MV Ganga Vilas- set to be the world’s longest river cruise- will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (January 13). The luxury cruise will cover over 3,200 km across 27 river systems in five Indian states and Bangladesh.
“ Our rich heritage will get further transcended in the global stage as tourists will be able to experience the spiritual, the educational, the well-being, the cultural as well as the richness of the biodiversity of India. From Kashi to Sarnath, from Majuli to Mayong, from Sunderbans to Kaziranga, this cruise packs an experience of a lifetime,” Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister of ports, shipping, and waterways, was quoted as saying in a press release.
Here is what’s interesting to know about the cruise:
Duration of cruise: The tour of the cruise would be around 51 days, covering over 50 tourist spots including the World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna, Sahibganj, Kolkata, Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and Guwahati.
Amenities and more: The MV Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 meters in length and 12 meters in width and sails with a draft of 1.4 meters. It has three decks, and 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists. The ship follows sustainable principles at its core as it is equipped with pollution-free mechanisms and noise control technologies.
Switzerland tourists onboard maiden journey: On its inaugural voyage, 32 tourists from Switzerland, will travel onboard from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam. The ship is expected to arrive in Dibrugarh on March 1.
Significant spots of its itinerary: The trip includes many major spots of historical, cultural, and religious importance like “Ganga Arti” in Varanasi, Sarnath, Mayong, and Majuli in Assam. Travelers will also get a chance to see Sunderbans famous for Royal Bengal Tigers, and Kaziranga National Park, known for one horn rhino.
Eight river cruise vessels are currently operational between Kolkata and Varanasi while cruise movement is also operating on National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra). Many water sports activities like river rafting, camping, sightseeing, and kayaking are in operation in many spots in the country.
Source- Hindustan Times.
