Top 10 River Cruises & Boat Rides

Kolkata Varanasi on the Ganga: 

12 nights on board in the ship operated by RV Bengal Pandaw has created ripples among cruise enthusiasts with its innovative tour. The itinerary has the right mix of colonial India, Nawabi heydays, ancient temples, spirituality, Buddhist heritages and much more. Places covered include Chandernagore, Murshidabad, Fararka, Rajamhal, Vikramshila, and Patna. The cruise with various attractions onboard is an epitome of luxury travel.

Sunderban, the home to the Royal Bengal Tigers is also the largest contiguous mangrove area in the world. A 3 night 4 day tour operated by Vivada cruises takes to the interiors of this magical forest and Tiger reserve. The river cruise tour is interspersed with a mix of interesting activities that include wildlife, sacred pilgrimages and acquaintance with village life among others. Places covered include Namkhana, Netidhopani, Sajnekhali, Bali village etal.

A 10-night river cruise on the mighty Brahmaputra is operated by Assam Bengal Navigation. The tour originates at a river ghat located between Jorhat and Dibrugarh, and ends at Guwahati. The cruise takes one to the Majuli Island, supposedly the world`s largest river island, Kaziranga National Park, Silghat, Tezpur before anchoring at Guwahati.

The best way to explore Chilika, the largest inland brackish water body in Asia is by boat rides. Boats from Balugaon, Barkul, Rambha or Satpada ferry passengers to the various islands like Nalabana, Kalijai, Brahmaputra et al. Private boats as well as ferry services by Inland water Transport Department are available.

The launch journey on river Godavari from Rajahmundry to Sriramagiri or Kunavaram near the temple town of Bhadrachalam is one of the best tourist attractions of Andhra. The 100 km cruise takes nearly 13 hours. The journey takes one through various temples and hills along River Godavari. Important places in this river journey are, Pattiseema, Maha Nandiswara temple, Polavaram Project area, Papi Hills, Perantallapali, Sri Rama temple at Sri Ramagiri et al. A special attraction of the tour is the early morning sunrise on embarking from Rajahmundry.

Yanam on the eastern coast is under the administrative control of Union Territory of Puducherry. Yanam offers cruisers on River Vasishta, one of the seven distributaries of River Godavari before it joins the Bay of Bengal. Luxury cruises on the river and sea give a spectacular view of the rural landscape, islands, backwater, and river confluence points. A luxury cruise "Shuddha Saveri" is operated by M/s Saveri Projects Private Limited.

A boat excursion on the holy waters of River Ganges in the sacred city of Varanasi is an experience to cherish forever. Be it an early morning sunrise or a cruise during the twilight hours The ghats of Varanasi are always thriving with activities. So from offering worship to the sun god amid chanting of Vedic hymns, cremating the dead on the banks, holy men meditating, evening Arti of the Ganga Mata a boat ride is a nice way to understand the ethos of Varanasi.

Triveni Sangam is the place in Allahabad where Ganga, Yamuna and the third invisible river Saraswathi merge together to flow as one. A boat ride to reach the spot where the rivers merge is a fascinating experience. The Yamuna has a dark color somewhat bluish-black. After a few more minutes, you could see the Ganges with a kind of muddy color. The best part is perhaps to approach the place where a distinct line separates the 2 glasses of water.

Goa is not only sand and surf the cruises on River Mandovi are equally attractive and popular with the tourists. Goa Tourism Development Corporation operates various cruises from the Santa Monica jetty in Panaji. From the boat one gets to see beautiful sights like that of Adil Shah Palace, colonial buildings belonging to the Portuguese era, Miramar Beach, the shoreline of Verem and Betim on the river`s northern bank before coming back to the Santa Monica Jetty. Onboard there is live music and dance to jig things up.

A backwater cruise, in a luxurious houseboat from Alappuzha to Kochi is very popular. The route passes through, magnanimous Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater stretch in Kerala, then to the Kuttanad region popularly known as the rice bowl of Kerala, Kumarakom, Vaikom, Kumbalangi and finally Bolghatty Island.