BENGAL DESPATCH 8:
BENGAL MEMORIES
3 NIGHTS
KOLKATA TO KOLKATA
DAY 1
This morning you’ll be collected from your hotel to embark the ship by 11am. Sailing upstream, you pass 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. After the visit, reboard your cruise and start sailing, leaving urban sprawl far behind.
DAY 2
Enjoy breakfast with an ever-changing view as you sail upstream, before landing at the country town of Kalna. Here you’ll take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with its concentric rings made up of 108 shrinelets. 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 downstream as dusk falls to a mooring near Kalna.
DAY 3
This morning you’ll sail downstream and visit a saree-weaving village before continuing on to Chandernagore. A French possession until 1950, this old colonial town offers a chance to visit an 18th century church as well as Dupleix Palace, the erstwhile residence of the Governor-General of French India and now a fascinating museum. Later, sail on down to Kolkata.
DAY 4
After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the airport or your hotel in Kolkata.
This itinerary, including the cruise and approximate driving durations, is subject to river and weather conditions.
ACCOMMODATION
The 'Bengal Memories' cruise is offered in the Boutique cruising style.
ABN Rajmahal
With 22 cabins in total, including 18 spacious twin/double cabins, and four single cabins for solo travellers, ABN Rajmahal is a boutique, modern ship whose decor reflects a sense of homecoming to the region of Bengal. Hand-blocked cotton fabrics with Indian-inspired designs, Bengali antiques and objets d'art as well as locally made furniture all add to the ships's unique ambiance. All cabins have French balconies, offering panoramic views of life along the river.
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