MV Mahabaahu (Downstream Cruise) MV Mahabaahu 07 Nights / 08 Days I T I N E R A R Y Day 1 Sunday :Arrive Jorhat & board MV Mahabaahu Day 2 Monday :MV Mahabaahu Day 3 Tuesday :MV Mahabaahu Day 4 Wednesday :MV Mahabaahu Day 5 Thursday :MV Mahabaahu Day 6 Friday :MV Mahabaahu Day 7 Saturday :MV Mahabaahu Day 8 Sunday :Deboard at Guwahati & flight to Kolkata Route Map Day 1: Sunday: Arrive Jorhat & board MV Mahabaahu (M.V. Mahabaahu sets sail at 1400 hours) Arrive in Jorhat where the representatives of MV Mahabaahu receive you and thereafter drive away to Neamati Ghat to board MV Mahabaahu. You are welcomed and ushered in to our cabins and soon after we enjoy lunch on board. Use the afternoon to settle in and this evening we indulge in a short local sail to enjoy the hues of the sun as it dips into the horizon. Raise a toast to the River Brahmaputra and enjoy this sundowner and look out for the Gangetic Dolphins that hunt in the vicinity of Neamati Ghat. Gather for a safety briefing and a presentation on the ship’s facilities as we sip on Assamese tea. Join us for a talk on the Shivasaagar, the Home-hosted lunch at a tea estate and Majuli, as an orientation before your visit these places. This evening gather in the lounge for drinks and move on for a sit-down Chef’s Welcome Dinner in the Ship’s Restaurant ‘Mungri Mungram’. You are briefed on the program for the following day once again. Guests also decide if they would like to go to Shivasaagar the next morning or would like to spend the morning relaxing on board. We all meet for Lunch at the Tea-estate. Wake-up calls are noted down according to the visit opted for. Overnight on board MV Mahabaahu (L, D) Day 2: Monday: Sibsagar/ Home-hosted lunch with a Planter’s family at their Tea-Estate After an early morning light breakfast, drive along the river and through the Assamese countryside, laden with huts, fish ponds and beetle trees. You witness road side vegetable vendors selling home-grown vegetables and fruits and some fresh catch of fish from the river. Reach Shivasaagar, the Ahom stronghold where monuments speak of an era of 13th Century, when the north- east was ruled by a Tibeto-Burman race that adopted the neo-Vaishnav philosophy of the locals. Visit the tallest Shiva Temple of India, Shiva Dol; Talatal Ghar, the Ahom Palace; the Rang Ghar, an amphi-theatre. Later, arrive at the Planter’s family home on the Tea-Estate and get a feel of the luxury, expanse and history of the years invested in growing one of the best aromatic teas in the world. Assamese tea is famous round the globe and is one of the only two places in the world which has native tea plants, the other being Southern China. We are welcomed by the guests and we help ourselves to the buffet of ethnic Assamese cuisine. After a relaxed meal and authentic Assam Tea we indulge in some tea-tasting and a talk by the professionals. This evening you return to the Ship at Sunset, freshen-up and step into the Lounge and enjoy a relaxed dinner in the Dining area. You are briefed on the program for the following day and we call it a day or continue in the lounge. Overnight on board MV Mahabaahu (B, L, D) Day 3: Tuesday: Majuli Island visit/ A Bonfire Evening with Barbequed snacks and Beverages on a deserted island, a unique experience This day the nature enthusiasts wake up early to enjoy a couple of hours of walk on the Neamati Bund which is a raised platform that juts out above the river. On one side is the river that constantly cuts and adds sand and on the other side a swamp fed by rain water which is a natural breeding space for birds. Enjoy a walk through this narrow village where the huts/homes have sprouted along the two sides of a 12 ft wide bund. At this early hour one can see the village waking up, milking cows, gardening, farming, children in uniform cycling to school and the fishermen fishing for a fresh catch from the net. This walk is an informal way of peeping into the simple unpretentious Assamese village life. After breakfast, MV Mahabaahu sails towards Majuli. You take our tenders to go ashore Majuli to experience the neo-Vaishnav culture of the world’s largest inhabited riverine island. Sail away in our tenders to Majuli to experience the neo-Vaishnav culture of the world’s largest inhabited riverine island. Enjoy Gayan Bayan, a religious dance by the priests. Drive to a different part of Majuli to watch ‘Dashavatar’’ by young Vaishnav girls and an episode from Ramayana—Mukha Bhavana. These are a peep into the varied and rich culture of Assam. You have lunch on board and enjoy the sail towards the Deserted Island. