This Ganga river cruise is the best way to uncover secrets of the Sundarbans

Antara Ganges Voyager travels from Kolkata to Sundarbans.

Watching from my balcony window as the ship navigated the mist-cloaked Ganga, I had a postcard view of life along the buzzing riverside. A procession of temples rose to meet a bright blue sky while young boys summersaulted into the water. This was like no other cruise I'd been on — and I've been on a few, all of them on the sea. I am on a five days special vegan cruise onboard Antara Ganges Voyager from Kolkata to Sundarbans.

Cruising is back and you might even say it's better than ever. Vacations at sea are suddenly one of the biggest things in travel as air travel gets progressively messier, not to mention exorbitant. But a river cruise is an altogether different experience. To begin with the vessel is much smaller than an ocean-faring ship. The Ganges Voyager has only 28 suites that accommodates fewer than 100 passengers, a scale that, in the post pandemic era, feels much more comfortable than a 3,000-person mega-ship. Beyond the lack of crowds, the size offers another advantage: I can get from my suite to the deck in two minutes, without the usual odyssey of packed elevators and “which deck am I on?” confusion that always gripped me on large oceangoing ships.

The deck is the most popular spot on Antara Ganges Voyager. (Photo: Nivedita Jayaram Pawar)

Floating and feasting

My suite on the third floor is tastefully kitted out with copious windows, Burma teak floors, hand-stencilled walls, lots of brassy accents and a four poster bed that faced the river. The ship herself is a joy to experience. The public spaces are layered with custom-made furnishings, book-filled shelves and paintings of life on the Ganga. When it comes to riverside scenery, it’s hard to beat the Ganga. My first few hours on the ship are spent in my suite admiring the picture postcard villages dotting the banks and fishermen in country boats tinkering with their nets. Unlike some cruise ships that feel like floating theme parks, this one looked like a sanctuary, and that’s what it proved to be, unfailingly, throughout my five-day long voyage. Day blends into night as we cross the Budge Budge Thermal power station and head to Namkhana a fisherman's cove and the entrance to Sundarbans.

The Sundarbans, where the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers outflow through a vast delta into the Bay of Bengal, comprises 10,000 sq. km of mangrove forests — the largest on the planet. “Unlike other sanctuaries that have the luxury of safari jeeps traveling deep into its thickets, boats are the only way to get to and around the 102 islands. The Royal Bengal Tigers of Sundarban are regarded as the best swimmer species of the cat family,” says Ikrar Khan, the naturalist on board, while explaining the topography of Sundarbans and the wildlife that exists there. The idea of spotting a royal Bengal tiger swimming in the water is palpable in the lounge where the guests spend the evening downing gin and tonics and vegan wines.

Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. (Photo: Aarohi Mehra via Antara River Cruises)

Meandering through the mangroves

After a breakfast of scrambled tofu and luchi we set off in country boats in search of the elusive tiger. Incessant rains and high tide meant high drama on the water. As our boat is pounded by the downpour and lashed ruthlessly by the wind, the river is simultaneously putting up a show and changing its colour from muddy brown to green and then emerald blue. “Low tide is the best time to spot tigers as the low water levels force the tigers to move around in search of food, water and to hunt,” explains Nobo Kumar Das our forest guide. When it comes to Sundarbans nature’s rules are tangled, just like the forest itself. This is where fish climb trees and animals drink saline water. It is also the land where roots of trees reach up to the skies.

Spotted deer in the Sundarbans. (Photo: Aarohi Mehra via Antara River Cruises)

Antara Ganges Voyager is spread across three decks with a bar, restaurant, fitness centre and a spa. Thoughtful touches are everywhere, like the chocolates on the bed at night and warm water when the server hears you coughing. There’s always something happening at the lounge — cooking demonstration, engaging lectures from naturalists, cultural dance performances, etc. But the best show on Ganges Voyager was the one put up by the stars each night.

The manmade ponds at Sundarbans. (Photo: Aarohi Mehra via Antara River Cruises)

The rains relent and the river calms down when the boat turns into a lonely, meandering creek. The forest feels alive, palpably so. Egrets pottering around the shore keep us company while sandpipers chase the boat. No sign of any stripes. But we stay hopeful as we return to the ship and a dinner of a vegan version of a traditional Bengali Thali.

Next day, we lower ourselves again into the boat with our binoculars and camera lenses the size of arms for another safari. This time the sky is overcast and the river sedate. Our first stop is Sudhanyakhali watchtower that looks over a manmade freshwater pond. At its base is a chalkboard that documents tiger sightings from the location. The last one was a couple of weeks ago. It’s quiet except for an army of bright red crabs and a pair of spotted dear nuzzling each other. “Sundari is Bengali for ‘lovely’ and the forest itself is named after the Sundari trees found extensively here,” explains Das.

Next up is the Do Banki watch tower with a canopy walk built 20 ft above the ground. A telescope set up by Khan helps us spot Brahminy Kites but there’s no trace of the tiger. On the way back we are a boat full of hawk-eyed travellers watching every bush with intent. Simultaneously a storm is brewing. This time it’s so ferocious that we scamper to the back of the boat and surface only when we catch sight of our ship. Returning from an excursion is always fun. We are greeted with smiles from the crew, and a drink that always seemed to be what we needed right then: a perfect hot chocolate, iced tea, kokum cooler.

For the night we dock in the charming Bally village whose residents are called 'bono bondhu' (Friends of the Jungle). Bally was notorious as a hunting village but the poachers had a change of heart and turned conservationists 15 years ago. “For generations we used to earn our living by hunting wild animals and birds. But now we realise the importance of the forest and its animals. We work with the forest depart and NGOs to protect the forest which is like our mother," says Anil Mistry a Bally resident and conservationist. After a visit to the village school we make our way back to the ship where a Santhal tribal dance is waiting.

The next two days are spent blissfully drifting on the Ganga and marvelling at the most stunning sunsets. We even spot a river dolphin while enjoying an iced coffee on the deck. The moment is followed by excitement, amazement, and a desire to see more antics from the gentle mammal. Yes a swimming tiger eluded me but the sheer vastness, wild beauty and mysterious ways of Sundarbans will linger in my memory forever.

Why take a river cruise?

The maharaja suite on Antara Ganges Voyager.

A river cruise is ideal for travellers looking for their first cruising experience.

With smaller ships and fewer passengers, river cruises feel more intimate and relaxed.

It's a slow and immersive way to explore riverside towns and sights without the hassle of checking into and out of hotels and figuring out local transportation.

Many river cruises such as Antara Cruises are also all-inclusive, which means you don’t have to think about the day-to-day costs of your holiday.

Eco-conscious travellers might also want to choose a river cruise over an ocean voyage, as smaller ships are kinder to the environment than larger vessels.

Forthcoming cruise on Antara Cruises

A suite onboard Antara Ganges Voyager.

Secrets of the Sundarbans, a 4 nights-5 days cruise is slated for October 14/20 and November 10. Prices start from Rs 122,000 per person, on full board basis.