Day 2 Brahmaputra River Cruise Review

BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER CRUISE DAY 2

Now the adventure really begins! We had an early buffet breakfast onboard M.V. Mahabaahu, served between 06:30 and 07:15, which was followed by a very informative briefing of the day’s activities on the Brahmaputra River.

A woman wearing a sari is standing in a tea plantation on the banks of the Brahmaputra river

There were two wonderful guides on board our holiday cruise: Shagzill who had an excellent sense of humour and Payal, a woman with unbounded local knowledge and enthusiasm in equal measure! Both were incredibly patient, and always on hand to answer any questions. They made our experience truly special.


We learned so much about Assam, its people and wildlife. My husband, Bill, is particularly interested in birds (the feathered variety!) and there were countless different species in Assam so he was in his element!


We took an 80-minute drive to Sivasagar, a town in Upper Assam renowned for its Ahom culture. Here we visited the old palace,  and the Shiva Temple, which is believed to be the highest Hindu temple in India.

A very old building with stairs leading up to it Talatal Ghar Rangpur Palace

Another short drive and we were at Rang Ghar, situated on the outskirts of Rangpur. Rang Ghar is a two-storied building constructed by King Parmatta Simha as a place for royal members and dignitaries to watch and enjoy outdoor games.



Our last visit of the morning was the Sivadol, built by Queen Phuleswari Devi; here we had a great view of the Sivasagar tank, the largest man-made lake in India, which was excavated over 200 years ago.

TEA PLANTATION VISIT

Later in the afternoon we travelled to the Haroocharai tea estate, where proud owners Rajib and Indrani laid on a wonderful lunch in their beautiful garden, which overlooked the tea plantation. I’m not one for missing a good photo opportunity so when I spotted some tea pluckers, out came the camera!

Three women are picking tea leaves in a tea plantation.

Lunch was followed by an exquisite musical performance by four local boys followed by a dance performance of the "Seven Sisters", with each dancer representing the seven states: Assam, Arunachal, Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland.

A group of women are dancing the Seven Sisters dance in Assam, India

The tour ended with a fabulous talk explaining the process of tea making, from plucking to the drying and sieving process which creates ‘tea dust’ used for tea bags. The afternoon ended with how to make that perfect cuppa: bliss!

A river ship is docked on the shores of the Brahmaputra river.

BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER CRUISE ARTICLES

MV MAHABAAHU VIDEO

Rachel Wright, Owner of Select Travel Holidays, a travel agent in Bedford

Rachel, the owner and Managing Director of Select Travel Holidays, brings over three decades of travel industry expertise to her role. Starting her career at age 16 with Travelscene, she has built Select Travel Holidays from a small cruise specialist into an award-winning full-service travel agency.


Under her leadership, the company has earned multiple industry accolades, including recognition from luxury brands like Hebridean Island Cruises, Titan Travel, and Silversea. The agency's excellence has been further validated by consecutive TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies nominations for the East of England category in 2018, 2021, and 2022.


Rachel's hands-on experience, particularly in Asian travel and luxury cruising, informs the agency's high service standards. She has personally curated an expert team of travel specialists, ensuring each client benefits from deep industry knowledge and connections built over years of professional experience.

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