FLY TO KOLKATA
Fly from Auckland to Singapore with Singapore Airlines.
Fly from Singapore to Kolkata with Singapore Airlines.
On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private car.
Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
The Oberoi Grand, fondly referred to as the 'Grande Dame of Chowringhee' offers the ultimate classical residence in the City of Joy.
The hotel’s facade and entrance feature a blend of classical Victorian and traditional Indian style, reflecting the city’s colonial history.
Standing stately for over 125 years, The Oberoi Grand combines classic architecture and charm with state of the art amenities and facilities, offering guests an oasis of tranquility amidst the bustling city.
Each room at the Oberoi is tastefully decorated with colonial style prints, carpeted with plush wall to wall carpets and equipped with the latest technology, including free high-speed Wi-Fi for up to four devices.
- Economy Class Flight.
- Airline Taxes.
- Check in Baggage Allowance.
- Arrival Transfer by Private Car.
- Overnight Accommodation.
KOLKATA - FULL DAY TOUR
Immerse yourself in city life with an early morning visit to the vibrant flower market, one of Asia’s largest. Wind through the mountains of marigolds and jasmine and watch as people buy flowers for temple offerings and prayers.
Stroll down to the river to witness a traditional Akhara (subject to timing). Step inside and watch men of all ages practice a traditional form of wrestling known as kushti or pehlwani.
Follow in the footsteps of the British Raj with a walking tour of colonial Kolkata. See Dalhousie Square, now known as B.B.D. Bagh, in the political heart of the city. Admire the colonial buildings, including the prominent Writers’ Building the former HQ of the East India Company, and step inside St John’s Church with its painting of The Last Supper, with the city’s residents dressed as the apostles. In the gardens discover the monument built by Lord Curzon to the Black Hole of Calcutta.
Sample traditional recipes from both sides of the border as wella s Anglo-Indian and colonial cuisine with lunch at Oh! Calcutta.
Later, experience the serenity of the Victoria Memorial with a stroll through the splendid gardens. Admire the domed white marble hall built in memory of Queen Victoria and discover Victorian memorabilia and British Raj-era paintings.
End the day in the Maidan, the city’s largest urban park and the "lungs of Kolkata”, watching as people come together over a game of cricket.
- Breakfast.
- Full Day Tour.
- Private Car, Driver & English Speaking Guide.
- Entrance Fees.
- Lunch.
- Overnight Accommodation.
KOLKATA - BARRACKPORE
This morning you will be transferred from your hotel to board your Pandaw cruise for a noon departure.
Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore to land and take a walk through the cantonment - past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House.
The name Barrackpore may have originated from the English word barracks, as it was the site of the first cantonment of the British East India Company.
The earliest references to the Barrackpore region are found in the writings of the Greek navigators, geographers, chronicles and historians of the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD.
The first British barrack or cantonment in India was built in the town in 1772. After the British crown assumed direct control of India, the sprawling Government House and the Government Estate were built in Barrackpore to provide the viceroy with a suburban residence 15 miles (24 km) outside of Calcutta.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
KALNA
After breakfast, sail upstream and land at the country town of Kalna and take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 lesser shrines.
Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.
Kalna is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna, named after a very popular deity, Goddess Kali, Maa Ambika.
It has numerous historical monuments such as the Rajbari (the palace) and 108 Shiva temples.
According to General Alexander Cunningham, the founder of the Archaeological Survey of India, Ambika Kalna was a frontier city of the Tamralipta Kingdom in 7th century AD.
Kalna also houses the only Chaitannya temple built in Shri Chaitannya's lifetime and is an important pilgrimage site for devotees of this Bengali Hindu mystic.
Kalna reached it's pinnacle of glory during the late 18th century under the patronage of the Maharajas of Bardhaman, who built several magnificent temples with intricate terracotta ornamentation.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
MATIARI
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 Murshidabad for the night.
Matiari is a charming riverside brass-working village. A stop here on a cruise offers the chance to interact with the locals and witness the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels.
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
MURSHIDABAD
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 and Nashipara Palace 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.
Resting on the eastern banks of the Bhagirathi River in the Indian state of West Bengal, the town of Murshidabad is surrounded by swamps, rolling hills and ancient waterways.
Murshidabad once served as the capital of Bengal and today is best known for its silk industry. It has been dubbed the ’Silk Mecca of East India’ renowned for producing the famed Baluchari Sari.
While it is known for its sericulture and textile heritage, visitors can also look forward to a number of historical attractions including: the 19th-century Hazarduari Palace, a royal mansion famous for its thousand doors, the Nizamat Kila Fortress and browse the vibrant markets for locally-made handicrafts.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
BARANAGAR - AJIMGANJ
Continue up the Hoogly which transforms into a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.
Enjoy a 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.
Visit the Jain temples at Azimganj and the Bara Bari Palace and continue downstream.
Baranagar is a town in West Bengal and a major industrial centre for the manufacture of agricultural and industrial machinery, chemicals, castor oil, and matches; there are also numerous cotton-processing companies located here.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
MAYAPUR
Explore the village of Mayapur, the headquarters of the ISKCON movement with a new temple comparable in size to the Vatican and largely funded by Alfred B. Ford, the great grandson of car maker Henry Ford.
Meet Krishna followers and walk through the pilgrims’ bazaar.
Mayapur is a city located in Rarh, situated between the Jalangi and Hoogly rivers about 130 km from Kolkata. It is a holy city, and has a number of different sites that are of Cultural and Religious importance.
Mayapur is deemed one of the holiest of all places in India, and this is one of the main reasons why it attracts people from all over the world.
The main attraction in Mayapur is the ISKCON Temple. This is the head temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In fact, this temple alone is the reason why so many devotees from all over the globe come to Mayapur. Inside, you can see statues of the deities of Radha-Madhav, Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nrisingha Dev, and Pancatattva.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
CHANDERNAGORE - HOOGHLY
Continue sailing downstream 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 past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950. Visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House, erstwhile Governor-General of French India.
Sail into the night to a mooring near Kolkata.
Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, to establish a trading post on the right bank of the Hughli River.
- All Meals.
- Drinks on board your cruise - local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- On board tips/gratuities.
- All Shore Excursions with English speaking guide.
- All Entrance Fees.
- Overnight on-board.
- Laundry.
- Drinks except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.
- Tips for local drivers and guides on excursions.
DISEMBARK KOLKATA -FLY TO AUCKLAND
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Fly from Kolkata to Singapore with Singapore Airlines.
Fly from Singapore to Auckland with Singapore Airlines.
- Breakfast.
- Private Departure Transfer.
- Economy Class Flight.
- Airline Taxes.
- Check in Baggage Allowance.
ARRIVE NEW ZEALAND
Arrive back in New Zealand.
