Bengal to Assam via Bangladesh

You are met Kolkata at airport by 10:00 hrs and transferred to MV Mahabaahu on the River Hoogly to settle in and enjoy lunch. The guide from Kolkata gives a talk on the Writers’ Building (French Renaissance style architecture) and the Victoria Memorial (Indo-Saracenic Style) and we drive to explore these two Buildings. We enjoy a Welcome dinner on board. 

 This morning after early breakfast we drive to the colourful flower market to see how fresh flowers are brought in and sold and then we move onward to Kumartuli to walk through the street where all the idols are made small—big-magnanimous; every inch of the street is worked on by skilled idol makers called kumhar. We visit the Parshvanath Jain Temple and move on to enjoy tea and some Indian snacks at a local restaurant. We spend some time at a local marketplace and drive back to the ship for lunch. We complete the immigration formalities this afternoon and sail out of Kolkata with the tide towards Sajnekhali. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu After Immigration formalities MV Mahabaahu starts sailing down the Howrah Bridge, past Belur Math and the old Danish Colony of Serampore. We take a walk through the cantonment-past the Serampore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and the Flagstaff House. Breakfast, Lunch, Lounge Hour, Sit down dinner. 

 formalities MV Mahabaahu starts sailing down the Howrah Bridge, past Belur Math and the old Danish Colony of Serampore. We take a walk through the cantonment-past the Serampore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and the Flagstaff House. Breakfast, Lunch, Lounge Hour, Sit down dinner. 

 This day starts with a visit to Bandel-the erstwhile Portuguese colony. You will visit Bandel Church, the oldest Christian Church in West Bengal, built around 1660 by the Portuguese and is dedicated to Nossa Senhora di Rozario. Later, board the cruise and sail up to Kalna. We take rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Nava Kailash Temple of Shiva with concentric rings made up of 108 lesser shrines. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari. Breakfast, Lunch, Lounge Hour, Sit down dinner 

We visit the Weavers colony at Phulia/Shantipur, famous Tant, the famous Bengal cotton. Here you can buy fine cotton stoles, saris and dhoti from the Cooperative stores. Visit the brass working village of Matiari, a charming riverside village. Interact with the Kansari artisans 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 were, 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. Later, sail towards Mayapur.T oday, guests will be taken to Mayapur-the headquarters of ISKCON. Breakfast, Lunch, Lounge Hour, sit down dinner 

 We start early and are scheduled for a full day tour of Murshidabad. One of the oldest cities in West Bengal, Murshidabad stands as a testimony to the rich heritage of Nawabs of Bengal. Later, visit Katra mosque and Katgola Gardens. Katgola is the erstwhile palace garden of Raja Dhanpar Singh Dugar and Lakshmipat Singh Dugar. Besides, you willvisit the famous Adinath Temple, builtin 1873, by Harreck Chand. Besides, there is Khushbaag Cemetery, which housesthe remains of Ali VardiKhan and Siraj Ud Daulah. We return to the ship for late lunch and sail back towards Kolkata with the tide. Breakfast, Home-hosted Lunch, Lounge Hour, Sit-down dinner 

 We stop in Kolkata for immigration formalities for 2 hrs  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on board MV Mahabaahu 

We explore the waters of the Indian Sunderbans in a comfortable local ferry with comfortable seating. We enjoy tea/coffee and cookies as we look for wildlife. We return to the ship for a quick breakfast and then enjoy Purulia cultural performance in one of the villages. We also listen to the baul singers—they are the mystic minstrels of Bengal. We visit the Mangrove Interpretation Centre at Sajnekhali. Here we walk to see wildlife. After lunch we go in for another boat safari in Sajnekhali to look in the narrow water inlets for some more wildlife. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu 

  Yoga, Breakfast and a talk on “Bangladesh as a country, its monuments culture and commercial enterprises”. This is a complete day for sailing from Hemnagar to Mongla Port and getting through custom clearance formalities. It is a laid-back relaxing day but with a lot of official activity on board both for custom and immigration clearance. At Hemnagar, the Indian Border Security Force does a check and the customs personnel clear us through to exit the Indian land border and we sail the Indian waters till we reach Angtihara. Here we exit the Indian waters. We reach Shekhbaria for custom clearance on the Bangladesh side. The Bangladesh Border Guards clear the ship and the guests for immigration formalities. We use this day to pamper ourselves in the SPA or enjoy a dip in the pool. This evening we learn the art of wearing an Indian Sari  Breakfast, lunch and dinner on MV Mahabaahu 

