Assam Cruise: Dispatch 5 - Downstream
The cruises feature visits and attractions such as wildlife viewing (both by jeep and on elephant back), village walks, visits to tea gardens, exploring country towns in cycle rickshaws, barbecues on deserted river islands, dance performances, and visits to craft workshops in the state of Assam (North - East India). ...
Read Full Description- Destination:
- Guwahati, India; Kolkata, India
- Trip Length:
- 6 days
- Price Range:
- From $0 to $2000 per person See what this includes and what this excludes
- Best Time to Go:
- January, February, March, April, October, November, December
- Recommended for:
-
15 - 17, 18 - 20, 25 - 30, 31 - 35, 36 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 55
Family Trip, Group Retreat, Trip Around the World
Detailed Trip Description
The cruises feature visits and attractions such as wildlife viewing (both by jeep and on elephant back), village walks, visits to tea gardens, exploring country towns in cycle rickshaws, barbecues on deserted river islands, dance performances, and visits to craft workshops in the state of Assam (North - East India). This 4-night cruise starts in Guwahati and ends in Dhubri, which is around a 4 hour drive from the Bhutan frontier or 5 ½ hour drive from Bagdogra/Siliguri. It is ideal for combining a short cruise with Darjeeling, Sikkim, or Bhutan. Highlights on the trip include the Manas National Park and the archaeological site of Sri Surya Prahar.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - Kolkata
Hotel
Arrive at Kolkata (Calcutta) international airport and you will meet our representative at the airport and you will be transferred to the hotel to check-in.
Day 2 - Guwahati
Commercial Flight
Arrive Guwahati airport.
Bus
Get driven across the great bridge over the Brahmaputra and on to the silk weaving village of Sualkuchi, where RV "Charaidew" will be moored.
Sightseeing
You will explore the area by foot, visit weaving workshops to see the whole process of silk manufacturing, from the early stages of cocoons, to spinning, to dyeing, and finally to handweaving into exquisite saris and dress lengths.
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
Emabrk the ship RV "Charaidew".
Day 3 - At Sea
National Parks
This morning we will cruise down to Tarabari Ghat, where we will land and drive for 2 hours to Manas National Park, on the border with Bhutan, where we will check-in to the simple Bansbari Lodge. This Project Tiger reserve is now recovering from earlier unrest - the tiger count is now estimated at over 80, and the wild elephant population is over 500. We will take a short boat ride on the Manas River, and will hope to see wild buffalo, wild elephant, several different species of deer and monkeys, as well as otters, and some of the park's 380 different species of birds.
Day 4 - At Sea
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
An early morning elephant ride probably offers our best, though still slim, chance of seeing a tiger, or even perhaps a leopard, or other rare species. Bird highlights could include the Bengal Florican or the Great Hornbill. We will set off mid-morning to drive for about 2 ½ hours to rejoin "Charaidew" below the great bridge at Jogighopa.
Sightseeing
Later we travel out by road to see the peaceful archaeological site of Sri Surya Prahar. Here we will see boulders which have been carved into stupas, lingams and bas-reliefs by early Buddhists, Hindus and Jains.
Day 5 - At Sea
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
This is a day spent on the river, with a chance to enjoy the rich bird life and look out for the Gangetic Dolphin.
Sightseeing
If we make good progress, we will pause at an isolated village, which we shall explore on foot (or if we are lucky, we might hitch a ride on a bullock cart), and see a side of India that the average tourist never gets to see.
Day 6 - At Sea
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
During breakfast, we will cruise down to the river port of Dhubri.
Sightseeing
Here we have time to take a short ride on gaily painted cycle rickshaws past the great Sikh temple to admire the town's surviving statue of Queen Victoria. Disembark mid-AM.
Airport Transfer
Dhubri is a 1 ½ hour drive from Cooch Behar, then we will have to drive for 4 hours from the Bhutan border at Phuntsoling, and then 5 ½ hours drive from Siliguri/Bagdogra to board the flight in Kolkata to connect international flights with a room for a short stay at the airport hotel.
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Transfers & sightseeing as per itinerary. Meals as mentioned in the itinerary. Itinerary dependent on river conditions. Elephant rides subject to availability.
Budget Excludes:
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