ABN Rajmahal, 8 night Holy Ganges Cruise – Bengal Despatch 2 ex Farraka to Patna

8 night Holy Ganges Cruise – Bengal Despatch 2 ex Farraka to Patna aboard ABN Rajmahal.

UPSTREAM ITINERARY: FARAKKA TO PATNA
DAY 1
Take a 4hr (approx.) train journey from Kolkata to Farakka in the afternoon, and then a short road transfer to the ship. Guests joining independently at Farakka can board the ship from midday onwards.

For those taking both Bengal Despatch 1 and 2 cruises, a full day excursion by road takes you to Gaur. This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in the 12th century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century, and its plentiful remains of mosques, palaces and gateways are testament to this diverse history. Later, travel on through the town of Malda, or English Bazar, to Pandua where you will visit the great 14th century Adina Mosque before returning to Farakka where your ship will have passed through the lock at the barrage.

DAY 2
​This morning you`ll leave Farakka and sail out into the almost sea-like Ganges proper, just above the great Farakka Barrage. You sail upstream for much of the morning before anchoring at Rajmahal, one of those places that feature in no guidebook, yet offer both interest and atmosphere in abundance. Once known as Akbarnagar, the town was founded by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his eastern capital and Shah Jehan, builder of the Taj Mahal, spent much of his youth here. There are remains of palaces, forts and mosques submerged in vegetation which you can explore before sailing on as far as Manihari Ghat.

DAY 3
​This morning you`ll continue cruising upstream, passing the confluence with the Kosi river which flows down from Nepal. Arrive at idyllic Bateshwar, with its 6th century Hindu carvings, and the nearby ruins of an 8th century Buddhist stupa and monastery at Vikramshila. Later, you continue onwards to Kehilgaon or Colganj, where the ship awaits you. Sailing on, you’ll pass close to an island shrine with both Buddhist and Hindu cave temples, once the centre of the murderous Thug sect.

DAY 4
Setting sail this morning you travel along a stretch of river where the endangered Gangetic Dolphin may be seen. Land at Bhagalpur, a centre of silk production, to visit the silk-weaving village and an elegant 18th century mansion built by Augustus Clevland, the collector and magistrate of the town back in the day. You’ll then continue on to Jahangira Island at Sultanganj, a place of pilgrimage with early Hindu carvings in the rock. On shore, another picturesque rock is topped with a mosque, and the stop offers a chance to stroll around the vibrant local market.

DAY 5
Today you`ll sail on to Monghyr, with its large Mughal fort and East India Company cemetery, where villagers now live among the grandiose tombs. You`ll also visit the Pirpahar Hill, crowned by a fine old mansion, and the Sita Kund hot springs, before continuing your cruise upstream.

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DAY 6

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This morning, you pass under the great bridge at Mokameh, where the naturalist Jim Corbett spent his working life in charge of the ferry which operated here in days gone by. Land to visit a bankside village and stretch your legs before sailing on to arrive by evening at Barh.

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DAY 7

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Today brings an excursion to Nalanda, recently included as a UNESCO World Heritage site where visits include the excavated great Buddhist monastery and stupa along with the adjoining museum. Nalanda is also the world’s oldest seat of learning, once welcoming over 10,000 students at its height. Later, visit the marbled Pawapuri Jain temple in the middle of a lake before returning in the evening to Barh to reboard the ship.

​DAY 8
Today is spent cruising upstream, catching up on reading, chatting with new friends, and watching life unfold on the riverbank. There will be time for a stop at a bankside village where you can stretch your legs and explore this rural area. You`ll arrive in the evening at Patna, the state capital of Bihar, and moor close to the old East India Company opium warehouses.

​DAY 9
​This morning, you`ll take a tour of Patna and visit the 18th century Gola Ghar granary, the great Sikh gurdwara and the rich collections of the State Museum. Disembark late in the morning and transfer to the airport or station (transfer included). Alternatively, create your own arrangements for road or rail travel to Varanasi, Bodh Gaya or Nepal.

Our new ship “ABN Rajmahal”, nearing completion in Kolkata, enters service on the Hugli and the Ganges in February 2014. She is 50m long, is powered by 3 engines, and with extra-shallow draught and a lower profile than conventional designs she can cruise further upstream than any of her competitors.There are 22 cabins in all, 14 spacious twin/double cabins on the upper deck and 4 twin/double cabins on the main deck, together with 4 single cabins for which we charge no supplement. All cabins have French balconies. The décor is stylish and fresh, with touches of colonial elegance, and uses handblocked cotton fabrics of traditional Indian-inspired designs. As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar and a dining room, together with a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa 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. Wines, beer and spirits are available.

“A meeting of minds” best describes the first encounter between Andrew Brock and Ashish Phookan in Guwahati, Assam in 2001. Neither knew the other had been pondering how to initiate river cruising on the river Brahmaputra; both jumped at the chance to explore together this exciting idea. The Indo-British joint-venture company, Assam Bengal Navigation, was formed in 2002 with Andrew and Grania Brock, and Ashish and Jahnabi Phookan, bringing together expertise in tourism, experience of global markets and in-depth knowledge of North East India.

