Day
1 (Sunday): GUWAHATI/ KAMAKHYA TEMPLE/
MV MAHABAAHU/ PEACOCK ISLAND/ SAIL
Arrive at Guwahati International Airport and with packed lunch we drive
to the Kamakhya Temple. This Temple is
devoted to the eternal Feminine- the goddess of desire whose name is Kama Khya,
granter of desires.
After the Temple visit, we drive towards Pandu Port where an Assamese
welcome aboard the MV Mahabaahu awaits us. After the essential safety briefing
and a short presentation on the Peacock Island that is famous for its highly
endangered Golden Langur, we check into our cabins.
All gather on the open deck to enjoy the first sail and scan the river
for a fleeting sight of the Gangetic Dolphins. We visit the Peacock Island and
return to MV Mahabaahu where we enjoy a talk on 'Kamakhya and the Occult in
Assam'
An evening in the Soma Lounge followed by the ‘Kamrup Swaagat Bhoj’—a sit
down welcome dinner completes the day.
Day
2 (Monday): A VILLAGE VISIT/ FULL DAY SAIL
MV Mahabaahu lifts anchor early. We enjoy Yoga on the deck for an hour
and move on to breakfast, while MV Mahabaahu heads on through the hills towards
an island that is occupied predominantly by a Bangla speaking Muslim community
who are involved in extensive farming.
After breakfast we enjoy a talk on 'Assam, its geographical location in
the national and international context and how it is acclaiming recognition'
After the visit to this village we return to the ship for lunch and sail
towards Orang Point.
We enjoy A talk on 'The River Brahmaputra and the tribal life’ over a cup
of tea and some snacks.
We anchor at a deserted island for the evening and enjoy sitting around a
bonfire to indulge in barbequed snacks.
Day
3 (Tuesday): SAIL TO SILGHAT/ VISIT TEA ESTATE AND/OR JUTE MILL
MV Mahabaahu sails early and we enjoy Yoga on the deck and move on for
breakfast and for a talk on 'Wild life in Kaziranga and wild life in India'
We sail on for the next couple of hours and enjoy a relaxed lunch and
reach Silghat. After a talk on ‘Tea and
Jute in Assam’, we take a short drive to Kaliabore Tea Estate which is a vast
expanse of undulating estate with tea bushes, watching the tribal women pick
tea leaves. We proceed to the tea factory to see the process of finally
producing Assam Tea and coming to terms with ‘all that goes into preparing a
cup-of-tea. (The tea factory is not operational from mid- December to mid
-February as the tea is at its dormant stage during this time of the year)
We return to where the ship is anchored.
Close by a co-operative Jute Mill is an interesting place to understand
how the Jute fibre takes the form of very eco-friendly gunny bags.
By sunset, we enjoy a cultural evening on the ship. We have an early
dinner and retire for the evening.
DAY
4 (Wednesday): KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK/ WEAVER’S VILLAGE AT BISHWANATH
GHAT
We rise very early today and after a warm cup of tea and some snacks,
drive out towards the Kaziranga National Park .
The most prized inhabitant of Kaziranga is the Greater One-Horned Indian
Rhinoceros, but the Park is home to as many as 180 different mammals including
wild elephants, tiger, deer, Asiatic wild buffalo and a rich variety of birds.
We reach the Kohora Mihimukh range of the National Park and are ready to
start our morning adventure; once-in-a-lifetime elephant-backed safari where we
search for the elusive rhinoceros, tigers, swamp deer and hog deer and more and
a large number of very interesting birds.
The park never ceases to surprise us.
After breakfast at a resort in Kaziranga, we drive on to Bagori, the
Western Range of Kaziranga and get into the open jeeps for some more wild life
adventure and an extensive coverage of this magnificent park.
We return to MV Mahabaahu for a leisurely lunch and a relaxed afternoon.
After the leisurely pace of the day and having recovered the lost sleep,
we once again get together for A talk on ‘Silk in Assam’. We get into the tenders to reach the shores
of Bishwanath Ghat. We visit
the Shiva Dol in reverence of Lord Shiva and there is no way that we
can avoid the women with their weaves.
We enjoy a walk through the village and see how this suburban village
thrives.
We return to the ship to enjoy an evening on a deserted island and then
proceed to a scrumptious dinner.
DAY
5 (Thursday): DHANSIRI BOAT SAFARI
This morning MV Mahabaahu sails early towards the Eastern Range of
Kaziranga for boat Safari. We enjoy
breakfast and a talk on ‘The River Brahmaputra and the life that exists
alongside’.
We proceed for the safari in our tenders for about two hours. The shores are high but one can see roof
turtles on protruding drift wood, water lizards, otters, elephants, wild
buffaloes, rhinos, darters, herons, pied kingfishers, white throated
kingfishers, serpent eagles and many more.
The sightings are always determined by the weather conditions.
We return for lunch. This evening we enjoy the Chef’s Cooking
Demonstration and sample the snacks followed by a leisurely evening on a
deserted island with bonfire is always unusual.
We enjoy dinner on MV Mahabaahu.
