When we started to plan our winter vacation, North East of India seemed to be the obvious choice. I had never been to this region before, and I had heard so many stories about this dynamic and unexplored part of India. I wanted to take my daughter to Kaziranga National Park which is located in Assam (“Awesome Assam“). During our planning stage, we came across an amazing river cruise on the Brahmaputra river. As the second half of our journey was already planned, we joined the upstream departure for 3 nights only instead of the regular 7 nights program.
Unlike river cruises around the world which are about enjoying sonic beauty, river cruises in India are about experiencing unique elements and seeing unexplored and unseen places. The North East of India has so many hidden gems and exploring Assam on a river cruise is an amazing idea as you stay in comfort , enjoy good food and the best part- you don’t have to pack and unpack on a daily basis.
River Cruise Experience
We were received at Guwahati airport and transferred to the riverfront where our boat awaited. Enroute we had an option to visit the Kamakhya Temple. The Temple is dedicated to the goddess of desire whose name is Kama Khya. She is believed in Hindu mythology to be the granter of desires. From here we continued to the port to embark on the cruise.
When we arrived at the Port, we walked across a massive bamboo walkway to reach the vessel. The cruise staff was very welcoming, we were offered a welcome drink and escorted to our cabins.
Bamboo bridge leading to the Boat
It wasn’t long before we saw some adorable river dolphins hopping in and out of the water. You have to be patient and need to wait for the perfect moment when they pop out for just about a second. Unlike ocean dolphins, which are blue in color, these river dolphins are brown in color.
Looking out for River Dolphins
As we started to cruise on the river Brahmaputra, we witnessed the calm and bold river and the serene life on its banks. The Brahmaputra is a fast-moving river and is known for its moving and changing sandbanks. There are a number of tiny sand islands created by the river and they all disappear at some point in the year. The islands are free for nomads to use and cultivate on. When the islands’ flood during the rainy (monsoon) season they are vacated by the nomads. As the water retracts, these nomads return and find for themselves a new island. Due to the shifting sandbanks of the river, our boat had a smaller pilot boat traveling ahead of it checking the water for sandbanks and clearing the way for the bigger boat.
River Island created by Sand-Banks
On our first afternoon, we visited a unique island known as the Peacock island where we saw the Golden Langur. It is believed by the locals that whoever visits the Kamakhaya temple, must then visit the temple on peacock island to fulfill the prayers. The peacock island is the smallest inhabited island in the world with only the priest and his family living on it. There is one Golden Langur on this island and he is clearly the celebrity of the place.
Golden Langur at Peacock Island
The following day was at ease and we visited a local village where Bangla community stays. We visited the fields, a village home, silver jewelry shop, barbershop, and had ample opportunity to engage with the locals in the village. We also saw a number of vegetables grow. This was the livelihood of people in the village. The was a school, which was closed for winter break.
Inside a village home at the Bangla Village in Assam
Mustard fields at the Bangla Village in Assam
For our visit to the village we were transferred from our cruise to smaller boats. It was very interesting to see how the boat navigated through the sandbanks on the river and reached the banks of the village. The cruise crew then made make-belief steps by carving the sand on the banks so we could reach the village and return to the boat with ease.
Children seeing of the boat after the Village Tour. Village tour of Bangla Village, Assam
The following day we cruised all day. The day was warm but the night was cold. Due to heavy fog in the morning, our cruising was delayed and our scheduled program for today had to be adjusted . The staff was very professional and experienced and knowledgeable. They did what was best to make our journey comfortable and safe. They made sure we didn’t miss any experience or excursion due to the delay.
Our third night on the cruise was short. We had to wake up early for our excursion. We woke up at 2:30 am and departed the cruise by 3 am. A 45-minute drive from the dock took us to Kaziranga National Park. Here we enjoyed pre-breakfast at a resort before continuing to visit the national park. Our first experience at the National park was on elephant backs. We experienced the beautiful sunrise as the elephants glided through the tall grass of the Park. We saw a number of Rhinos, big and small, grazing in the Jungle.
Sunrise during Elephant Safari – Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Elephant Safari – Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Elephant Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam
We then returned to another resort for a full breakfast before returning to the jungle for a jeep safari. Our naturalist showed us a number of birds and wild animals including more Rhinos.
Open Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Rhino spotted during Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park
Rhino spotted during Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park
Next on our schedule, today was visit to the beautiful tea gardens. We drove right into the middle of a private garden and enjoyed tribal dance performed by a dance crew exclusively for us.
Tea Garden, Assam
Tribal Dance at Tea Estate in Assam
Our final excursion for the day was to a Jute factory. We learned about the various steps that go into making and processing Jute. It was an interesting visit and quite informative. Not everyone on the group enjoyed it though due to the loud noise of the machines and the excessive fiber in the air. We all wore earplugs and masks over our nose and mouth.
Jute Factory, Assam
We returned to the cruise for lunch before we checked out of the cruise. The cruise then continued to visit other amazing places in Assam. The cruise also takes you to tea garden/factory, silk weavers colony, Mishin village, Sibsagar, and Majuli Island- the biggest river island in the world.
Boat Docked near Kaziranga National Park
Daily lunch was served as a buffet while dinner was a sit-down meal. Each evening we enjoyed tea and hot snacks on the sun deck with the view of a fascinating sunset. The sun deck was also the perfect place to witness life on the banks of the river.
Sunset from the Sun Deck during the Brahmaputra River Cruise
The cruise is a good way to explore Assam. You stay on boat with clean rooms and good food ( of international standards) and excellent hospitality and yet you get to see the uniqueness and unexplored parts of Assam. Due to limitation of time, we only stayed on the cruise for 3 nights and then continued to visit Meghalaya. However, I am now intrigued to visit Assam again and explore more of it. At the end of the cruise, we were completely mesmerised. Our amazing river cruise on the Brahmaputra river in Assam turned out to be a great way to explore Assam.
The cruise is good for a slightly older demographic of people. If you like to relax and explore and enjoy experiential travel, then the river cruise is perfect for you. I took my 6-year-old daughter on the cruise. She was very excited about the excursions but perhaps the cruise was not the right place for her. She needed activity and entertainment while the cruise offered a more calm and quiet environment which was not fit for a 6-year-old.
Best time to visit Assam
We traveled to Assam in December 2018. The best time to travel to Assam is November – February. During winters the days are warm but the nights are cold. October and March have transitional weather and are also a good time to visit. Kaziranga National Park is inaccessible during the rainy season between July and September as it often gets flooded. Summer months are between April and June, It is hot and humid during this time and should be avoided.
Overland / Roadtrip in Assam
If you planning a road trip in Assam then look out for the accommodation. Good to basic hotels are available in big towns. However, in smaller towns look for the best available hotel. In most cases, these will be a guest house. At a guest house, always ask to be booked in the suite room. The suite is normally the biggest room. The facilities however are the same across all the rooms. Room heaters would also only be available on rent and if traveling in winter it is better to pre-book them with the guest house. Also where a possible request for a high car – an SUV or MUV.
I would definitely recommend booking a trip to Assam and other parts of the northeast through an established and experienced tour operator as finding and communicating with drivers, hotels and local vendors is not always easy in this part of India.