeping a lookout for Gangetic dolphin, often seen here. We arrive at idyllic Bateshwar, with fine 6th century rock carvings, and from here we drive a short distance to the impressive ruins of the 8th century Buddhist monastery of Vikramshila, Reboarding, we sail down to anchor near the port of Sahibganj in the state of Jharkand. The impressive silhouette of the Rajmahal Hills, the only significant uplands anywhere along the course of the river between Kolkata and Varanasi, rises up outlined against the sunset.
We land and drive up into the Rajmahal Hills to see the impressive Moti Jharna waterfall, plunging 50m from an unspoilt glen to a pool which is only a little diminished by the concrete menagerie of Indian wildlife assembled around it. We also visit a village of the Santal people, a tribal community who have long survived in these remote hills, before returning to the ship to cruise down towards the Farakka Barrage again
Transfer to Farakka station for a 4 hour (approx.) train journey to Kolkata. Our representatives will meet you on arrival and transfer you to a city hotel.
ABN Rajmahal
ABN Rajmahal, entered service on the Lower Ganges and the Ganges proper on schedule in mid-February 2014. Built in Kolkata, she is 50m long and powered by 3 engines; her extra-shallow draught and a lower profile than conventional designs allow her to cruise further upstream than any of her competitors.
ABN Rajmahal has 22 cabins: 14 spacious twin/double cabins on the upper deck; 4 twin/double cabins on the main deck; and 4 single cabins for which we charge no supplement. The décor is stylish and fresh with touches of colonial elegance, brought to life by traditional Indian-inspired designs on hand-blocked cotton fabrics. All cabins on ABN Rajmahal have French balconies.
As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar, dining room and a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa onboard offers a wide range of treatments. All cabins and public rooms on our ships are air-conditioned.
Food on board is a mixture of Assamese (milder than most Indian cuisine) and Continental cuisines. Wines, beer and spirits are available.
Onboard features
- Spacious cabins with individual climate control
- En suite shower/WC with Biotique toiletries
- Generous cupboard space and under-bed storage
- Hair drier in each cabin
- Minibar in each cabin
- In-room electronic safe
- Tea/coffee making facilities in cabins
- Intercommunication telephone in cabins
- High quality bathrobes and slippers in cabins
- Large sliding glass windows offering panoramic views of the river
- Vast sundeck both open and shaded, with sunloungers or steamer chairs
- Spacious air-conditioned saloon with library and recorded entertainment
- Spa with choice of treatments.
Services
- Shore excursion programme including all admissions
- Maximum 20 guests per guide on all excursions
- Naturalist onboard the vessel
- Cold towel service after excursions
- Welcome drink after excursions
- Shoe-cleaning after excursions
- Turndown service in all cabins
- Expertly trained culinary staff
- Single seating for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Acclaimed combination of Indian & Western cuisines
- Wide choice of wines, spirits and beer
- Complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water throughout
- Welcome reception
- Farewell reception
- Local on-board dance & song performances.
Ship details
- Vessel Type: River Boat
- Length: 50 meters
- Passenger Capacity: 40
Includes
- All accommodation
- All excursions and entry fees
- All transfers as mentioned in the itinerary
- Full board
- Service of an English-speaking guide and naturalist onboard and during excursions