River Cruise in India

Cruising can be the best way to spend a romantic holiday with the loved one. With the growth of tourism in the country, River Cruises are increasingly gaining prominence and popularity with the travelers. These cruises are not only a welcome alternative from the usual hubs of entertainment, but with the services and facilities offered on board and wonderful views that surrounds such a trip, it becomes a definitely memorable expedition.

River Cruising is a leisure activity that’s organized along inland waterways, with stops at various ports en route. Since many cities and towns developed around rivers, river cruise ships often dock in the centre of cities and towns.

The River cruise packages from India are exclusively offered for those who do not want to restrict their adventures to the lands of the shores! Spend your week languishing in the posh bars and restaurants aboard the ship and feel like the ‘king of the world’! Here are 15 top cruises from India and within the waters of India that you need to explore!

Kerala Backwater Cruise

Cruise through the coconut palm trees lined tropical warm, Emerald Waters of the Green Venice of the East of Kerala known as the God’s own Country. A waterways through the villages along the banks of the lakes, lagoons, rivers and canals of the Kerala Backwaters. Most cruise trips begin in Alleppey, known as the ‘Venice of the East’ for its extensive network of canals, with routes that depend on your embarkation and disembarkation points, the depth of the backwaters, and the number of nights you’re spending onboard; trips are tailor made so you could be cruising for anywhere between just one night and a week. It's also possible to do one-way trips, such as from Alleppey to Kottayam and Alleppey to Kochi. Some of the best routes include: -Alleppey-Kuttanad: Renowned for its paddy fields, it has an extensive network of narrow backwaters and is an excellent destination for experiencing village life around Thottappally, Nudmudy and Thakazhi. -Alleppey-Kumarakom: Many luxury resorts are located on the banks of Vembanad Lake in this area. It's also renowned for the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary and Pathiramanal Island. The canals are much wider and you'll cross the large expanse of the lake, -Alleppey-Kollam: This is a particularly long cruise, and is either a one-way day trip or overnight return. The route is really scenic with many narrow canals, farm fields, and secluded villages. It goes past Amritapuri Ashram of Amma the "Hugging Mother", and Alumkadavu where the houseboats are made. - Payyanur and Kottapuram near Nileshwar: This route covers Valiyaparamba Island and the Kavvayi backwaters. Oyster Opera theme village, dedicated to oyster farming, lies along it. Luxury Cruise on Backwater in Kerala: Oberoi M.V. Vrinda. The luxury cruise in India has eight spacious and tastefully-designed deluxe rooms, which look out to Kerala's beautiful backwaters through big windows. Each of the cabins is furnished with a king-sized bed, comfortable furniture, a TV and DVD player and has an attached bathroom with indulgent toiletries. It is operated for tour duration of 02 Nights/03 Days. Route: Vembanad Lake – Alleppey canal – Kanjippadam –Chambakulam – Pallathurathy

Best time: September till March

Sunderbans River Cruise

Cruise through the wonderland that is the Sunderbans – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with thick mangrove forests and Bengal tigers. The Suburbans, one of the world’s largest reservoir of mangrove forests is also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Cruise boat through this amazing and picturesque passage is one of the most cherishing experiences of a lifetime. The Suburbans Cruise, a prototype of amazing luxury and comfort is a wonderful excursion, full of most fascinating and elegant amenities.The cruise takes you through the course of the Malta River into the largest Mangrove forests in the world, passing by narrow creeks and Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. Through the journey guests come across heavenly sights. Diverse species of birds like the herons, kingfishers, salik bird, white-necked kites, bee-eaters as well as animals such as sweet water crocodiles, snakes, deer, monkeys, wild hogs and otters etc.

Best time: September till March

The Andaman Islands Cruise

One of the most natural and pristine regions of India, the views of the Andaman Island are unique and most attractive. The Andaman Islands cruise takes you through these picturesque sights to give you one of the most exciting and wonderful journeys of your lifetime. On-board, visitors will have a great memorable experience where they avail, amazing, international level services along with matching world-class amenities to enjoy

Best time: September till March

Cruising in Assam

The region of Dibru Saikhowa is a picturesque area of grasslands and swamp waters, located in between the famous Brahmaputra and Dibru rivers towards the east of Assam. A scenic and vibrant patch of Earth, the place is famous for Gangetic River Dolphins, numerous migratory birds, a wide range of orchids and feral horses etc. From the magnificent hills of green and the azure clouds, there are several sights for you to enjoy while cruising in this beautiful location. Kolkata -Kaziranga -Jorhat -Dibrugarh – Calcutta is fascinating River cruise to experience.

Best time: September till March

Mandovi River Cruise

Organized under the auspices of Goa Tourism, The Mandovi River Cruise is wonderful, couple of hour long sea drive along the Mandovi River, aboard Shantadurga or Santa Monica, which are the names of the cruises. With the background of Goa folk songs and dances, the amazing journey lets the passengers enjoy cool atmosphere and picturesque settings on the deck of the cruise.Lip-smacking fares, from an array of recipes, keep the visitors entertained while the return journey through Chorao and Divar Islands is equally mesmerizing.

