Bengal, Bangladesh & Assam

Arrive in Kolkata at 08.15 hrs. Transfer to board the MV Mahabaahu, where 18 nights are spent on a fullboard basis. Lunch on board. Afternoon at leisure. Welcome drinks and dinner on board.

Leave on a walking tour of the heart of British Kolkata, Dalhousie Square taking in the classical Post Office, site of the notorious Black Hole, past the Writers’ Building built in 1780 and resurfaced in 1880 and St. Andrew’s Kirk. Move on to view the exterior of Government House, seat of the Viceroys, a building based on Kedleston Hall, and past the old Town Hall. Visit St. John’s Church modelled on St. Martin’s in the Fields and designed by James Agg stuffed with fascinating tombs both within and without. Continue to the famous white marble Victoria Memorial, designed by Sir William Emerson in 1921. It has an excellent display on the history of the city and a gallery of pictures by British artists, such as Zoffany, who came to India. Explore Kumartuli, a potters quarter in North Kolkata famous for sculpting Indian Gods and Goddesses out of clay for different festivals in West Bengal throughout the year.

Return to the boat for lunch on board. Start sailing towards Sajnekali. Dinner on board.

Explore the waters of the Indian Sunderbans in a comfortable local ferry and enjoy tea/coffee and cookies as you look for wildlife. Return to the ship for a quick breakfast and then enjoy Purulia cultural performance in one of the villages and listen to the baul singers—they are the mystic minstrels of Bengal. Enjoy a walk around the Mangrove Interpretation Centre at Sajnekhali to look for wildlife.

Return to the boat for lunch on board. Afternoon boat safari in Sajnekhali to look in the narrow water inlets for some more wildlife. Dinner on board.

Optional morning yoga on deck. Enjoy a talk on “Bangladesh as a country, its monuments culture and commercial enterprises”. Full day at leisure to relax on board as the boat sails from Hemnagar to Mongla Port and getting through custom clearance formalities. It is a laid-back day but with a lot of official activity on board both for custom and immigration clearance.

Lunch on board. At Hemnagar, the Indian Border Security Force does a check and clear you to exit the Indian land border. Sail the Indian waters till you reach Angtihara where you exit the Indian waters as you reach Shekhbaria for custom clearance on the Bangladesh side. This evening, learn the art of wearing an Indian Sari. Dinner on board.

Depart for an early morning boat safari towards the Harbaria Forest Station. Return to the boat for a quick breakfast. Enjoy a morning forest walk at the Harbaria Forest Station to study the mangrove fauna and flora. Continue by boat to the Karamjal Eco Tourism Centre and then onwards to the Karamjal Crocodile Farm. Return to the boat for lunch on board as you sail to the Daingmari Dolphin Sanctuary. Take the tenders to sail in the Daingmari waters for not just dolphins but also to watch the techniques of otter fishing undertaken by the local fishing community. The ship sails towards Mongla Port. Drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bagerhat—A sixty domed mosque and tomb of Khan Jahan, the architect of the mosque. Return to the ship for a cultural performance on the Sundarban. communities through ‘Poter Gaan’. Dinner on board.

An early morning wake-up for an exciting boat safari. Today, sail in the 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 monitors and birds) as it wakes up among the aerial roots of the mangrove mudflats. Return to the boat for breakfast as the ship sails through the estuary waters and reaches Jamtola Beach in the Bay of Bengal. Walk through the mangrove vegetation where the tiger plays hide and seek as it leaves behind ‘fresh pugmarks’. For those who are water enthusiasts can indulge in taking a dip in the waters of Bay of Bengal.

Return to the boat for lunch and sail towards the Chandpai Dolphin Sanctuary.

After dinner on board, 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.

Early morning departure with packed breakfast to the floating vegetable market. Enjoy the pristine beauty of the countryside andthe 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 sight 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 before returning to the boat.

Lunch on board. At Barisal, walk through the thriving village market for fresh vegetables and local fruits as well as spices. Visit one of the Bangladeshi ferries to see it’s layout on the inside. Dinner on board.

Optional morning yoga on the sundeck. Sail out of Barisal and cruise into the waters of Padma (Ganga and Jamuna) and Meghna. 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 which is a delicacy of Bangladesh. Arrive at a Hilsa fishing village and engage with the locals for Hilsa, prawns and shrimps.

Return to the boat for an authentic Bangladeshi style fish curry with a fresh catch of prawns. Afternoon at leisure. This evening, sail into Dhaka and enjoy an evening walking tour. Dinner on board.

