Assam Cruise: Dispatch 3 - Upstream
Tags:
Cruise; Sightseeing; National Park; Tezpur; Steemer Ghat; Vishnath; Dhansiri Mukh; Kaziranga; Majuli Island; Sibsagar; Dibrugarh;
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:
- Kolkata, India; Tezpur, India
- Trip Length:
- 9 days
- Price Range:
- From $2000 to $3000 per person See what this includes and what this excludes
- Best Time to Go:
- January, February, March, April, October, November, December
- Recommended for:
-
Infants (under 2)
Children (2 - 5)
Children (6 - 8)
Children (9 - 11)
Children (12 - 14)
Children (15 - 17)
Adults (18 - 20)
Adults (25 - 29)
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 7-night cruise starts in Silghat, accessed from either Tezpur or Guwahati airports, and ends in Neamati, accessed from either Jorhat or Dibrugarh airports. It is identical to the current Upper Assam cruise. Highlights are Kaziranga National Park, the Hindu monasteries on Majuli Island, famed for their dance drama, and Sibsagar, the old capital of the Ahom kings, with palaces and temples. (previously featured as the Upper Assam Cruise)
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - Kolkata
Hotel
Arrive at Kolkata (Calcutta) international airport and you wil meet our representative at the airport, who will assist in checking you into your hotel.
Day 2 - Tezpur
Commercial Flight
Morning departure from Kolkata domestic airport to board flight for Tezpur. Mid-day arrival at Tezpur airport and transfer 30 minutess to Steemer Ghat, a lovely beach below jungle-covered hills. Alternatively, you will arrive Guwahati airport and you will have to drive 4 hours to Steemer Ghat.
River or Barge Cruise
Cruise upstream until dusk, with Kaziranga National Park on the right bank, where wild elephants can sometimes be spotted.
Day 3 - At Sea
River or Barge Cruise
The morning is spent cruising.
Sightseeing
Around midday we reach Vishnath, with an Ahom-period Shiva temple. There are other later temples too, and we can walk through the town before reboarding and setting off again.
Day 4 - At Sea
River or Barge Cruise
The day is spent on the river, and we have a good chance of spotting Gangetic dolphins, as well as creating a sensation in bankside villages as we pass. We should arrive in the evening at Dhansiri Mukh.
Day 5 - At Sea
Safari
This morning, we will land and take a jeep safari in Kaziranga's lrarely-visited Eastern Range, with beautiful woodlands as well as grasslands, where you may spot the rare Bengal Florican.
River or Barge Cruise
Returning to the boat, we continue our cruise upstream.
Day 6 - At Sea
River or Barge Cruise
Another day spent cruising upstream.
Sightseeing
We shall take time to pause and walk through a village, getting an insight into the life of Indian villagers.
Day 7 - At Sea
Sightseeing
Around breakfast time we should reach Majuli Island, supposedly the world's largest river island, and possessing unique Hindu monasteries famed for their dance-drama performances- the whole island is now shortlisted for future UNESCO World Heritage status.
Sightseeing
We will visit a monastery at Kamalbari and the nearby tribal museum at Auniati.
River or Barge Cruise
We will reboard the ship and cruise across to Neamati Ghat on the opposite bank.
Day 8 - At Sea
Sightseeing
We will drive for about an hour to Sibsagar, the one-time capital of the Kings of Assam. Shan by origin (Assam and Siam share the same derivation) but converted to Hinduism; they ruled Assam for some 700 years until the 1820s, and their culture and architecture is a strange and delightful amalgam of Indian and S.E. Asian. We shall see temples with stupa-like profiles, and palaces of distinctive form - note the crocodiles and rather sexy caryatids that adorn the roof of the Rang Mahal. For the record book, the temple tank here is believed to be the world's largest hand-excavated reservoir.
Sightseeing
Later we visit the Tocklai Tea Research Station to learn something about the different processes of growing, picking and processing tea.
River or Barge Cruise
We will return to the boat and spend our last night on board.
Day 9 - Kolkata
AM drive for 2 ½ hrs to Dibrugarh airport, passing through this typical colonial town and major base for American flights over "The Hump" to China in WWII. Alternatively, you will be transferred to Jorhat airport and fly to Kolkata to connect your international flight with a room for short stay at the airport hotel.
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