World Tourism Day 2024 | The Great Escape: India’s magnificent inland waterways…

The monsoons have passed. The country has re-birthed. With shades of green and freshness taking over every inch of India, we present a travel special on World Tourism Day that celebrates everything new, beginning with our country’s hottest inland waterway wonderlands…

Rivers are our lifeline. There’s very little one can say to counter that truth in India. So much so, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that rivers are what made India, India. They connect states, cultures, languages, communities, religions and created the fabric upon which our great country is founded — unity in diversity. From civilisations evolving on their banks to cradling cities and towns and quite literally being mothers to us from life to death — our Indian rivers mean the world to us. Where we haven’t been blessed with rivers, we have been blessed with large inland fresh water and salt water lakes. Keeping that in mind, on this World Tourism Day we decided to curate a list of seven amazing river cruises and lake cruises that you can now experience across the length and breadth of our country. If cruise liners on the open wide sea claim to be the most luxurious travel destinations on water, several of our brand new river and lake cruises can give them a run for their money and how!

Odisha, by its waters…

Antara Cruises has already been in the news for waterway destinations on the Ganga. What we want to focus on, however, is on their cruises that chart the four mysterious rivers of the Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha. These brand new river cruises are offered on the MV Bhitarkanika & MV Mahanadi in 3 nights, four days and 2 nights, 3 days packages. Lying on the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha, Bhitarkanika National Park, popularly called the mini-Amazon, is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in our country after the Sundarbans. The cruises traverse the estuarine region of the Brahmani — Baitarani River systems, some of the most beautiful salt water forest regions in the world. INR 90,000 onwards.

The call of Axom!

A seven day itinerary is on the RV Kindat from Pandaw presents a brand new cruise on the Brahmaputra River with stunning scenery, dramatic wildlife and colourful working villages. You begin your journey in Guwahati where you will sail past Peacock Island, witness the endangered Golden Langur monkey and as you head towards Silghat you will hopefully be lucky enough to observe river dolphins and birds of prey. Continue on to Kaziranga where you will enjoy a safari searching for Indian Rhinoceros and the Indian tiger. Then, travel by small boat to meet local village women making crafts and if all of that isn’t enough how do kingfisher, eagle, vulture, water buffalo, monitor lizard and otter spotting sound followed by and an alfresco dinner on a deserted island? The service also provides longer itineraries. INR 2,90,000 onwards.

The grandeur of the Godavari

Moving South, if you’re visiting Andhra Pradesh, you can take a day-long boat cruise on the Godavari River. The boats leave from Polavaram in the West Godavari District and cover a distance of 130km (65km upstream and 65km downstream). The second pick up point is Anguluru, in the East Godavari District. The boat will pass a few temples and also passes through the point where the Polavaram Dam is being constructed. The Polavaram Project, when completed, will result in Asia’s second largest dam with 140 gates. Choose the tours operated by Godavari Grand for some of the best options. Rumour has it that the state will also soon start overnight services on these boats. INR 1,250 onwards.

Alone on the Konkan…

Mahahouseboat, a brand a new addition to the Konkan coastline is Maharashtra’s first houseboat, that cruises on the almost unknown Bav River in the picturesque town of Guhagar, Ratnagiri. Promoted by Tour Konkan, the service offers day and overnight packages and is the only such service in the area. Still pretty undiscovered by the masses, the stay is not necessarily luxury, but is comfortable and an absolutely unique experience. Also, with just one boat available right now, you will practically have the whole area just to yourself. INR 10,000 onwards.

Keralam’s languid backwaters

While doing an overnight stay on a houseboat in Kerala is very commonplace, some tour operators are ensuring that guests get a more immersive experience and this 5 Day Kerala Houseboat Tour from Kerala Backwater is definitely one that caught our attention. You get to spend three days on the houseboat with overnight stays on the Vembanad Lake in the boat at Mangalam/Marthandam, Nedumudy and Thakazhi. During the day you travel to small towns and villages via the backwaters at a speed that is meant to lull you into a lazy holiday mode. INR 1,00,000 onwards.

Chilika state of mind!

The recently introduced super luxury cruise Garuda with six bedrooms is a committed effort to soothe your soul with an experience, like never before in Chilika. With a check-in at 12 noon and the checkout at 10.30 am the next day, the luxury boat operated by Vikash Eco Resorts at Barkul, Chilika will take the tourists to different spots around the lake except for the prohibited areas and currently only operates single day and night packages. INR 20,000 onwards.

The gift of the Karavali

Dating back many years, before bridges and motor boats were used, houseboats and rice boats were used to transport goods from one coastal village to another in Karavali. Paradise Lagoon, that has introduced houseboat tourism into the region brings to its guests a piece from Kemmannu’s colorful history, in the form of this idyllic houseboat. A cruise on their Paradise Lagoon House Boat on Udupi’s coastline and backwaters offers spectacular views of the swaying palms, glimpses of the Arabian Sea, beaches and fascinating visuals of calm village life. The property also offers paddle boating, non house boat rooms, spa services, surfing, fishing, fine dining and lots more. INR 12,000 onwards.

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