North East India & Bhutan

After breakfast, visit Kolkata – West Bengal’s heady capital. You will explore the iconic Howrah Bridge, considered by many as the world’s busiest bridge is similar in size to Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Fish Market.

In the afternoon, we head towards the Indian Museum, a proud bastion of Kolkata’s rich and varied heritage and then, brace yourself for bartering and bedlam at the Hogg Market. Overnight at the hotel

After breakfast, proceed towards the airport for your flight to Guwahati ; The gateway to the Northeast, and the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the region. On arrival, our representative will welcome you at the airport and transfer you to ‘Pandu Port’, where you will be welcomed on board M.V. Mahabaahu, a cruise ship. You’ll be cruising the magnificent Brahmaputra River. From ancient temples to the Serengeti of India, the MV. Mahabaahu journey offers travelers a chance to experience the real Assam.

TYou’ll sail towards Silghat, keep an eye out for the smallest river island called the Peacock Island where the Umananda temple is located. Peacock Island is famous for the highly endangered Golden Langur. It would be a good idea to have one’s binoculars and cameras at hand. Soon, MV Mahabaahu drops anchor and the evening leads you to a ‘Kamrup Swaagat Bhoj’ or welcome dinner in the Mungri Mungram Restaurant with the Chef’s lavish spread of Asian, continental and oriental cuisine.

Overnight onboard MV ship.

You can start your morning with yoga, especially those who want to pay homage to the forces of nature, on an island or on the deck for an hour. If yoga is not your calling, keep your eyes peeled for a sighting of dolphins! Breakfast with a view? We say yes.

The cruise will sail past inhabited and deserted islands that may or may not survive the flood season. This is a day for sunbathing on the Donyi Polo Deck, a dip in the pool, indulging in massages or sitting in the warm waters of the Jacuzzi. You will indulge in a relaxed lunch and then after tea, proceed for a talk on ‘The River Brahmaputra and the tribal life that exists’ At dinner, enjoy interacting with the crew

Overnight on board MV ship.

Indulge in some yoga, as M.V. Mahabaahu sails towards Silghat. You will pass by the famous town of Tezpur and a famous 3km long arched bridge called Kolia Bhomora Setu.

After breakfast, you can hear a talk on ‘Kaziranga and wild life in India’. M.V. Mahabaahu drops anchor as you reach Silghat. Take a short drive to a tea estate where you can stretch your legs and enjoy a leisurely walk through the tea estate watching the tribal women picking tea leaves. Here, you stop for a talk with the Manager of the tea estate who familiarises you with the essentials of running a tea-estate, the lay of the land and the climate. Transfer to the tea factory to see the process of finally producing Assam Tea and coming to terms with ‘all that goes into preparing a cup-of-tea.

Reach Kaziranga and on arrival, check into the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we head for a drive to Bagori, the Western Range of Kaziranga.Open jeeps will be waiting for us, that will take us for some more wild life adventure and an extensive coverage of this magnificent park dotted with large water bodies called ‘beels’ in the local language.

Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is located in the flood plains on both sides of the Brahmaputra. The most prized inhabitant of Kaziranga is the greater One-Horned Indian rhinoceros, but the park is home to as many as 180 different mammals including wild elephants, tiger, deer, bison, and a rich variety of birds.

In the late afternoon, we drive to Guwahati. Arrive at Guwahati, and proceed towards your hotel. Should you wish, we can visit some tea plantations in Guwahati as well. Overnight at the hotel

After breakfast, head to Guwahati airport to take a flight to Paro. Arrive at Paro, and drive to Thimphu.

Thimphu, (at 2300m) is Bhutan’s capital city and center of government, religion and commerce. About 1.5 hours drive east from Paro, is this unique city with unusual mixture of modern development alongside ancient traditions. Home to civil servants, expatriates and monk body, Thimphu maintains a strong national character in its architectural style.

Thimphu has many places to visit Tashichho Dzong, this fortress serves as the office of the King, ministers and various government organizations. It also is the headquarters for central monastic body of Bhutan.

Memorial Chorten, was built in 1974 in the memory of third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, who is popularly regarded as Father of Modern Bhutan. It is a four-storey tall white building, containing statues and iconography of deities from complex tantric teachings and serves as an important place of worship for Thimphu residents, as well as from other parts of the country.

Zilukha Nunnery is housed in Drubthob Goemba (monastery). There are about 70 nuns who live and pray every day in the monastery. There are good views of Tashicho Dzong, Golf course and upper Thimphu.

Sangaygang View Point (Telecom Tower), there’s a wonderful view of Thimphu valley from the hillside below the telecommunications tower (elevation 2685m), high above the town at the end of a road that branches off from the approach to the youth center. The complex also houses the broadcasting studios of Bhutan television. Overnight at Hotel, Thimphu.

After breakfast drive to Punakha, an old winter capital of Bhutan. En-route, stop at Dochu La Pass 10,000ft/3,048m to view the eastern Himalayas, including Bhutan’s highest mountain, Gangkar Punsum. The road then drops down through varied –ever changing forest, finally emerging into the highly cultivated Punakha valley.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit Punakha Dzong or the “Palace of Great Happiness”, located on the confluence of two rivers (Phochu and Mochu). Chimi Lhakhang was built by Lama Drukpa Kunley in 1499. He subdued the demoness of the Dochu la with his ‘magic thunderbolt of wisdom.’ A wooden effigy of the Lama’s thunderbolt is preserved in the Lhakhang, and childless women go to the temple to receive a wang (blessing) from the saint.

It’s a 20-minute walk across the rice fields from the road at Sopsokha to the temple. The trail leads across rice fields to the tiny settlement of Pana. There are very few monks at the temple, which is surrounded by a row of prayer wheels and some very beautiful slate carvings. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast drive west via Dochula pass 3080 m, weather permitting enjoy the Bhutan Himalaya peaks above 7000 mt. Enroute visit:Institute of Traditional Medicine: The Institute of traditional medicine services is situated in Thimphu, located on a hilltop above the Traditional Arts Center and the National Library. The Institute supplies traditional medicines and medical services, trains doctors, and conducts research on traditional medicinal plants to identify the ingredients and develop new products.

After lunch, drive to Paro and visit Ta Dzong – originally built as Watchtower, which now houses the National Museum, Drukgyel Dzong ruin is located 14kms north of Paro town, near the end of the paved road. Drukgyal Dzong (victories fortress) was built around 1644-49 to commemorate the Bhutanese victory over the Tibetan-Mongol forces. Paro Rinpung Dzong was consecrated in 1645 by Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal on the site of smaller fort. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries it served as a bastion against invasion from the north. It is regarded as one of the finest Bhutanese architecture – with intricate wood work, large beams slotted into each other and held together without nails. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Paro airport for your onward journey. Ps, we recommend a window seat since you’ll be flying past Chomolhari, Bhutan’s second highest peak!