An early morning boat safari towards the Harbaria Forest Station. We return for a quick breakfast and enjoy a three-hour morning forest walk at the Harbaria Forest Station to study the mangrove fauna and flora .We continue in our tenders to the Karamjal Eco Tourism Centre and then onwards to the Karamjal Crocodile Farm. We embark the ship for lunch as it sails to Daingmari Dolphin Sanctuary. After lunch we take our tenders to sail in the Daingmari waters for not just dolphins but also to watch the techniques of otter fishing undertaken by the fishing community. The ship sails towards Mongla Port and we taka drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bagerhat—A sixty domed mosque and tomb of Khan Jahan, the architect of the mosque.We return to the ship for a cultural performance on the Sundarban communities through ‘Poter Gaan’. The performers also bring some handicrafts to sell to the guests. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu 

 An early morning wake up for an exciting boat safari. This day we sail in our tenders along the shores of Sundarbans, in the canals and creeks near the Kotka forest station for an hour and a half to catch wildlife (spotted dear, monkeys, wild boar, water monitor and birds) as it wakes up among the aerial roots of the mangrove mudflats. We return to MV Mahabaahufor breakfast as the ship sails through the estuary waters and reaches Jamtola Beach in the Bay of Bengal. We walk through the mangrove vegetation wherethe tiger playshide and seek as it leaves behind ‘fresh pugmarks’. For those of us who are water enthusiasts can indulge in taking a dip in the waters of Bay of Bengal (Carryswim wear on this day). We return to the ship for lunch and theship sails towards Chandpai Dolphin Sanctuary. After dinner we enjoy a night safari in the Chandpai water inlets close to the mangrove shores. This is a very exciting and different experience in these water laden animal sanctuaries. Breakfast, lunch and Dinner on board MV Mahabaahu 

We leave the ship at 04:30 hrs with packed breakfast and we drive (29 kms/ 1 hr) to the floating vegetable market. We enjoy the pristine beauty of the countryside and the shopping habitat of the growers—seasonal vegetables and fruits, paddy, rice saplings, timber, furniture and boats selling tea and local breakfast varieties in one of the inlet waterways of a village. This is a unique experience, and one can see that everything that needs to be transported is done on the river. It is a very engrossing site, and one must be quick with cameras as the boats fly by. We snack on the local titbits for breakfast and buy the local vegetables and fruits and are back on the ship by 0900 hrs. At Barisal we walk through the thriving village market for fresh vegetables and local fruits as well as spices. We enjoy assisted shopping. We visit one of the Bangladeshi ferries to see it’s lay out on the inside. This evening our fresh vegetables show up at our table. We spend time in the lounge and enjoy dinner on board. Lunch and Dinner on board —we carry some packed lunch with us too 

We sail out of Barisal and we treat ourselves to Yog on the sundeck and a leisurely breakfast as we cruise into the waters of Padma (Ganga and Jamuna) and Meghna. After breakfast we have an orientation on the visit for the day and the next day). The volume and quantity of water at the confluence is immense and one can see the locals; very skilled fishermen ride the waves in these waters. The fishermen of this area are known for Hilsa fishing. Hilsa is a delicacy of Bangladesh. We arrive at a Hilsa fishing village and engage with the locals for Hilsa, prawns and shrimps. We also enjoy a fresh catch of prawns. This afternoon we enjoy an authentic Bangladeshi style fish curry and rice. This evening we sail into Dhaka and enjoy a walk in the vicinity. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on MV Mahabaahu 

 Breakfast and leave for Sonargaon, a 13th century City of Panam. We visit Goaldi Mosque and walk through the ruins of Panam City to imagine its glory. We visit the Folklore museum and onwards to Nawapara for Jamdhani weaving and to purchase these beautiful saris/fabric and lunch with the Jamdhani entrepreneur to taste home-cooked authentic Bangla food. This day we enter the hustle bustle of Narayanganj. A formal Bangladeshi welcome with folk-artists is in the offing when we board our vessel Breakfast and Dinner on board MV Mahabaahu and a home hosted lunch with a Bengali entrepreneur. Overnight at the Mary Anderson VIP Jetty Terminal, Narayanganj. 

 Bangladesh After breakfast we drive to-wards the Dhamrai Metal Craft village, en-route stop at National Martyr’s Monument to pay respect to the martyrs who laid their lives during the Liberation War in 1971. Then move to the Metal Craft village to meet the Craftsman & his products from lost wax method. We also enjoy a Bengalisari tying demonstration by a local lady and lungi by a local gentleman. We enjoy lunch at a local Restaurant. Post lunch visit KakranP ottery village to see the Potters clinging to their ancestral profession. We drive to MV Mahabaahu, and on the way ,we stop to see the National Parliament Building from outside. We have a relaxed evening in the Lounge. This evening we enjoy a Bangladeshi theme dinner evening. Overnight at Mary Anderson VIP Jetty in Narayanganj 

  After an early breakfast we drive to visit Dhakeshwari Temple and then move on to the National Language Monument. We take a cycle rickshaw ride on the streets of Dhaka to reach the Dhaka University Building. We visit the Lal Bagh Fort and the tomb of Bibi Pari, the daughter of the Mughal General, Shahista Khan and onwards to Ahsan Manzil, also called the Pink Palace. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. We take cycle rickshaws and go on a shopping spree at the Shakhari Bazaar, return to the ship to freshen up. We drive this evening and enjoy a home hosted dinner with a local family. Breakfast on board MV Mahabaahu Lunch at a local restaurant and a home-hosted dinner—Road Travel 

