These cruises, upstream or downstream with return journey by rail, take you along the intimate lower Ganges sidestream, the River Hooghly, which flows from Farakka on the main river down to Kolkata. As well as sightseeing of Kolkata itself and the European colonies just outside, the cruise takes in Murshidabad, capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, the battlefield of Plassey close by, and the many monuments of the medieval Islamic capital of Gaur. A highlight are several delightful and little known Bengali Terracotta temples. Cruises can be combined with Ganges cruises on most dates.
Wildlife - Birds, dolphins and langurs.
With an on board naturalist you will spot a wide variety of birds (More than 180 on the list) and, excitingly, you will get glimpses of the rare Gangetic dolphins that inhabit this part of the river. Langur monkeys hang around some of the towns and temples that we visit and we usually see squads of huge fruit bats flying along the river at dusk.
Added extra - Highlights
During the cruise we will have a demonstration of how to cook a good curry, how to dress is a Sari or Dhoti, a short concert from some local musicians and an exhibition of some traditional dancing.
• KOLKATA/CALCUTTA - Before/after the cruise you can/should enjoy the madness that is Kolkata. Noise, colour, movement, smells - everything is happening non-stop all the time. The City of Palaces, Calcutta was the capital of British India for around 150 years, and boasts much superb colonial architecture, fantastic markets and some great monuments and museums. It can also claim to be the intellectual capital of modern India, and is a thriving, bustling, colourful and up to date city, with some excellent shops. In the northern suburbs lie the old French, Dutch and Danish colonial enclaves, still retaining a distinctive flavour.
• KALNA - A pleasant agricultural centre, boasting some of Bengal’s finest terracotta temples.
• MURSHIDABAD - Capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, losers at Plassey, and a delightful backwater town full of abandoned mosques, tombs and surprisingly grand European style palaces. Nearby Baranagar boasts further examples of charming terracotta temples.
• FARAKKA BARRAGE - Where the Hooghly flows out from the Ganges, this great dam, opened in 1975, protects much of Bengal from flooding as well as generating electricity.
• Battlefield and village of Plassey - Pelassi
The site of Robert Clive's famous victory over the combined French and Indian forces that signalled the start of Britain's 2 century domination of India. The battlefield is marked by a small monument but the nearby village is a delight.
• Matiari village brass foundaries
The small village of Matiari is famous for its cottage industry of brass. You can watch the whole process from the smelting to the beating, shaping and patterning. Seeringly hard work in ih extreme heat.
• Baranagar & English lessons
We will visit the small village of Baranagar and the terracotta temples dotted around the village. We will also visit the English Academy in the village, heavily sponsored by the ship's owners, the academy teaches English to aspiring students and we get a chance to sit with them for 40 minutes to discuss our lives and families, football and cricket, and anything else that comes up in conversation.
- KOLKATA/CALCUTTA - The City of Palaces, Calcutta was the capital of British India for around 150 years, and boasts much superb colonial architecture. It can also claim to be the intellectual capital of modern India, and is a thriving, bustling, colourful and up to date city, with some excellent shops. In the northern suburbs lie the old French, Dutch and Danish colonial enclaves, still retaining a distinctive flavour.
- MURSHIDABAD - Capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, losers at Plassey, and a delightful backwater town full of abandoned mosques, tombs and crumbling palaces. Nearby Baranagar boasts further examples of charming terracotta temples.
- FARAKKA BARRAGE - Where the Hooghly flows out from the Ganges, this great dam, opened in 1975, protects much of Bengal from flooding as well as generating electricity.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
This morning, you will be collected from your hotel to embark your ship by midday. Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore. Land and take a walk through the cantonment – past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House – to get a better understanding of India's journey to independence. Sail up to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950.
Visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India. Sail upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura before landing to visit the imposing Imambara at Hooghly. With verses from the Koran written on its walls, the Imambara is an opportunity to step back in time and relive a slice of Islamic history in Bengal. Sail into the night to a mooring near Kalna.
After breakfast, land at the country town of Kalna and take rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 shrinelets, and a muslin-weaving centre. Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur to visit the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline. As the headquarters of ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.
This morning visit the brass-working village of Matiari, a charming riverside village. Interact with the locals of Matiari and witness the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Later, cruise on and visit the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, to change the course of Indian history. Moor close to Khushbagh for the night.
This morning, walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden that encloses the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah – the last independent Nawab of Bengal – and his family. Continue a little way upstream to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace hosts an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque before driving out to see the Katgola Palace. Built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants, Katgola Palace represents the other side of the coin of the 'White Mughal' period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town at Baranagar.
This morning, walk through the fields of the delightfully sleepy village of Baranagar to visit its three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples. This is rural India at its most idyllic. Continue up the lower Ganges (or the Hooghly), which transforms into a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Carry on up a long canal section to a mooring close to the Farakka Barrage.
Disembark and go on a full-day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda, or English Bazar. This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in 12th century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century. There are plentiful remains of mosques, palaces and gateways and you visit a number of the most interesting before rejoining the ship in the evening.
Transfer to Farakka station at dawn for a 4 hr (approx.) train journey to Kolkata. Our representatives will meet you on arrival and transfer you to a central Kolkata hotel.
Itinerary above indicates the Upstream direction. Downstream itinerary goes in reverse and may be slightly different. While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of fluctuating river conditions and navigational or mechanical difficulties, all schedules and itineraries are subject to change without notice.
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ABN Rajmahal
ABN Rajmahal, entered service on the Lower Ganges and the Ganges proper on schedule in mid-February 2014. Built in Kolkata, she is 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 Biotique 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.
Services
- Shore excursion programme including all admissions
- Maximum 20 guests per guide on all excursions
- Naturalist onboard the vessel
- Cold towel service after excursions
- Welcome drink after excursions
- Shoe-cleaning after excursions
- Turndown service in all cabins
- Expertly trained culinary staff
- Single seating for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Acclaimed combination of Indian & Western cuisines
- Wide choice of wines, spirits and beer
- Complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water throughout
- Welcome reception
- Farewell reception
- Local on-board dance & song performances.
Ship details
- Vessel Type: River Boat
- Length: 50 meters
- Passenger Capacity: 40
Includes
All accommodation onboard
All excursions and entry fees as per the itinerary
All transfers as mentioned in the itinerary
Full board
Service of an English-speaking guide onboard and during excursions
Train transfer between Kolkata and Farakka as per itinerary Port charges
Excludes
GST (5%)
Drinks from the bar
Spa services
Tips
Camera fees
Insurance Items of a personal nature
Book before 22 April, 2030
No single supplement is charged on some or all dates for these cruises
This offer cannot be combined with any other promotions.
Offer is valid for new bookings only.