“Every so often, something comes onto the cruise radar that jumps straight to the top of my must-do list. That something is the news that Scenic is launching 10-day cruises on the Ganges in India on Scenic Aura, a river ship that holds just 44 passengers, starting in September 2027.
Why am I so excited? Well, for one thing, I love India. It’s colourful, intriguing and, yes, chaotic, which only adds to its charm. For another, I cruised the Ganges a few years ago, and it was brilliant - a journey into a world that was a million miles from the packed streets of Delhi or the crowds that visit the Taj Mahal daily (but if both appeal, don’t go away because there’s more on them later).
We saw shy pink river dolphins, visited remote towns and villages where tourists were a novelty (can we take your picture, young lads and lasses would ask shyly, before taking it in turns to pose with us), rode in horse-drawn carts and trishaws, and explored crumbling mosques and fascinating temples.
A tour to the Shiva Temple in the village of Kalna revealed an extraordinary 108 shrines arranged in outer and inner rings. The number echoes the 108 names of Lord Shiva mentioned in Hindu Scriptures, our guide explained. Inside, the grand Greek-style Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad, now a museum, we counted doors - well, we tried. There are 1,000 in all, many of them fake to foil robbers.
I cannot tell you how many extraordinary memories are flooding back as I write this. None more so than our trip to the Krishna Consciousness Movement HQ in Mayapur, where followers devote their minds to peace, love and chanting Hare Krishna. I have honestly never seen so many happy faces. “I want whatever they are on,” a fellow cruiser joked.
The peace and quiet while cruising the Ganges, India’s most sacred river, is quite a contrast to Kolkata, where Scenic’s cruise starts and ends. It’s big, busy and an experience in itself, with people, cars, taxis, rickshaws and aged buses all doing battle for space on the road and pavements.
And then there was the tram - the only one in India, built during British times. I loved how it had to stop now and then to wait for the ‘points’ men to arrive with steel bars to manually change the direction of the tracks. I’m delighted to see that Scenic includes a ride on it as part of an excursion in Kolkata at the end of the cruise, as well as a visit to the spectacular white marble Victoria Memorial, built after Queen Victoria’s death and designed with echoes of the Taj Mahal. The tour will also take in the wonderfully colourful flower market.
As always with Scenic, excursions are included, along with flights, meals, drinks, tips, Wi-Fi, airport transfers, the lot. I know the cruise will be amazing, but as Scenic is also an expert when it comes to touring, it is also offering five different cruise-tours, with all internal flights or rail travel also covered, of course.
If you can’t bear to miss out on the Taj Mahal, a pre-cruise tour taking in the Golden Triangle is a must, and there are a couple of variations that add the holy city of Varanasi, national parks, Jodhpur and Udaipur.
Or how about pairing the river with 15 days touring Kerala? I was there last year, and it’s a wonderful part of India, so beautiful.
Let’s just say the skill of the actors and elaborate costumes and make-up have to be seen to be believed. And then there is the cruise-tour pairing the Ganges with Sri Lanka, a gorgeous country with breathtaking UNESCO sites, bird sanctuaries and national parks that naturally will be visited on the tour.
Decisions, decisions, eh? Luckily, the experts at ROL Cruise are on hand with more information and suggestions to help you make a choice. “