Early departure for Sonargaon, a 13th-century City of Panam. Visit the Goaldi Mosque and walk through the ruins of Panam City to imagine its former glory. Visit the Folklore museum. Continue to Nawapara to see Jamdhani weaving and purchase beautiful saris and fabric.

Lunch at the home of a local Jamdhani entrepreneur to taste home-cooked authentic Bangla food.This afternoon, enter the hustle and bustle of Narayanganj. Experience a formal Bangladeshi welcome with folkartists when you return to the ship for dinner on board.

Drive towards the Dhamrai Metal Craft village to meet local craftsmen and learn about the lost wax method. Stop on route at the 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. Enjoy a Bengali sari tying demonstration by a local lady and lungi by a local gentleman.

Lunch at a local Restaurant. Visit Kakran Pottery village to see the traditional potters clinging to their ancestral profession. Return to the boat stopping on the way to see the National Parliament Building from the outside. Traditional Bangladeshi themed dinner on board.

Early morning visit to the Dhakeshwari Temple and the National Language Monument. Enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride on the streets of Dhaka to reach the Dhaka University Building. See the Lal Bagh Fort and the tomb of Bibi Pari, the daughter of the Mughal General, Shahista Khan. Continue to Ahsan Manzil, also called the Pink Palace.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Take cycle rickshaws to the bustling Shakhari Bazaar. Return to the boat to freshen up before a hosted dinner with a local family.

Optional morning yoga on the sundeck. Sail from Dhaka to Mawa and onwards to Aricha. Day at leisure on board to observe life along the river at the confluence of Jamuna and Ganga where the river becomes the Padma. Observe local mosques, shipbuilding, commercial enterprises and the Bangabandhu Bridge. Country boats, sand barrages, tugs, dredgers, fisherman, colourful ferries—life on the water embraced by the Bangladeshis is intriguing to watch.

Lunch on board. Afternoon at leisure. This evening, go for a sunset walk on the banks of Padma. Dinner on board.

Morning orientation talk on Sirajganj. Board the tenders to visit the Sirajganj area. We visit Pachalia village for cotton weaving for colourful gamchas, lungis and saris. Drive to the Hati Kamrul Navratna Temple. Enjoy a cultural performance of the local artists in Sirajganj.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Return to the boat as it anchors at Sirajganj. This evening, wear saris and lungis bought in Bangladesh. Dinner on board.

Optional morning yoga on the sundeck. Full day at leisure on board as the boat sails from Sirajganj to Bahadurabad.

Lunch on board. Early evening, learn a few steps of Bollywood dancing. Dinner on board.

Sail away from the Bangladesh land border at Chilmari. The border security guards of Bangladesh at Shahber Agla conduct the Custom and Immigration Clearance formalities.

Lunch on board. Sail towards Shishumara where the Indian Border Security Forces do the Customs formalities. Sail to Dhubri by the evening for an Assamese themed dinner on board.

This morning, attend the prayer ceremony (Ardas) at the Sikh temple at Dam-dama Sahib Gurudwara.

Lunch at the temple which serves lunch to all. Experience the concept of langar (community eating) here. The concept of eating together was started by Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. Visit Asharekandi to try clay pottery with the Hiras and Kumhars communities who use the Hiramati soil to shape pots and idols. See the art of terracotta of this region of Assam. 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’. Dinner on board.

Early departure to Manas National Park with a packed breakfast for an elephant safari.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Afternoon jeep safari in Manas National Park. Return to the boat for dinner on board.

Enjoy a talk on the ‘River Brahmaputra and Assam’. Morning at leisure as the boat sails from Goalpara to Sualkuchi.

Lunch on board. Afternoon visit to 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 tribes welcome you to the arena of silk with their cultural performances. Observe the Mekhela Chaadar draping for women and for Dhoti tying for gentlemen. Walk through the market of the Sualkuchi village before returning to the boat. Enjoy a special farewell dinner on a deserted island.

Sail towards Guwahati to dock at Pandu Port. Disembark the boat and leave for the Kamakhya Temple and observe the devotees offering prayers to Kamakhya Devi, the Goddess of Desire. Transfer to Guwahati Airport for a domestic flight to Kolkata.

Lunch under own arrangements. On arrival in Kolkata, transfer to the Taj City Centre Hotel, a 5-star hotel a short drive from the airport, where one night is spent. Dinner under own arrangements.

Transfer to Kolkata Airport for suggested flight (not included) Emirates flight via Dubai departing Kolkata at 09.45 hrs arriving London Heathrow at 20.15 hrs.