Cruise on River Ganga with Soothing Stays in Calcutta

Day 1 : EUROPE – CALCUTTA (Kolkata) 26/11/2022

Flight from Europe to India

 

Day 2 : CALCUTTA (Kolkata) 27/11/2022

Welcome and assistance at Kolkata airport. Move to hotel.
Afternoon city tour: the historical, cultural and leisure space of the city of Kolkata, Dalhousie square, former British colonial administrative centre: Writers Building, High Court, St John’s Church (1787). Overnight stay at the hotel in Calcutta.

 

Day 3 : CALCUTTA (Kolkata) – FARAKKA (by train) 28/11/2022

In the morning, visit the Pareshnath Jain temple (1867), stroll in the bookstore district or in the New Market (1874). In the afternoon, departure by train to Farakka, then short transfer by road to the ship. Overnight on board.

 

Day 4 : FARAKKA / JANGIPUR / BARANAGAR 29/11/2022

Morning cruise along a straight canal to Jangipur, with afternoon free to explore this small country town on foot. Then down the Lower Ganges, a charming waterway that winds and turns between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Mooring in Baranagar for the night on the boat.

 

Day 5 : BARANAGAR / KATGOLA 30/11/2022

In the morning, visit the charming sleepy village of Baranagar, with its three magnificent miniature terracotta temples, reached through the fields: rural India at its most idyllic. Continue through Azimganj with its beautiful riverside mansions to Murshidabad where the grand Hazarduari palace of the Nawab dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace houses a vast collection of paintings, porcelain, weapons and other objects. Afterwards, visit the great mosque of Katra and the classical Georgian style Katgola Palace which represents the other side of the “White Mughal” period, a mixture of English and Indian cultures. Overnight on the riverbank opposite the city.

 

Day 6 : KATGOLA / KATWA 01/12/2022

Continue sailing downstream for a short distance and then walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden which contains the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal and his family. Return to the boat and continue downstream through the former British cantonment of Berhampur to a rural mooring near the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah to change the course of Indian history. Access to the memorial obelisk. Continue the cruise to a mooring near Katwa, a market town with narrow, bustling bazaars. Overnight on board.

 

Day 7 : KATWA / MATIARI / MAYAPUR 02/12/2022

Visit to the village of Matiari, and its workshops for making water pots and other brass vessels. Continue through the countryside to Mayapur to visit the new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline and welcomes over a million devotees from all over the world each year to sing and dance. Overnight on board.

 

Day 8 : MAYAPUR / KALNA / CHINSURA / CHANDERNAGORE 03/12/2022

Continue to the town of Kalna. Visit by cycle rickshaw to see a group of terracotta temples among the most attractive in Bengal, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings of 108 shrines. Continue sailing leaving the countryside behind and arrive on the outskirts of Kolkata. Disembark at Hooghly to visit the imposing Imambara, an opportunity to step back in time and relive a slice of Bengal’s Islamic history. Continue downstream to the seaside and the former Dutch colony of Chinsura to moor at Chandernagore. Overnight stay on board.

 

Day 9 : CHANDERNAGORE / BARRACKPORE / KOLKATA 04/12/2022

At Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, visit the 18th century church and the house of Dupleix, the former Governor General of French India, before continuing down to Barrackpore. Disembark and walk through the cantonment, passing the Semaphore Tower, Government House, Temple of Fame (cenotaph) and Flagstaff House, to gain an understanding of India’s journey to independence. Depending on the tide, passage under the Howrah Bridge to reach the centre of Kolkata. Overnight on board.

 

Day 10 : CALCUTTA (Kolkata) 05/12/2022

Disembarkation and move to the centre of Kolkata. Visit the Victoria Memorial (1921) erected in honour of the Empress of India with its museum housing a vast collection. Visit the Marble Palace (1835), an incredible 19th century palace (1835) filled with valuable European art. The collection of classical statues, paintings, porcelain and even the menagerie at the back of the park are all amazing. Then visit the house and cultural centre of Tagore, the illustrious Indian composer, writer, playwright, painter and philosopher of the early XXᵉ century. Overnight at the hotel in Calcutta.

 

Day 11 : CALCUTTA (Kolkata) 06/12/2022

Early morning stroll through the flower market and view the famous Howrah Bridge, Calcutta’s mythical engineering feat that allows millions of pedestrians to cross the Hoogly River every day. Walk through the artisan quarter of Kumartuli, a famous centre for the creation of Hindu clay idols used in religious festivals. This will be followed by an underground ride to Park Street. Then visit the Indian Museum, one of the oldest museums in the world (1814) and the second largest museum in India; six sections and rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies and Mughal paintings. Overnight stay at hotel in Calcutta.

 

Day 12 : CALCUTTA (Kolkata) – EUROPE 07/12/2022

Drive to Kalkota airport. Flight to Europe.

Bateau : ABN Rajmahal

ABN Rajmahal is a 50m long and powered by 3 engines; her extra-shallow draught and a lower profile than conventional designs allow her to cruise further upstream than any of her competitors.

ABN Rajmahal has 22 cabins: 14 spacious twin/double cabins on the upper deck; 4 twin/double cabins on the main deck; and 4 single cabins for which we charge no supplement. The décor is stylish and fresh with touches of colonial elegance, brought to life by traditional Indian-inspired designs on hand-blocked cotton fabrics. All cabins on ABN Rajmahal have French balconies.

As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar, dining room and a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa onboard offers a wide range of treatments. All cabins and public rooms on our ships are air-conditioned.

Food on board is a mixture of Assamese (milder than most Indian cuisine) and Continental cuisines. Wines, beer and spirits are available.

ONBOARD FEATURES

• Spacious cabins with individual climate control
• En suite shower/WC with toiletries
• Generous cupboard space and under-bed storage
• Hair drier in each cabin
• Minibar in each cabin
• In-room electronic safe
• Tea/coffee making facilities in cabins
• Intercommunication telephone in cabins
• ​High quality bathrobes and slippers in cabins
• Large sliding glass windows offering panoramic views of the river
• Vast sundeck both open and shaded, with sunloungers or steamer chairs
• Spacious air-conditioned saloon with library and recorded entertainment
• Spa with choice of treatments.

In the vessel ABN Raj Mahal half charter total 11 rooms (10 rooms for clients +1 Room for Guide) total 19+1 Guide = 20PAX

 

1 passager sur le pont supérieur (en chambre double partagée)

7 chambres disponible sur le pont supérieur (chambres lit double/lits jumeaux) : 14 pers. maximum

 

1 passager sur le pont supérieur (en chambre double)

7 Chambres disponible sur le pont supérieur

 

Le coût comprend :

• Pension complète du circuit
• Tous les transferts
• Toutes les visites mentionnées
• Tous les frais d’entrées sur les sites
• Les services d’un guide francophone pendant le circuit
• Le trajet en train Calcutta / Farakka en wagon climatisé.
• Tous les pourboires inclus

 

Le coût ne comprend pas :

• Tout billet d’avion international ou domestique
• Assurance
• Les frais de visa
• Toute dépense de nature personnelle comme les boissons, le linge, la photographie et la vidéographie.

 

(**Nous fournissons tous ces services en supplément pour la satisfaction de nos clients).