Sunderban-The Riverine Nirvana:

Places Covered:

Sunderban, Nirvana .

Duration:

3Nights /4Days

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1:

Check in at the Millennium Park Jetty by 8.30 AM. M.V. Paramhamsa will cast off at 9.00 AM, once all guests have checked in. The cruiser sets sail along the beautiful Ganges towards the south, passing through the various heritage sites for seven hours to reach Namkhana, a fisherman's cove and the Gateway to Sunderbans. The guests can unwind, relax, soak in the beauty of the river, read books in the library, interact with artisans or take an Ayurvedic massage. The cruiser will drop anchor at Namkhana for the night. The guests will have several choices – watching wild life film shows or a talk with a wild lifer and a dinner with music from modern and traditional Bengal.

Day 2:

At 5.30 AM the guests can see the spectacular sunrise, while the cruiser sails towards the east. This day the guests will experience the lifestyle of the people of Sunderbans, their traditions, culture along with the rich Biodiversity of the region. The busy fishing harbour will give an insight to the lifestyle of the fishermen. The guests can buy fresh fish and other sea foods to be cooked in the live kitchen counters. After the interaction of the guests with the fishermen, the cruiser enters Sunderbans to navigate through the narrower creek of Hatania – Doania. The guests will have the first glimpse of the dense mangrove and the vast river system with several creeks flowing into the main rivers. The first excursion will be to Lothian Island, a forest trail or visit to the Crocodile project at Bhagabatpur. Thereafter, the vessel will turn towards the towards North-East. The vessel will again drop anchor at the confluence of the River Malta and River Bidya. From here the guests will be transferred to a small creek boat for a ride through the creeks and shore visits to some of exotic Sunderban islands – Nethidopani / Dobanki, Sajnekhali, along with a Wildlifer, who will guide the guests to experience the forest, sight animals and birds, explain various mangrove species and tell interesting stories of the islands. Later in the evening before the sun sets, the vessel will anchor. After sun sets, the guests will enjoy a rich mythological folk drama by the local artists. Later in the evening, the guests will enjoy a traditional Bengali meal. The guests can also enjoy a romantic night with star gazing from the sky deck, soak in the serenity and tranquility of nature.

Day 3:

This morning there will two exciting shore visits – First a visit to Bali, a beautiful Sunderban Village. Guests will experience farming, paddy husking, honey packing, fishing and various occupations of the region. And. Second to Sudhonyakhali, an island most visited by the Royal Bengal Tigers. As we traverse back we will visit some of the other exotic locales not visited on the previous day like Lothian Island, or Crocodile project at Bhagabatpur before starting the return journey to Kolkata.

Day 4:

Sailing through the various Ghats of the River Ganges, the cruiser will pass the magnificent confluences of the rivers Rupnarayan and Damodar and cross the ancient port of Diamond Harbour and the distant Industrial town Haldia, on the opposite bank. The cruiser would reach Kolkata by 11:00 AM. N.B. The above schedules are subject to tide and weather conditions.