Pandaw Upper Ganges Cruise

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.

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.

KOLKATA

This morning you will be transferred from your hotel to board your Pandaw cruise for a noon departure.

Set sail down the Hooghly River, an important distributory of the Ganga to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950.

Stroll along the riverside promenade, visit the 18th century church and Dupleix's House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India.

Return to the ship and continue upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura and the Portuguese settlement of Bandel.

KALNA

land at country town of Kalna and take 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.

On the way back to the ship explore the colourful local market full of fruit sellers and fish mongers.

Continue sailing towards Mayapur to explore 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.

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.

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.

FARAKKA

Cross from the Lower Ganges or Hooghly River to the Ganges itself through the Farraka canal and lock, that was constructed 1963-75.

Passing into the great river the great Farraka barrage will be visible just downstream. This effectively dams the Ganges and strategically controls the flow of water into neighbouring Bangaladesh.

Enter a section of river rich in bird life, before stopping at Samtaghat, otherwise known as Raj Mahal.

BATESHWARSTHAN

Passing the confluence of the Kosi river that flows down from Nepal, moor at the pretty town of Bateshwarsthan to uncover the 8th century Buddhist site of Vikramshila, one of the two most important centres of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda.

BHAGLAPUR

Sailing along this stretch of the river provides an opportunity to spot the rare Gangeatic dolphins.

Land at Bhaglapur, a centre of silk production, and visit the 18th century mansion of the Collector, Augustus Cleveland.

SULTANGANJ

Contunue to Jahanigra Island, a place of pilgrimage with many rock carvings in high relief dating from the eighth century depicting aspects of Siva and Vishnu.

In the evening moor off Sultanganj, with its pair of great granite rocks, one crowned with a mosque and the other a small temple dating from the 16th century.

MUNGER

Munger is now a large and industrialised city but has an interesting history. In 1762, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger, and established a firearms manufacturing centre here.

Explore the Mughal fort, East India Company cemetery and step inside the Bihar School of Yoga founded in 1964 by Satyananda Saraswati.

One of the leading yoga schools in the country. The institution has developed yogic techniques through a synthesis of traditional yogic, vedantic and tantric practices and contemporary health science.

MOKAMA

Stop at Mokama, once home to Jim Corbett the naturalist and protector of the Indian tigers. Surrounded by farmlands, Mokama has the second hightest production of lentils in the country.

Learn about the freedom fighters from Mokama such as Lalldin Saheb, whose during the freedom struggle was sentenced to jail during the British rule.

BARH

Explore Barh, a town famous for Hindu ritual cremation at Urmanath and the Alakhnath Temple.

PATNA

Enjoy a city tour of Patna, capital of Bihar state including a visit to The Golghar, a large stupa styled granary built in 1786. Farewell dinner with your crew.

PATNA TO VARANASI

Disembark your Pandaw vessel ready and transfer to Patna station for your 1st class train to Varanasi. Upon arrival to Varanasi, transfer to your hotel or the airport.

Varanasi- Excursions

Take a sunrise boat cruise past the bathing ghats and observe the people as they come to the river to perform their morning prayers and rituals.

Following breakfast explore the Old City on a walking tour through the ancient by-lanes and discover the colourful and chaotic life that exists.

Later visit Sarnath and the Deer Park where the Lord Buddha gave his first sermon with its archaeological museum.

Return to the hotel and enjoy a musical performance comprising a sitar and tabla before your farewell dinner.

This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

Fly from Varanasi to Delhi with Indigo.

Fly from Delhi to Singapore with Singapore Airlines.

Fly from Singapore to Auckland with Singapore Airlines.

Arrive back in New Zealand.