ASSAM CRUISE EXPERIENCE
A cultural tour of India

Assam, the gateway to India’s most intriguing North Eastern States of Arunachal, Pradesh, Nagaland, Maripur, Mizoram, Tripura and Maghalaya. Situated South of Bhutan nestled in the Eastern Himalayas; Assam is a popular destination for wildlife located mostly in the two World Heritage Parks of Kaziranga and Manas National Parks. Home to the one-horned Indian rhinoceros, tigers and numerous species of birds, Assam is also home to one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephants. Assam is endowed with lush greenery and is also known for its tea. Cruising on a riverboat on the mighty Brahmaputra is the way to see this unique region of India.

Tour Summary	Map
Day Place 01 Arrive Guwahati / Manas National Park 02 Manas National Park 03 Hajo 04 Kaziranga 05 Kaziranga 06 Vishnath: Cruise 07 Dhansiri Mulkh: Cruise 08 Kaziranga: Cruise 09 Further upstream 10 Majuli Island: Cruise 11 Sibsagar: Cruise 12 Departure

Day 01: Arrive Guwahati / Manas National Park (4 hrs) (INDIA)
Our tour starts from Guwahati. There are different routes that one can take to get to Guwahati including Delhi, Calcutta, Darjeeling or Phuntsioling in Bhutan – please ask for details. Upon arrival at Guwahati we are welcomed the traditional Indian way with hands clapped together. After lunch, we drive to Manas National Park a World Heritage site bordering Bhutan. Manas Park has a count of 50 tigers with 500 wild elephants. It will be our attempt to seek out some of them during our stay at the Jungle Lodge.
Overnight: Bansbari Lodge (2 nights) (L, D)

Day 02: Manas National Park
Early morning we start our adventure on elephant backs viewing the different species of deer, monkeys, Bengal Floricans, Great Hornbills and some of the 380 different species of birds that reside in this park. Later we walk through a local village and get a good insight on how the Bodo tribes’ hand weave traditional clothes followed by a visit the famous Assam tea estates. At the Beki River, it is an ideal to view elephants bathing. From here we take our 4 wheeler to Mothanguri Lodge to observe a spectacular sunset over the Manas River and the Bhutan hills –another moment for camera clicks. While returning at dusk we may be fortunate to view some wildlife, like wild buffalo and elephants and if we are lucky, tigers. Dinner is followed by tribal dances around the campfire. (B, L, D)

Day 03: Hajo
Rural scenery as we drive to Hajo, an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religions, Hindus, Moslems and Buddhists. We visit the Moslem shrine known as Poa Mecca with its beautiful hilltop views followed by Hayagriva Madhava Mandir – a famous Hindu temple. Some Buddhists believe that Buddha attained Nirvana at this temple. After lunch we drive to Sualkuchi to visit silk weaving workshops learning the complete process of silk manufacturing, from cocoon to spinning to dyeing and to hand weaving, from cocoon to spinning, dyeing and finally to hand weaving into exquisite saris. Crossing the river to Guwahati at Nilachi Hill, we visit the aesthetic Kamakhya temple on Nilachal Hill, which has five temples depicting different forms of Shiva and several forms of the Goddess Kali.
Overnight: Dynasty or similar hotel, Guwahati (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 04: Kaziranga
Morning we drive to Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage site where over a thousand rhinoceros habitat with a large number of tigers, wild elephant, Sambar, swamp deer, hog deer, wild pig and many other species. It will be a scene from the jungle wilderness before we drive to Kaziranga’s Western Range for a jeep safari. Our night halt as at a beautiful Bamboo built Jungle Lodge on the bank of Diphlu River.
Overnight: Diphlu River Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 05: Kaziranga
A pre-dawn start for the Kaziranga’s Central Range for an elephant ride. The timing is the best suited to get us very close to the rhinos and other animals. We return to our lodge for breakfast. Late morning we enjoy a walk through terraced tea gardens and Karbi tribal village. From here we drive to a Mising tribal village, with their distinctive houses raised on piles. After lunch we drive to Steamer Ghat to embark on our cruise boat on the Brahmaputra.
Overnight: Cruise ship (7 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 06: Vishnath: Cruise
Another opportunity to get offshore and experience an elephant safari after which we sail upstream viewing the Kaziranga National Park – spotting wild elephants. Around midday we reach Vishnath and get off shore to see the Ahom-period Shiva temple. There are other temples of later period here, which we also see before continuing our river cruising. (B, L, D)

Day 07: Dhansiri Mulkh: Cruise
Relaxing on the boat, we spend the day cruising the mighty Brahmaputra River. We will see the Genetic dolphin and other aquatic and wild animals. Also, observing the bank side villages as we sail through. Evening, we arrive at Dhansiri Mukh where the common birds and wild ducks graze. (B, L, D)

Day 08: Kaziranga: Cruise
This morning we disembark and take a jeep safari into Kaziranga’s little-visited Eastern Range. This is an area known for its good woodland and grasslands a favorite site for nature lovers. Here we may spot the rare Bengal Florican. (B, L, D)

Day 09: Further upstream
Another day spent cruising upstream. We disembark to see several villages and get a good insight into the life of Indian villagers. An excellent opportunity to intermingle with the village folks who live in perfect harmony with nature. It is really fascinating to see the simple and beautiful life of local folks. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Majuli Island: Cruise
Around breakfast time we should reach Majuli Island, reputed to be the world’s largest river island. Macula is also known for flora and fauna harboring many rare and endangered avifauna species. This island is home to unique Hindu monasteries famed for their dance-drama performances – the whole island is now short listed for future UNESCO World Heritage status. We visit a monastery at Auniati with an eclectic museum and another at Kamalbari where we attend a dance performance. Before cruising cross to Neamati Ghat on the opposite bank. (B, L, D)

Day 11: Sibsagar: Cruise
Today we visit the Gatoonga Tea Estate and are walked through the various stages in tea processing (factory do not operate between Dec and Mar). From here, we drive to Sibsagar – one-time capital of the Kings of Assam. The architecture is a strange and delightful amalgam of Indian and S.E. Asia. We see temples with stupa-like profiles, and palaces of distinctive form- note the crocodiles and rather sexy caryatids that adorn the roof of the Rang Mahal. For the record book, the temple tank here is believed to be the world’s largest hand excavated reservoir. We return to our boat, which has cruised to Dikhou Mukh close to Sibsagar, and spend our last night on board. (Dependent on river conditions, the last night may be spent at Neamati, close to Jorhat). (B, L, D)

Day 12: Departure
After a wonderful time experiencing Assam, we are transferred on a 2.5 hours drive to Dibrugarh airport. En route we pass through a typical colonial town which was a major base for the US flight over “The Hump” to China in WWII. Alternatively we can drive for 1.5 hours to Jorhat airport. To take our flights to Delhi or Calcutta to take our international flights home. (B)

Departure Dates
2012 English Speaking Departures Jan 03, Mar 27, Apr 03 , Sep 27, Oct 15, Nov 27, Dec 11 Note: Departures dates may change due to cruise schedules
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Hotel Accommodation as mentioned (or similar) International / Domestic Airfares Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast, L= Lunch, D=Dinner) Departure / Airport taxes All Sightseeing and transfers Insurance / Visas Services of local English speaking guide Tips / Gratuities Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary   7 nights Cruise on River Bhramputra   Domestic Travels
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2012 US $ 5325 US $ 2625
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast US $ 1600 USA - West Coast US $ 1400 Canada - East Coast US $ 1200 USA - East Coast US $ 1000
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 12 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.