We leave the Jetty at Dhaka and move to Mawa and onwards to ARICHA —Yog and a laid-back relaxing breakfast. A day to enjoy the river-life along the river—the confluence of Jamuna and Ganga—now the river becomes Padma with the two waters—mosques, shipbuilding, commercial enterprises and the Bangabandhu Bridge are on offer. Country boats, sand barrages, tugs, dredgers, fisherman, colourful erries—life on water embraced by the Bangladeshis are intriguing. Enjoy the swimming pool and SPA/massages/steam/sauna/Jacuzzi or a laid-back afternoon. This evening we go for a Riverside-walk on the banks of Padma to see what the local shops cater for. 

Yoga, Breakfast, ‘an orientation on Sirajganj’ and we take our tenders to visit Sirajganj area. We visit Pachalia village for cotton weaving for colourful gamchas, lungis and saris. After a hand at bargaining in the village we drive to Hati Kamrul Navratna Temple. We enjoy a cultural performance of the local artists in Sirajganj. Lunch is at a roadside restaurant to enjoy local cuisine. We return to the ship in our tenders to enjoy a relaxed evening. We sail towards Sirajganj and anchor at Sirajganj. This evening we wear clothes/saris/lungis that we bought in Bangladesh. We get together in the lounge for beverages and enjoy a sit-down dinner in these newly shopped outfits. Breakfast and Dinner on board Lunch at a local restaurant.

Yoga, Breakfast and enjoy sail as the ship sails towards Sirajganj. We enjoy a full day sail from Sirajgunj to Bahadurabad. This morning and afternoon we pamper ourselves at the Health Facilities for SPA/Steam/Sauna/Jacuzzi/Massages. This evening we learn a few steps of Bollywood dancing. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu Day 

We have Yoga on the Sundeck and a relaxed breakfast as the ship sailsaway from the Bangladeshland border at Chilmari. The Border Security Gaurds of Bangladesh at Shahber Agla conduct the Custom and Immigration Clearance formalities and we sail towards Shishumara where the Indian Border Security Forces do the Customs formalities. We sail to Dhubri for Immigration formalities by evening. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu—Assamese theme evening 

  Yoga, Breakfast and we attend the prayer ceremony (Ardas) at Dam-dama Sahib Gurudwara. The Gurudwara is a Sikh temple; serves lunch to all. We will experience the concept of langar (community eating) here. The concept of eating together was started by Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. (Entering a Gurudwara has the tradition of covering one’s head). At Asharekandi we try our hand at clay pottery with Communities of Hiras and Kumhars who use the Hiramati soil to shape pots and idols. We see the art of terracotta of this region of Assam. We sail towards Goalpara. This evening we have a talk on“Wildlife in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kaziranga and Manas National Parks and in India”.We spend some time in the Lounge and enjoy an early dinner. Breakfast and Dinner on MV Mahabaahu 

 An early morning drive of approximately two and a half hours takes us to Manas National Park with a packed breakfast. On arrival, begin with an elephant safari, offering a calm and close experience of the park’s natural beauty, followed by an exciting jeep safari through its diverse landscapes and wildlife habitats. After the safaris, enjoy lunch at a nearby resort set amidst nature. We then return after a fulfilling day in the wilderness. The evening is kept at leisure, allowing you to unwind and enjoy a relaxed dinner onboard. Packed Breakfast, Lunch at a resort and Dinner onboard Day 23 Fri Visit to Sualkuchi - The Silk Heritage of Assam Yog and a relaxed breakfast and “a talk on the River Brahmaputra and Assam’ and a day to indulge in beauty therapies as MV Mahabaahu sails from Goalpara to Sualkuchi. Post Lunch visit Sualkuchi—the silk hub of Assam to understand the detailed Muga, Eri and Paat silk production. Muga is the cherished golden silk of Assam, Paat the white wonder and eri a warm non-violent silk. The Bodo tribals welcome us to the arena of silk with their cultural performances. We observe the Mekhela Chaadar draping for women and for Dhoti tying for gentlemen. We walk through Sualkuchi village and indulge in a shopping spree in the local shops and return to the ship for a deserted island evening and dinner on board. 

We sail towards Guwahati as the MV Mahabaahu makes its final approach to Pandu Port. After completing the deboarding formalities, we enjoy a relaxed breakfast onboard before disembarking. We then proceed to visit the sacred Kamakhya Temple, where devotees gather to offer prayers to Kamakhya Devi, revered as the Goddess of Desire. Following this spiritual visit, a comfortable 45-minute drive takes us to the airport for our onward journey, carrying with us cherished memories of the cruise.