Anyone who has travelled by train or plane through India, or who has been driven on Indian roads, will be amazed to learn that there is actually a way to travel through the country in total serenity and comfort. Yet it is in fact possible to cruise for some 1750 miles on the rivers and inland waterways of India, passing through great cities, alongside wildlife sanctuaries and historical monuments and into the heart of rural India. ASSAM BENGAL NAVIGATION are pioneers in this exploration.

ASSAM BENGAL NAVIGATION is an Indo-British joint venture, with offices in Guwahati and the UK. In 2003 ABN pioneered long-distance river cruising in India with our unique cruises on the River Brahmaputra in Assam, and in 2007 we were also the first to run cruises on the River Hugli between Kolkata and the Ganges. We were awarded the Indian National Tourism Award for Innovation in 2004-5. Experience counts for everything here, and our expertise in the field of river cruising on both waterways is unrivalled.

Our first luxury river boat, the “ABN Charaidew”, with 12 air-conditoned en-suite cabins was joined in 2006 by her near-identical sister ship “ABN Sukapha”. Cruises operate in Assam from October to April, and in Bengal virtually all through the year. In February 2014 our fleet increases with the launch of “ABN Rajmahal”, a 22-cabin boat specifically designed for water levels on the Ganges.

ASSAM CRUISES, BRAHMAPUTRA. Wildlife and wilderness are the main features of a cruise in Assam on the vast Brahmaputra river – the river bed is often 20 or 30 km across, an empty world of sand spits and water with marvellous bird life and the occasional Gangetic Dolphin. The cruises here also give access to a number of India’s National Parks, including Kaziranga, perhaps the finest of all, and Manas, a Project Tiger reserve on the Bhutan border.

BENGAL CRUISES, GANGES and HUGLI. The waterways of the old Bengal Presidency now lie in the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal, and in independent Bangladesh. Here in the north of the region the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra meet head to head and then flow out to the sea through the world’s largest delta. Inland, however, on the rich agricultural land lie prosperous towns and villages, rich in history and culture. This is village India at its best, completely unknown to tourists. Cruises go north from Calcutta on the intimate River Hugli, and can be linked with our cruises on the Ganges proper from the Bangladesh border up to the historic city of Patna.

ASSAM JUNGLE LODGES. At Manas National Park ABN now has its own jungle accommodation, “The Bansbari Lodge”, situated right at the entrance to the Park. The 16 large twin-bedded rooms all have attached bathrooms and the lodge is simply but comfortably furnished.

At Kaziranga National Park, the “Diphlu River Lodge” opened in January 2008 and is run by ABN. In prime position, its cottages provide premier quality accommodation for a total of 24 guests. The airconditioned cottages are built on stilts with generous thatched verandahs and en-suite bathrooms, and have fantastic views directly overlooking the river and the National Park.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL Cruises operate from January through to the end of April, and from July through to December. Every month has both advantages and disadvantages, and we give below a rundown of the different seasons.

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER During these months we sail on the Hugli and Ganges only. There is some rain, but usually for not more than an hour or so at a time. Water levels are high, so grounding is rare, and rural India is looking its incomparable best, lush and green in wonderful clarity of light, with both blossom and tropical fruit abounding. Temperatures are high, with high levels of humidity.

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Water levels remain quite high, and Brahmaputra cruises start at this time. However foliage is still dense, and flood plains are still often under water, so Assam’s wildlife viewing is usually poor until about the beginning of November. Tea gardens and factories though will be in full swing, usually until early December, while this time offers the best chance of a glimpse of Himalayan snows. Rain should be rare and temperatures moderate, but sun not always guaranteed.

JANUARY FEBRUARY Water levels are low on the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, so groundings can occur, while morning mists can delay getting under way. For those who dislike heat, December and January are good months. As leaves shrivel and fall, wildlife viewing starts to improve.

MARCH APRIL Low water levels on the Ganges can cause problems, although the Hugli should not be affected. Temperatures start to rise, although without much humidity, and by April sudden brief storms can occur. In Assam wildlife viewing is probably at its best, and activity returns to the tea gardens.

Select the Deck to view detail.

ABN Rajmahal - Main Deck

ABN Rajmahal - Upper Deck

ABN Rajmahal - Sun Deck

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Twin/Double Main Deck Cabins

4 twin/double cabins on the main deck all cabins have French balconies. The décor is stylish and fresh, with touches of colonial elegance, and uses handblocked cotton fabrics of traditional Indian-inspired designs. As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar and a dining room, together with a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa offers a wide range of treatments.

All cabins and public rooms on our ships are air-conditioned.

Twin/Double Upper Deck Cabins

14 spacious twin/double cabins on the upper deck all cabins have French balconies. The décor is stylish and fresh, with touches of colonial elegance, and uses handblocked cotton fabrics of traditional Indian-inspired designs. As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar and a dining room, together with a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa offers a wide range of treatments.

All cabins and public rooms on our ships are air-conditioned.

Single Cabins

4 single cabins for which we charge no supplement. All cabins have French balconies. The décor is stylish and fresh, with touches of colonial elegance, and uses handblocked cotton fabrics of traditional Indian-inspired designs. As with the other ships in our fleet, there is a comfortable saloon and bar and a dining room, together with a vast canopied sundeck. A small spa offers a wide range of treatments.

All cabins and public rooms on our ships are air-conditioned.