Best time: September till March

Brahmaputra River Cruise

The mighty Brahmaputra River is the lifeline of the people of the North Eastern India. It is not only enormous, but the course through which it runs is one of the most picturesque and scenic regions of the country. With such a stunning picturesque trail, the Brahmaputra River Cruise leads the passengers on an exotic trip, taking them deep into the exquisite flora and fauna of the Kaziranga National Park, Majuli, which is one of the largest deltaic regions. The Brahmputra River Cruise conduct the guests from Guwahati to Jorhat, leading through Silghat, Sibsagar and Majuli, which are the locations that are rich in history and charm. -M.V. Mahabaahu Cruise- A slice of luxury in a remote part of India, this cruise is an amazing way to explore Assam

Best time: September till March

Cruising in West Bengal

Calcutta is an old port and indeed an ethnic city, having influence of British architecture with amalgam of local culture, old age traditions and rustic places. One can Cruise here in and around and enjoy the tour while visiting some important places like Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, Chandernagaore, a French colony (remained in French possession until 1950 ), battlefield of Plassey, Moor at sleepy Baranagar to see temples as well as the Indian countryside littered with mustard fields and mango orchards etc.

Best time: September till March

Mangalore River Cruise

Mangalore has also acquired considerable popularity as a place to enjoy cruise ride. It has almost been dream come true for the local residents as famous weekend escape on the serene waters of Phalguni River.The cruise begins from New Mangalore Port and gives tourist a memorable experience. The cruise is laden with luxury and lots of facilities and opportunities for enjoyment. The upper deck serves as a recreation spot as well as restaurant while in the lower deck, one can dance to their favorite Bollywood numbers while relishing small nibbles of meals. The food served on-board is one the special highlights of the cruise. Prepared by expert chefs, the fares are mesmerizingly delicious sea food delights. There are plenty of space on the ship where one can mix with the people, take in the fresh sea air or simply chill out in the ambience. Overall, a fine, relaxing experience when visiting Mangalore.

Best time: September till March

Lakshadweep River Cruise

One of the most exquisitely picturesque destinations in India, Lakshadweep is home to astonishing natural bounties and pristine landscapes with amazingly beautiful azure waters and expansive white sandy beaches. Furnishing an exotic excursion through these picturesque sights is M.V Karvati, the excellent cruise ship, with a total capacity of 700 passengers and 200 tons of cargo. The magnificent ship has over 100 berths and 70 first-class berths and also include a spacious dining hall, a gymnasium, a 152-seater cafeteria and a large airspace for a remarkable tourist experience. The ship is doubtlessly an architectural wonder. Besides, on-board restaurant serves delectable dishes to the delight of the visitors. A product of Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam, the cruise ship features independent galleys, a helipad and a swimming pool as well.

Best time: September till March

Best Season in India

River cruising is an activity that can be enjoyed during the dry season. September till March is indeed good time to Cruise on Indian water. It is best to avoid rivers during the monsoon.

What to Pack

Pack light as you will not have too much storage space once on board. Carry basic medicines – for motion sickness, nausea etc – and toiletries. It could rain anytime, so pack accordingly; carrying an umbrella is a good idea. Sunglasses, sunhat and sunscreen are a must

Ecological Concerns

Be a responsible traveler, do not litter When exploring inland, keep a paper bag handy for any trash Try and not be intrusive, especially when around wildlife Be respectful of your surroundings and abide by the rules of the land

Tips

If you have a disabled traveler with you, please check with the cruise operator if it has facilities to accommodate special needs. It is best to avoid rivers during the monsoon. Respect local cultures, as you would be experiencing many of them during your journey.

India Shore Excursions:

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRUISNG ON INTERNATIONAL CRUISE SHIPS.

WORLD ESCAPES INDIA exclusively aim at enhancing your cruising experience by endowing the best of India via our exclusive shore excursions. Our shore excursions are the short tours of one or two days after you reach the port of call which we exclusively organize according to your stay in India. We duly pick you up from the port of call and also drop you after concluding the trip. Via these shore excursions we try to give you the best of holiday experience in India. During your stay in India we let you explore the different port cities of India in the most organized way and with effortless means to travel. During your private shore excursion we appoint you a well versed private guide which will accompany you throughout your tour. With our preeminent and private shore excursions to India you can enjoy an ineffable cruising experience and take back home an unforgettable memory to cherish for life. Shore excursions are the specialized and private tours that commences from the prominent port cities of India - Mumbai, Cochin, Goa, Chennai, Mangalore and Port Blair. These shore excursions are exclusive to tourists who have Mumbai or Cochin or Goa or Chennai as their port of call. The excursion starts from these cities and covers prominent destinations of this incredible country within the short duration of stay. This trip includes exploration in the two major tourist destinations- Delhi, Agra as well. The eye candy of this exclusive shore excursion is Agra which will let you behold a lifetime experience of witnessing the white glory of the seventh wonder of the world – the Taj Mahal.

About Us

World Escapes India Pvt. Ltd. is a travel company launched in 2013 and run by passionate tourism professionals, committed to design innovative products which suits to the budget of all type of travelers. It is a dream of young professional having a collective experience of more than three decades in different areas of travel & airline Industry.Read More..

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