River liner a ‘landmark’ for tourism
With its butlers, five-star cabins and ‘‘Michelin-style’’ cuisine, India’s first domestically built cruise ship has embarked on its 3200km maiden voyage, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi heralding a new age of river tourism.
Guests on board the 62m MV Ganga Vilas will take in wildlife and dozens of landmarks over 51 days, during what its operators describe as ‘‘the world’s longest luxury river cruise’’.
It set off from the sacred River Ganges in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state, and will navigate no fewer than 27 waterways through five Indian states and Bangladesh before arriving in Dibrugarh in the northeastern state of Assam on March 1.
For NZ$480 per night, its 36 predominantly Swiss passengers will take in forts, palaces, temples, and Buddhist monasteries, as well as sanctuaries such as Kaziranga National Park, home to tigers, elephants and rhinos.
The food, however, is vegetarian – and no alcohol will be served on board.
India has about 400 rivers, and the trip marks an ambitious effort to tap the potential of the inland cruising industry, according to Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s minister for ports, shipping and waterways.
‘‘This will be the single largest river journey by a single river ship in the world, and will put both India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map,’’ he said.
The Ganga Vilas took five years to
build and was completed last year by Antara Luxury River Cruises, which previously specialised in smaller-scale trips.
Launching the vessel by video link yesterday, Modi hailed a ‘‘landmark moment’’ that he said would create jobs and revitalise a tourism sector that had been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kashif Siddiqui, Antara’s marketing director, promised that guests’ appetites would be sated as they glided along at a leisurely 18 to 22kph, with ‘‘meals prepared by US- and UK-trained chefs,
offering a Michelin-style dining experience, and total comfort throughout’’.
Siddiqui said India’s river heritage dated back more than 4000 years to the Indus Valley civilisation, but the ship’s brightly coloured interiors were inspired by historic tantric designs as well as the 1950s modern art scene that followed partition in 1947.
Those hoping to enjoy the full 50-night voyage, however, might need the patience of a yogi – the cruises are fully booked for the next two years.