Brahmaputra Dispatch 3 River Island Cruise

Overview

Jorhat was the last capital of the Ahoms and so is dotted with several temples and the Buddhist monasteries. The eastern temples have a different style and élan. They have a refined amalgamation of several faiths as well. The features of the construction and the location also have some interesting anecdotes to be shared. The Cruise thus gets you to know the other side of the natural heritage of this beautiful region. The Majuli Island is the main attraction of this cruise. The island is blessed with a rich ecosystem thereby nurturing a rich flora and fauna. The favourable habitat attracts a lot of birds, both natural and migratory.

The journey proceeds along the upper Brahmaputra River, offering the chance to soak in the scenic charm of the place. Beginning at Tezpur, it takes you to Kaziranga National Park where you can enjoy and explore the wild terrains spotting the Indian Rhino and even the dolphins. The extensive grasslands and the environment grant a happy habitat to the rhino. At Majuli Island, apart from the wild attractions you can also gorge over some local food while watching the dance drama performance, by the Hindu monastery. There is a bright possibility of getting some serious insight about the tea plantations and some of its history too.

All this more before you drive to Sibsagar before disembarking for the Dibrugarh airport towards Delhi and homebound. 

Outlined Itinerary

Day 01 - Delhi

Arrive Delhi, meet and transfer to your hotel. Later proceed for orientation tour of Old and New Delhi. Visit Qutub Minar – the 239ft sandstone tower. Drive past the India Gate; Parliament House [exterior] and the President’s Palace. Visit Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi – The Father of Nation was cremated and drive past the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.

Day 02 - Brahmaputra River

After breakfast, you will be met and transferred to Delhi domestic airport to connect with your flight to Jorhat. Arrive Jorhat and drive to Steemer Ghat [2.5 Hrs], a lovely beach below jungle-covered hills and close to Kaziranga National Park. FULL BOARD

Day 03 - Brahmaputra River

Disembark pre-dawn and drive to Kaziranga National Park’s Central Range for an early morning elephant ride, the best way to get really close to the rhino and other animals. Return to breakfast on board cruising upstream with Kaziranga National Park on the right bank. Around midday we reach Vishnath, with an Ahom-period Shiva temple. There are other later temples too, and we walk through the town before reboarding and setting off again, with Kaziranga still on the far bank. Wild elephant may sometimes be spotted, and once, memorably, a tiger. FULL BOARD

Day 04 - Brahmaputra River

The day is spent on the river, and we have a good chance of spotting Gangetic dolphin, as well as creating a sensation in bankside villages as we pass. We should arrive in the evening at lonely Dhansiri Mukh. FULL BOARD

Day 05 - Brahmaputra River

This morning we land and take a jeep safari in Kaziranga’s little-visited Eastern Range, with grasslands much favoured by rhino, where you might spot the rare Bengal Florican. Returning to the boat, we continue our cruise upstream. FULL BOARD

Day 06 - Brahmaputra River

Another day spent cruising upstream. We shall take time to pause and walk through a bankside village, getting an insight into the life of rural India. FULL BOARD

Day 07 - Brahmaputra River

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. We visit a monastery at Auniati with an eclectic museum, then attend a dance performance at Kamalbari monastery, before cruising across to Neamati Ghat on the opposite bank. FULL BOARD

Day 08 - Brahmaputra River

We visit Horu Charai tea estate this morning and see all the processes of tea production (factory inoperative between December and mid-March) then 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. We return to the ship which will have cruised up to Dikhou Mukh close to Sibsagar, and spend our last night on board. (Dependent on river conditions the last night may be spent at Neamati, close to Jorhat). FULL BOARD

Day 09 - Delhi

We visit Horu Charai tea estate this morning and see all the processes of tea production (factory inoperative between December and mid-March) then 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. We return to the ship which will have cruised up to Dikhou Mukh close to Sibsagar, and spend our last night on board. (Dependent on river conditions the last night may be spent at Neamati, close to Jorhat).

Day 10 - Delhi

Breakfast is at the Hotel. Today at an appropriate time, you will be met and transferred to Delhi International airport to connect with your homebound or onwards flight... or travel to your next destination if you would like to add to this tour.

All our tours and holidays are tailor made so can be amended to suite your budget. Click on our from prices below to see what hotels you can expect based on the cheapest time to travel in High Season per person based on two people sharing a room. We can design this tour for you at a lower or higher price, basically to suite your budget, style and comfort. Contact a specialist to discuss your requirements. International flights are not included.