The East - "Mystery on the Orient Express"

Arguably the most enigmatic city in the country – Calcutta – with a population of over 12 million people is often known as India’s “cultural capital”. We begin our discovery of this bewitching city on a ‘Heritage Walk’ of its distinct imperial architectural legacy. It highlights the 300 year old evolution of this city from where it all began - Dalhousie Square - named after the British Governer General Lord James Dalhousie. This throbbing vibrant metropolis was once the seat of the British Empire and also the intellectual control center of the freedom fight against it. Calcutta nurtured most of India’s Nobel Laureates. Its markets - and they are specialized for each commodity – are gems for either the photographer, the bargain hunter or the travel writer. As you cruise down the river Hooghly, which runs through the city - on the deck of your private cruise, with the setting sun, you watch the dazzling city lights and signature hallmarks – the glowing 18^th century Victoria Memorial or the Vidyasagar Setu (Bridge) – a Golden Gate lookalike. Your itinerary will consist of visits to the arts district where craftsmen sculpt clay images of gods and goddesses all year round – specially the goddess Durga – whose worship is the most famous festival in this region and in India. It is then that the city almost shuts down for a 5 day carnival a la Rio. A moment of reflection is in order during a visit to Mother Theresa’s Home followed by a visit to the beautiful serene temple ambience of India’s most well known saint - Sri Ramkrishna.

From Calcutta you drive through lush beautiful countryside before boarding your private cruise boat for a trip to Bali Island, home of the Sunderbans Jungle Camp a beautiful and comfortable ecocamp with ensuite rooms, set up by the local community on an island. The Sunderbans is a part of the world's largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, mysterious, unpredictable, vast, untamable and arguably perhaps, the last true wild frontier in the Indian sub-continent.  We take you to the world’s largest estuarine forest, a landscape dominated by great tidal creeks and waterways and home to some of the most sought after birds and animals, including the famous Bengal tiger. Here you will experience game cruises and birding tours through an amazing geographical wonder of the world. You will visit local villages, and interact with the community.  Enjoy a taste of their lifestyle, local crafts, cuisine and even be entertained in their local rural theatre. 

About 100 miles from Calcutta is an amazing temple town built by a line of Hindu kings before the British arrived here. Welcome to Bishnupur named after the one of the three gods of the Hindu pantheon Vishnu. All the temples are built of terracota and have intricate carvings of myths and stories baked on red clay. The architecture is exquisite and vivid – with pyramid roofs and arched circumbulatory galleries. This is also the place to be for curio shopping, terracotaware, silk and cotton weaving, craftware and a famous traditional pattern of exquisitely hand woven sarees. And of course you don’t miss out on the annual Bishnupur folk festival – 5 days of music, magic, crafts and festivities.

Sample Itinerary