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee on the sun deck and watch the sun lowering itself. As the sun sinks into the horizon the navigation team locates an untouched deserted island moor for the night. The beverages are set and the seating arranged. The aroma of the barbecued snacks fills the air and soon the guests step out on the island. Drinks in hand we indulge in talks, charades, camp fire songs and story-telling and enjoy the star laden skies with the ambience of water all around. You pay homage to the Brahmaputra River by floating oil lamps. Move in to the ship’s restaurant to enjoy a sit-down dinner. After dinner the spirit of the evening moves into the lounge, watch a documentary/movie for an hour and retire to the comfort of your cabins. Overnight on board MV Mahabaahu (B, L, D) Day 4: Wednesday: Mishing Village Visit / Boat safari This morning enjoy Yoga or a walk on the untouched silver sands of the island. After breakfast sit through a short orientation on the Mishing Village Visit and the Evening Boat Safari at Agoratoli. You take our tenders to the Mishing Village to witness life on Chang Ghars of Bamboo scaffolding, bamboo roofs and matted bamboo walls. The Mishing women arrange their looms beneath their raised homes and weave bright and colourful ethnic designs in their waft and warp. This village provides an opportunity to add Mishing woven fabric to your wardrobe or home décor. Return to the ship and the ship sails away towards the Eastern Range of Kaziranga. After a sumptuous lunch and some rest, you get into our tenders to study the shoreline of the Eastern Range of Kaziranga and understand how the mighty Brahmaputra shapes and re-shapes the Banks. This area is the confluence of Dhansiri and Brahmaputra and promotes itself as a playground for Gangetic dolphins, tiny Assamese roof turtles and fish eating avians. Any wildlife we see is a bonus. Enjoy the Chef’s cooking demo and a talk on Assam, its geographical location, the role of River Brahmaputra, the tribal life and commercial Ventures like Tea, Silk and Jute that Assam is famous for. This will be followed by a short orientation on the Jute Mill and the Tea Estate Enjoy a relaxed lounge hour followed by dinner Overnight on board MV Mahabaahu (B, L, D) Day 5: Thursday Weaver’s village at Bishwanath Ghat/ Sail to Silghat/ Tea Estate visit and/or Jute Mill This morning we enjoy Yoga on the Sun Deck as the ship sails towards Bishwanath Ghat; to this tiny sub- urban village on the banks of the Brahmaputra which is sprinkled with temples and is a cosmos of weavers, fishermen, farmers, boat makers. Bishwanath Ghat wakes up once a week to the presence of MV Mahabaahu and the travellers of the world and excitement shoots across. The sound of the shuttle on tense warp and raised alternate weft moving back and forth is music to the weavers of this community. A Shiva Dol (temple) from the times of Ahoms looms over and a promenade along the outcrop of rocks and swinging country boats adds beauty to the area. The weavers display their stories on these colourfully woven fabrics and wait in anticipation. Bishwanath Chariali is the 6th Range of Kaziranga. Sail along Kaziranga and reach Silghat where the ship docks. After a relaxed lunch and some leisure, you walk to the Jute Mill to witness the complete process in a co-operative mill for turning the golden fibre into a gunny bag. All the families in Silghat and the Jute Mill have formed a special eco-system for themselves. From here drive to the Tea-Estate to see the women plucking tea-leaves and also to the tea-factory to see the leaves turn into various grains for packing (The tea-factory is operational till mid Nov and after mid-Feb). Enjoy the State Dance of Assam, ‘Bihu’ by young village boys and girls and return to the ship. Over tea-coffee and snacks enjoy A talk on 'Kaziranga and wildlife in India' and an orientation on the Elephant and Jeep Safaris. The evening leads us to the lounge and an early dinner. Wake up calls must be requested at reception for a 3:30 am coffee and light snacks in the restaurant. The group will depart for Kaziranga at 0400 hrs. Overnight on board MV Mahabaahu (B, L, D) Day 6: Friday: Kaziranga National Park (An early morning Elephant Safari and a Post breakfast Jeep Safari) Today wake up much before the dawn and sip away at a strong cup of Assam tea, some coffee and cookies.