India’s travel industry has stepped foot on a different level as the government will soon launch the world’s longest river cruise that will embark on its journey from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.
The ‘Ganga Vilas Cruise’, operated by Antara Luxury River Cruises will set sail from Varanasi, covering a total distance of 4,000 km. The ship will pass through Kolkata and Dhaka before dropping its anchor in Bogibeel in Dibrugarh.
Sarbananda Sonowal, the minister of ports, shipping and waterways said, “Ganga Vilas cruise will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in the longest river journey of 50 days covering 27 river systems and visit over 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites. This will be the single largest river journey by a single river ship in the world and would put both India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map of the world.”
Let’s take a closer look.
Features of the ship
The Ganga Vilas Cruise ship is the epitome of luxury. The ship features a mid-20th century modern style and has 18 suites that include furniture and lines made indigenously while some of the pieces are also made along the river Ganga.
The interior of is washed in vibrant colours which complement the vivid cultures of the regions the cruise will sail through. Shades of magenta, blue and yellow are all one can witness throughout the 50-day voyage.
According to CN Traveller, the large floor-to-ceiling windows will allow passengers onboard to enjoy the beauty of the river throughout the day. A panoramic lounge, an observation pavilion and a dining room will enhance the travelling experience for travellers.
Apart from the above-mentioned features that define the luxuriousness of the ship, Ganga Vilas Cruise also has an open sundeck to lounge in, and a spa to let passengers relax during their journey.
Travellers will also be able to relish lip-smacking food that is inspired by the various places the ship travels through.
Keeping the environment in mind, the ship also incorporates technologies that will reduce pollution and control noise to ensure its journey stays clean and sustainable.
Operators are yet to decide the price of the tickets based on a cost-plus basis.
The voyage
The 50-day journey will commence from Varanasi and the cruise ship will reach Patna on the eighth day after passing through Ghazipur, Buxar and Ramnagar.
From Patna, the ship will take 12 days to reach West Bengal’s capital Kolkata on Day 20. The very next day it will sail into a different country, Bangladesh. Passengers will stay in the neighbouring country for 15 days before entering India again to reach Bogibeel in Dibrugarh.
The cruise will be able to cover almost 1,100 km in Bangladesh with the help of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, which has already opened up trade and transit channels between the two neighbouring countries. The Route also connects the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
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Don’t want to travel the full journey? No problem, because the trip also provides options to cater to the needs and choices of the passengers. Sonowal said, “The cruises are of different kinds–luxury, expedition, etc. The tourists also come with different mindsets–some want to stay for the full journey while some may move from one point to another. The service will facilitate all kinds of tourists. Moreover, with the amendment to Indian Vessel Act, cruise lines would have a national permit to move seamlessly across states.”
According to a report by Financial Express, the trip will also offer tourists onshore and offshore experiences each day. Along its way, the ship will also pass through the UNESCO-protected Sundarbans.
The experience
The trip is the perfect opportunity for travel enthusiasts to witness the many cultures of the various stops the ship is going to make.
One highlight of the tour includes the infamous and highly revered ‘Ganga Aarti’ on the banks of the river Ganga. The trip will give a chance to history buffs to learn about the impacts of French and Dutch influences on West Bengal’s architecture.
The village of Matiari in West Bengal will educate passengers on board about creating handmade brassware and textiles. On selected locations, the cruise will also stop for parties with folk music and dance.
At Bagerhat, one of the many locations of the tour, travellers will get a chance to see Khan Jahan Ali’s 60-dome mosque built during the Bengal sultanate period.
Raj Singh, the chairman of the company told Financial Express, “Each experience has been personally vetted and designed by me for fellow enthusiastic travellers. The historical route has been finalized with the support, assistance and cooperation of the governments of India and Bangladesh, which are working together to ensure seamless travel between the two countries.”
Other river cruises in India
Even though it’s the world’s largest, the Ganga Vilas Cruise is not the only cruise ship sailing through Indian rivers.
The Brahmaputra River Cruise is a 10-night cruise travel between Guwahati and Jorhat-Dibrugarh. The cruise passes through the erstwhile kingdom of Ahom kings, Sibsagar, Majuli island and Kaziranga National Park. The trip also includes heritage tours around Tezpur and Sualkuchi, the two famous silk-weaving villages.
In the Western part of India, the Mandovi River Cruise lets tourists to experience the Goan culture. Although the trip is just a couple of hours long, the cruise ship offers an exciting atmosphere that is filled with folk songs, dances and cuisine as passengers sail through Chorao and Divar Islands, according to Times Travel.
Down south, the Mangalore River Cruise allows travellers to relax in the calm Phalguni River. The three-hour-long cruise takes its passengers through the coastal villages of Karnataka. The highlight of the cruise trip, however, is the Mangalorean cuisine that is served onboard.
With inputs from agencies
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