(Bonfire may be avoided if a suitable sandbank cannot be found or if we
experience inclement weather conditions)
DAY
6 (Friday): MISHING VILLAGE VISIT
After Yoga and breakfast we enjoy a talk on ‘Majuli the seat of Neo –Vaishnav
Culture’ and then enjoy the sail towards the Mishing Village
The Mishings live on the bank of river in 'Chang ghars', houses with
raised platform. All Mishing women are
expert weavers. Carrying some cash would
be a good idea.
The indoor life of a Mishing person revolves around the kitchen area
where the family can get together. We buy the ethnic colourful cotton weaves,
vegetables and move on.
We indulge in a Dhoti Tying and Mekhela Chaadar wearing demonstration at
this village.
We return to enjoy A talk on ‘Sibsagar and the Ahom civilization’ and
proceed to prepare for a Traditional Assamese evening.
DAY
7 (Saturday): MAJULI VISIT / SIBSAGAR/ NEAMATI GHAT
After breakfast, we enjoy a talk on 'Majuli' the seat of Vaishnav culture
and proceed in our tenders to the mainland where a drive takes us to a scenic
corner of a Satra for an interesting cultural performance by Satriya singers
and dancers.
Next we drive to Kamlabari Satra to witness the Vaishnavite priests
dancing to the rhythm of cymbals, drums and chanting in the temple
premise. The humble dwellings of the
monks are a revelation of utmost simplicity. We enjoy hot lunch on MV Mahabaahu
as we sail towards Neamati Ghat.
Carry binoculars as the fields alongside the road will showcase purple
swamp hens, adjutant storks, egrets, kingfishers, Indian rollers, bulbuls and
open billed storks.
We drive through the countryside to reach Sibsagar, the ancient city of
the Ahom Kings; a town that literally means 'the ocean of Lord Shiva’. We notice as we drive that the district is
strewn with the tell-tale ruins of a powerful empire of the Ahoms. Sibsagar was the capital of the Tai-speaking
Ahoms who came in the 13th Century AD to the area from the north-east and were
essentially of Tibeto-Burman origin.
The Sibsagar town is built around a huge man made water tank ordered by
the Ahom queen. The Shiva Dol, constructed in the year 1734 is believed to be
the highest Shiva temple in India.
Then we visit Talatal or Kareng Ghar which was the palace of the Ahom
Kings and after a leisurely stroll in and around the monument we go on to Rang
Ghar which was a place for hosting wrestling bouts and buffalo fights and other
entertainment or important meetings of the Royals and their guests.
We return to MV Mahabaahu by sunset and enjoy the farewell dinner.
DAY
8 (Sunday): NEAMATI GHAT/ HOME HOSTED LUNCH /JORHAT/ DEPARTURE
We start the day with Yoga and/or go for a nature walk along the swamps
to catch a sight of owls, aureoles, yellow footed green pigeons, changeable
eagles, adjutant storks, quails, sea gulls hunting with the dolphins and pied
kingfishers, swallows and martins diving to fish.
We have a relaxed breakfast. The luggage is brought out of the cabins
according to the flight schedule. En route the airport we visit a Tea Estate
for a relaxed afternoon where we enjoy a traditional Assamese lunch with the
Tea-estate family to get a peep into the lifestyle of the families that have
been involved in the tea business over a period of a century. Here we sip our beverages and indulge in tea
tasting as we explore the lawns and proceed to enjoy a traditional Assamese
cuisine.
The crew on board organises our transport.
We arrive at the Rowriah Airport in Jorhat a couple of hours before the
flight schedule and bid adieu to the land of Ahoms.
|
TOUR COST (PER PERSON)
|
Superior Cabin
without Balcony
|
Deluxe Cabin with
Balcony
|
|
Per Person Twin
sharing
|
INR 1,78,000/-
|
INR 2,10,000/-
|
INCLUSIONS
·
Accommodation at M.V Mahabaahu on twin sharing basis
on a full board plan.
·
All Entrance fees at the Monuments and National
Parks as per the itinerary.
·
1 Glass of Domestic wine/beer with Farewell and
Welcome dinners.
·
All excursions/lectures/performances and activities
as per the itinerary.
·
Services of English speaking naturalist /
Destination Manager during sightseeing at all the places as per the itinerary.
·
Assistance on all Arrival & Departure transfers
with Representative at the airport and Land transport by Air-Conditioned
vehicles except in Kaziranga and Mujuli Island.
EXCLUSIONS
·
International & Domestic Air fares.
·
Expense of personal nature like laundry,
telephone/fax calls, internet, imported wines & spirits, camera/video
camera fee at monuments/National Park, medical expenses, Salon/massages,
airport departure tax etc.
·
Any Insurance.
·
Any further tax levied by the government of India.
·
Evacuation charges in case of medical emergencies,
insurance is available on request.
·
Expenses caused by factors beyond our control like
rail and airplanes delays, roadblocks, vehicle malfunctions, political
disturbances, taxes, lost luggage, etc.
·
Govt. service tax 5 %
·
Any other services not mentioned in the inclusions.
·
Supplement would be applicable for Christmas and New
Year Ever Dinner.