REVIEWER
Poonam Bhagat from India.
CRUISE LINE
ABN (Assam Bengal Navigation).
SHIP
ABN Sukapha.
DESTINATION
Brahmaputra River.
# OF NIGHTS
5.
DEPARTURE PORT
Pandu (Guwahati ), Assam, India.
DATE OF CRUISE
December, 2021.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE RATING
5 out of 5 stars (5=excellent, 4=very good, 3=good, 2=poor, 1=terrible)
-Food Rating: 4
-Cabin Rating: 4
-Service/Crew Rating: 5
-Itinerary Rating: 4
REVIEW
The Mighty Brahmaputra
A motley gang of 22 flew into Guwahati and drove about fifteen minutes to Pandu Port to embark on a cruise up the Brahmaputra. Excited and elated we boarded the ABN Sukhapa which was extremely well appointed with 12 air conditioned cabins boasting of en suite bathrooms, a saloon, a dining room and a hugely appreciated massage room.
But, the piéce de rèsistance was the expansive wooden sun deck peppered with wicker furniture and deck chairs. It was the perfect place to meet, hang, sprawl and luxuriate for five fabulous days, soaking in the sun while a gentle breeze washed over you and you gawked at the panorama that unfolded as we sailed down the ninth largest river in the world!
The mighty Brahmaputra is deceptive to say the least, its placid surface hides undercurrents that are forceful and non-conforming. It is a river that is revered, feared and respected at the same time.
Its beauty unleashes a beast every monsoon, violently destroying everything around its banks and relents as winter sets in, receding back and leaving pristine white sand beaches in its wake.
We cruised slowly and steadily, stopping near villages during the day, where, the more curious of our lot would disembark and explore.
Some of us were just happy lazing like lounge lizards on the deck watching the world go by. There is something to be said about being on a boat with literally nowhere to go. It makes you connect with yourself in an unhurried sort of way.
Every sundown we docked and every sunrise we set sail again. Sunsets were as early as 4.30pm, yet extremely precious as they bathed the river and washed the skies with rose tinted light.
Teas and coffees were served and as twilight closed in on us we would assemble in the saloon for an insightful presentation about our surrounding habitats. Drinks and a sumptuous dinner later, at 11pm, the generators would be turned off and we would head back to our cabins like a flock of sheep, the gentle lapping of the waters against our static boat lulling us to sleep.
One of my most memorable evenings was a barbecue on the sandbanks at twilight when the sands turned to silver and the ferry lights to gold.
Bonfires, bonhomie and barbecue!
The service was exceptional as was the crew.
Five days flew by as 22 people, some known some unknown, came together as a cohesive whole, bobbing up the Brahmaputra…
NUMBER OF SMALL-SHIP CRUISES TAKEN UNDER 300 PAX
1
Contribute to our pool of honest reviews by real passengers. QuirkyCruise wants to hear about your latest small ship cruise for our Reader Reviews, a growing reservoir of opinions by small ship cruise lovers around the world. We don’t edit or sugarcoat, we just present QuirkyCruise reader reviews straight from travelers to you.
SUBMIT a QuirkyCruise Reader Review, click here to access the FORM.
And here’s an INDEX of ALL our Reader Reviews. Have a look at what fellow travelers have to say and see what floats your boat.
Don’t miss a post about small-ship cruising, subscribe to QuirkyCruise.com for monthly updates & special offers!
© This article is protected by copyright, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author. All Rights Reserved. QuirkyCruise.com.
HEIDI SARNA
