Start with a two leg cruise on Pandaw ships on Ganges and Brahmaputra then go on to Tigers
Ganges & Bramhaputra - Pandaw Oct 9 to Oct 30
For the first time Pandaw guests will be able to explore the diverse and beautiful Ganges River between Varanasi and Farakka . Sailing through the state of Bihar, this splendid journey takes travellers along one of the prettiest sections of the Ganges where Gangeatic dolphins and a host of birdlife and wildlife roam. Explore the many villages, pilgrimage sites and handicraft havens along the banks of the Upper Ganges as you sail gently aboard Pandaw's specially crafted river vessels. With train tickets included between Kolkata and Farakka and Patna and Varanasi, said to be one of the oldest inhabited cities on the planet, there is no better way to explore the wonders of India than with Pandaw. Please Note: This itinerary passes through the state of Bihar. In this state it is illegal to serve any drinks containing alcohol. For this reason we will not be able to serve alcohol onboard the ship.
Lots of photos of Ganges from Pandaw
Lots of photos from Ganges Ship
Lots of photos of the Bramhaputra from Pandaw
Lots of photos of Bramhaputra Ship
DAY 1 VARANASI TO PATNA Depart Varanasi in the morning and head to the train station for your journey to Patna where we meet your Pandaw vessel. Relax onboard and meet your crew and fellow passengers.
DAY 2 BARH Morning city tour of Patna including a visit to The Golghar, a large stupa styled granary built in 1786. Sail downstream during lunch before arriving to Barh, a town famous for Hindu ritual cremation at Urmanath and the Alakhnath Temple.
DAY 3 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 4 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 5 SULTANGANJ Continue to Jahanigra Island, a place of pilgrimage with many rock carvings in high relief dating from the eighth century depicting aspects of Siva and Vishnu. In the evening moor off Sultanganj, with its pair of great granite rocks, one crowned with a mosque and the other a small temple dating from the 16th century. In the afternoon land at Bhaglapur, a centre of silk production, and visit the 18th century mansion of the Collector, Augustus Cleveland.
DAY 6 BATESHWARSTAN Passing the confluence of the Kosi river that flows down from Nepal, moor at the pretty town of Bateshwarsthan to uncover the 8th century Buddhist site of Vikramshila, one of the two most important centres of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda.
DAY 7 FARAKKA Continue sailing along the Ganges before stopping at Rajmahal, a quaint town on the banks of the Ganges for an afternoon walk.
DAY 8 FARAKKA BARRAGE Depart Rajmahal and sail down to cross the Farakka barrage, entering the Hooghly River. In the afternoon take a gentle walk through a local village.
DAY 9 MURSHIDABAD After breakfast, take a 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 our voyage downstream. In the afternoon we enjoy a city tour of Murshidabad, visiting 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.
DAY 10 KUSHBAGH 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. Continue sailing downstream in the afternoon with onboard activities and wildlife watching on the sun deck.
DAY 11 MATIARI In the morning we 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. After lunch we continue downstream to 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.
DAY 12 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 13 KALNA After breakfast visit the country town of Kalna. 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.
DAY 14 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. In the afternoon we sail toward Barrackpore and take a walk through the cantonment - past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your crew as we moor in Kolkata for the night.
DAY 15 KOLKATA - GUWAHATI Disembark the ship at 08:00 and transfer to the airport for your flight to Guwahati. On arrival transfer to ship and meet your crew for the next 7-nights and set sail upstream onto the Mighty Brahmaputra River.
DAY 16 SUTARGAON RIVER VILLAGE Today we stop at a local village consisting of migrant populations that have settled and been provided with official status by the government. Their charming village is the perfect place to learn about life along such a dramatically changeable river.
DAY 17 SILGHAT AND SAFARI Setting sail early morning we reach Silghat, at the doorstep of Kaziranga National Park. We make our first venture into this park in the afternoon in search of the reserve’s most famous inhabitant, the Royal Bengal Tigers for which the park boasts the highest density of any place in the world. Tiger spotting is extremely rare but chances to see Kaziranga’s other famous inhabitants are abundant.
DAY 18 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK We leave the ship in the early morning for our second Jeep safari into Kaziranga National Park. Mornings are the perfect time to spot the Indian One-Horned Rhinos, Buffalos, Elephants plus a host of birdlife, including hornbills and kingfishers. Following your safari, we visit a typical Assamese tea garden and learn about the process from bush to cup. After lunch onboard we sail downstream toward Tezpur and if time permits, visit Bamuni Hills, a 9th century temple complex that lies in ruins overlooking the town.
DAY 19 NAMERI NATIONAL PARK After an early breakfast we head ashore and drive north toward the state of Arunachal Pradesh to explore our second national Park – Nameri National Park. Here we take a float trip down the Jia – Bhoreli River of around 2 hours and enjoy the abundant birdlife and breathtaking scenery backdropped by the Blue Hills in the Eastern Himalayan range. We return for lunch onboard and set sail downstream.
DAY 20 MYSTICAL MAYANG Stepping ashore in Mayang, a sizeable village along the shores of the Brahmaputra, we learn about the history of magic and sorcery that was prevalent in the region. We visit the fascinating Mayang museum which explains how various mantras were used for anything from curing ailments to identifying a thief. We are then welcomed into the home of a local Mayang resident for a discussion and perhaps demonstration of some tricks.
DAY 21 SUALKUCHI SILK WEAVING VILLAGE Sualkuchi is a major centre for weaving in Assam. Here we learn about the entire silk making production from the cocoon, to spinning and weaving to make the typical saree worn by local women. There is a chance to buy some local silken souvenirs and experience a traditional folk dance before we return to the ship by electric rickshaw.
DAY 22 GUWAHATI Disembark after breakfast and transfer to your hotel or Guwahati airport (15km / 30 min). Transfers can be arranged as per your flight details with the latest departure from the ship at 10am.