ASSAM DESPATCH 4

This 10-night cruise starts at Neamati, reached from either Dibrugarh or Jorhat airport, and terminates at Guwahati. Highlights are the old capital of the Ahom kings at Sibsagar, Majuli Island with its Hindu monasteries, Kaziranga National Park, temples at Tezpur and Madan Kamdev, and the silk weaving village of Sualkuchi.

Day 1, Sat
Arrive Dibrugarh, a typical colonial town and major American base in WWII, then drive 3 hrs to Neamati and embark on RV Charaidew. Alternatively arrive Jorhat airport and drive 30 minutes to embarkation point.

Day 2, Sun
Excursion by road to Sibsagar, the one-time capital of the Ahom kings of Assam. Shan by origin (Assam and Siam share the same derivation) but converted to Hinduism, they ruled Assam for some 700 years until the 1820s, and their culture and architecture is a strange and delightful amalgam of Indian and S.E. Asian. See temples with stupa-like profiles, and palaces of distinctive form - note the crocodiles and rather sexy caryatids that adorn the roof of the Rang Mahal. For the record book, the temple tank here is claimed to be the world's largest hand-excavated reservoir. After lunch, return to the ship and cruise for 2 hours across the river to Majuli island, supposedly the world's largest river island.

Day 3, Mon
Majuli Island possesses unique hindu monasteries famous for their dance drama performances - the whole island is now shortlisted for future UNESCO World Heritage status. You will visit a monastery around Kamalabari, and the Tribal Museum at Auniati before re-embarking and cruising downstream for some 4 hours.

Day 4, Tue
An entire day spent cruising. By the afternoon, Kaziranga National Park will be on our left - wild elephants are sometimes visible form the boat.

Day 5, Wed
This morning you will arrive at the little temple town of Vishnath, with a fine Ahom-period temple. Take a walk ashore before continuing the voyage down to a delightful mooring at Silghat, with butterflies abounding in the surrounding jungle. We disembark and make a first safari through Kaziranga National Park, taking a jeep ride through its Western Range, with good woodland as well as grassland and look-out towers over the wetlands.

Day 6, Thu
Disembark pre-dawn and drive to Kaziranga's Central Range for an early morning elephant ride, the best way to get really close to the rhino. Kaziranga is a World Heritage site, and with a population of over 1000 rhinoceros is the best place in the world to see these beasts. There are also good populations of tiger, wild elephant, sambar, swamp deer, hog deer, wild pig and many other species. After breakfast, walk through terraced tea gardens and visit a village of the Mising tribe. In the afternoon drive to Kaziranga's little-visited Eastern Range for a further jeep safari before returning to the boat

Day 7, Fri
Cruise downstream under the seemingly endless new bridge to dock at Tezpur. Here you drive out to the remains of the the 6th century Da Parbatia temple, with exquisite carved portal, then board cycle rickshaws to take you through the bazaars to Cole Park with its collection of medieval stone carving. Reboarding again, we cruise downstream, and should reach the little river settlement of Singri Ghat, its main street running alongside a tea garden.

Day 8, Sat
The day is spent on the river, traversing a lunar landscape of sand islands then closing on the range of hills beyond which lies Guwahati.

Day 9, Sun
This morning's voyage is particularly pretty, with jungle-covered hills on the south bank. Reaching Guwahati at midday, we moor opposite the city and climb up to the pretty Aswaklanta temple on the hill above before driving out to the beautifully sited temple ruins of Madan Kamdev, their erotic carving an indicator of the strong tantric traditions in the area.

Day 10, Mon
We cross to the main waterfront for a tour of Guwahati, driving up Nilachal Hill to the Kamakhya temple. With its tantric rites and animal sacrifices, the more squeamish may prefer to content themselves with the exterior. Visit the poignant Commonwealth War Graves, the museum and the bazaars before cruising down during lunch to the silkweaving village of Sualkuchi. In the afternoon drive out to Hajo, a place sacred to Hindus, Moslems and Buddhists. Visit a Moslem shrine with extensive hilltop views over the surrounding rural landscape, as well as the simple Hindu temple with its frieze of elephants and its sacred tank full of great carp, catfish and turtles.

Day 11, Tue
Walk through Sualkuchi to visit weaving workshops and see the whole process of silk manufacture, from cocoon to spinning to dyeing and finally to handweaving into exquisite saris and dress lengths before transferring to the airport for final departure.

Itinerary subject to river conditions. Elephant rides subject to availability.