Monasteries & Rhinos in Assam and Meghalaya

Day 1: Calcutta

Landing in Calcutta, welcome at the airport, and departure to your hotel to rest after your long-haul flight. Stretching along the banks of the Hooghly River, this former capital of the British Indian Empire is home to some very beautiful vestiges of the colonial era, and has a real soul. During this short stay we invite you to discover the cultural and intellectual heart of this vibrant city. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 : Calcutta

Transfer to the city, for a day of visit on the traces of the past through the beautiful vestiges of the colonial time such as the Victoria Memorial, the district of Raj Bhavan or the Church Saint John. It is still in its streets with the old-fashioned charm that the spectacle is even more bewitching, like the flower market at the foot of the Howra bridge, the Book Market of College Street with its famous coffee of predilection of the intellectuals the Coffee House or the Kumartuli district, kingdom of the potters of Kolkata where are created the Hindu idols which one sees at the time of the festivals. You will pass from the temple to the temple of Kalighat, following the line of pilgrims who have come to offer hibiscus flowers to the terrible Kali. You will discover how this goddess permeates the lives of the city’s inhabitants. Stop at the majestic family home of India’s greatest modern poet Rabindranath Tagore, which dates back to 1784 and is now its dedicated museum. It also houses a gallery of paintings by his family and contemporaries. Finally the Pareshnath Jain temple, made by one of the great jewelers of Calcutta, covered with semi-precious stones and small mirrors. Traditional Bengali dinner with a family. Night at the hotel.

Day 2 : Calcutta – Guwahati – Umiam Lake (3 hours – 100 km)

Departure for the airport of Calcutta, and domestic flight towards Guwahati.

Welcome and drive to the Meghalaya, or the home of the clouds, and its beautiful green hills. Drive through the green pine forests. Stop at Nongpoh, famous for its pineapple plantations. Continue to Umiam Lake and stay at your lakeside lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 : Umiam Lake – Cherrapunjee (Distance : 3 H – 80 Km)

Breakfast at the lodge. Today you will drive through lush landscapes, shaped by terraced cultivation, to reach Cherrapunjee, the wettest city in the world during the summer monsoon, but extremely dry in winter. Passing by impressive waterfalls, such as the Nohkalikai Falls are very beautiful. You can also visit some caves. Settle in to your resort with a breathtaking view of the hills for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 : Cherrapunjee

After a hearty breakfast, you will be invited for a hike (about 3500 steps) to Nongriat and its famous living bridge ‘Umshaing Double Decker Root Bridge’ with 2 floors. The villagers of the Khasi community join the roots and vines of the trees on both sides of the river to form a “living bridge”. These bridges are so strong that they can support up to 50 people. For the less adventurous, there are many other more accessible hikes. Return to your hotel at the end of the day for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 : Cherrapunjee – Umsaw Nongkharai (Distance : 4 h – 110 Km)

Today transfer in direction of Shillong, climatic station created by the British, which sometimes points out Darjeeling by its colonial architecture. It was also the capital of Assam. You will be invited to stroll through the Bara Bazaar (local market), Police Bazaar, Don Bosco Museum and Lady Hydari Park. In the late afternoon, continue to Umsaw Nongkharai, home stay for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Umsaw Nongkharai – Kaziranga National Park (Distance : 5 h – 240 Km)

After breakfast, drive to the much awaited Kaziranga National Park known for its many one-horned rhinos. Installation in your lodge located near the park. As an option, from the Kaziranga park, we could plan a cruise on the Brahmaputra river towards Tezpur and see the fresh water dolphins before going back to the park.

Day 8: Kaziranga National Park

On this beautiful day, explore by jeep the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO listed site, which is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population of one-horned rhinos. The park also has the highest density of tigers in the world. You can also see large populations of elephants, wild water buffalo and swamp deer. There are 5 zones in Kaziranga, consisting of dense forests in the east, grasslands in the central part, home to the majority of rhinos. The western part is composed of grasslands and mixed forests. Finally, in the far west there is a hilly woodland inhabited by gibbons. Return for overnight and dinner at the lodge.

Optional activities proposed :

– Mountain bike ride around the park, tea plantation and Mishing villages

– Spend a few days in a village of the Karbi community (2/3 days)

Day 9: Kaziranga National Park – Majuli Island (3 hours drive – 100 km + 1 hour ferry)

After breakfast, transfer to Neematighat to cross the Brahmaputra River to Majuli – one of the largest inhabited river islands in the world and famous for the Vaishnavite Satras religion and their many monasteries and culture. There is a unique male religious community in India for whom art in general and dance in particular are an important part of daily life. The boys enter as children and are brought up by a master who will take care of them until adulthood. This community was founded in the 16th century by Shankar Deva, a great reformer who stayed several months in Majuli and promulgated a form of Hinduism, follower of Vishnu, Vaishnavism. Even today these satras carefully preserve ancient objects such as weapons, everyday utensils, jewelry and other objects of cultural importance. Visit its famous satras (monasteries) and Mishing villages. Overnight stay and dinner in a traditional bamboo house.

Day 10 : Majuli

Day dedicated to the visit of the villages of potters, mask makers and monasteries, known for their dancing monks. You will enjoy visiting this spiritual island, with its old-fashioned charm, by bicycle. At the end of the day you will be invited to a dance performance by the monks of Utttar Kamalabari monastery. Overnight in a traditional bamboo house.

Day 11 : Majuli – Jorhat (1 h ferry + 1 h drive – 20 km) – Calcutta

In the morning, take the ferry to cross the Brahmaputra River to reach Neematighat and you will be transferred to Jorhat airport for your flight to Calcutta. Arrive, meet and greet and check into your hotel for the night.

Day 12: Departure Calcutta

Transfer to Calcutta airport for your return flight to Europe.

Hotels: Selection of charming hotels with the best quality / comfort ratio for the region. Please send us a program request for more information.