Soul Journeys

A journey through wilderness...

Sail on an adventurous trip through the amazing flora and fauna of the Sunderbans and that too in a luxury ship... it promises to be a memorable journey.

Sunderban boasts a mix of dense mangrove forests and a fabulous wildlife that attracts visitors like a magnet. The unique biodiversity of this delta wins applause from all those who visit it. The delta at the meeting point of the great rivers, Ganga and Brahmaputra covers a total area of 9630 square kilometers. Sunderbans flaunts 84 species of mangrove and mangrove-related plants, 200 species of birds, including herons, tree birds, raptors, egrets and many more. It houses the largest number of Royal Bengal Tigers in India.Out of the 102 islands at Sunderbans, 54 are inhabited and the people here make a living from agriculture, fishing and honey collection.

Sunderbans, the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 and was honored as a Biosphere Reserve in 1989.

Vivada Inland Waterways Limited owns a fleet of vessels and is the largest inland waterways company in India. The company presents M.V.Paramhamsa, an advanced luxury cruiser which will take you on a memorable sail into the Sunderbans.

Vivada Cruises takes you through the meandering rivers and the eerie creeks of Sunderbans to make your trip a thrilling one. This will give you the chance to be at one with nature and at the same time enjoy the luxuries provided by the cruise. The international standard facilities and the complete onboard service that the cruiser offers are exquisite.

Vivada Cruises wins your heart with its hospitality. The chefs onboard take care of your appetite and your tongue taste buds. The mouthwatering spread of dishes includes lobsters, fishes and other special sea-foods from all corners of the world.

After munching on the delicious food, burn some calories at the cruise gym. You can also get an Ayurvedic treatment at the massage parlors or read at the library to spend some quiet quality time. The bar also enables you to have a great relaxing time. Visit the art gallery and also enjoy the onboard entertainment programs. The conference rooms with Internet connection and fax facilities are convenient for the corporate traveler.

The ship, M.V.Paramhamsa is 53 meters in length and it houses a total of 32 cabins. The four-decked ship has an under deck, main deck, first deck and sun deck.

The comfortable rooms of M.V.Paramhamsa are air-conditioned, spacious and possess attached baths for the convenience of its guests. The ship comes with 12 luxury rooms on the first deck and 20 deluxe rooms on the main deck. The rooms are equipped with telephone, ample reading stuff, tea and coffee maker and even an emergency kit.

Sail to the Sunderbans with Vivada Cruises and experience the trip of your lifetime.
The Cruiser

The cruiser vessel M.V. Paramhamsa is a four-decked vessel

Under Deck: Houses all utilities - kitchen, engine room, cold storage, washing and laundry room, crew accommodation, fuel and water tanks, sewage treatment plant etc.

Main Deck: Has 20 air-conditioned luxury passenger rooms with attached bath.

First Deck: Has 12 luxury Family Rooms, the Bar and Restaurant, the massage parlour with Steam and sauna facility and has a Promenade Deck which is converted into activity area like Gym etc.

Sun Deck: This is the top deck of the ship. This part has been exclusively created for Nature viewing, sun lounging, Entertainment, Star gazing through Telescopes, night vision Binoculars etc. It can also accommodate open-air conferences with all facilities.

Guest Rooms: 20 luxury rooms of 135 sq ft in the main deck and 12 Luxury Suites of 162 Sq ft in the first deck.

All Rooms are River Facing
Air conditioned with individual controller
Attached Bath with Hot & Cold Water
Intercom facility
Personal Coffee/Tea Maker
Locker on request
The suites have extra bed provision

Capacity 80 Pax
Terrace restaurant
Cuisines from all over the world
Live Kitchen to try out local recipes

Gym
Massage Rooms
Steam cum Sauna
Juice counter
Library and TV
Loungers
Gift Shop

Length 55 mtrs
Breadth 12 mtrs
Draft 1.5 mtrs
Speed 12 Knots
Classed under Indian Registry of Shipping

Cruise Overview

Vivada offers weekly sailings of four days and three nights package, traversing the terrain of Sunderbans, East to West and North to South.

Feast your eyes with the beautiful beach, river, village, forest, numerous creeks and islands rich in flora and fauna. You can enjoy a journey through the wonderful world of wildlife and the fabulous culture and traditions of rural Bengal.

With Nature at its best, tranquil yet wild, Sundarbans beckons both the young and old who are adventurous and dare to take the challenge of the unknown. It is also ideal for the ones seeking tranquility in cruising through the quiet waters of Sunderbans.

While it is the most ideal setting for the families it could also be the most suitable venue for the businesses of the corporate icons with full fledged conference facility on board.

Cuisine

Nature's beauty is not the only feast on the Cruiser. Our delectable cuisines offered by Chefs of repute prepare you for a memorable gastronomical journey. Our spacious Multicuisine Restaurant (The Mangrove) set amidst an serene ambience on the first deck, offer a combination of delectable gourmet from a variety of oriental and continental dishes.

Here, in the prime location of the ship, aroma drifts, delicacies enthuse, service enthralls. We fuss over our guests with traditional Indian hospitality and lay out a lavish buffet for the gourmet in you.

We pamper our guests with an amazing array of Regional Indian favourites which has a good mix of the traditional and the innovative. On offer are also Pan Asian culinary delights from the Chinese and Thai to the Oriental and an exquisite range of Western delicacies.

So, be it a vegetarian's delight or a non-vegetarian's lip-smacking preparations, the Sunderban specials of prawn, shrimp and crabs will always be standing by, if you choose to sample ethnic taste.

Our well-stocked bar (Matla) with a wide collection of choicest liquors will be at your service to wash down your sumptuous meal.

Enjoy the exotic, juicy Kebabs in the evenings on the Open Deck (Hooghly), or have a leisurely sip at a stimulating cup of Cappuccino at our Coffee Shop (Heron Point) perched on the terrace!

You may also try your own recipe at the live kitchen counter as well!

Eatery Highlights

Eatery	Position	Specialty
The Mangrove	First Deck	Multi-cuisine (Indian, Continental, Chinese or Oriental)
Matla	First Deck	Bar
Heron Point	First Deck	Terrace Coffee Shop
Hooghly	Sky Deck	Kebab corner

Entertainment
The evenings will be lit up by the various entertainment programmes on board. An enriching time on the deck can be spent by enjoying the various shows planned for the evening.

The programmes will showcase rural Bengal through various folk songs and cultural activities.

Check in at the Millennium Park Jetty by 8.30 AM. M.V. Paramhamsa will cast off at 9.00 AM, once all guests have checked in.

The cruiser sets sail along the beautiful Ganges towards the south, passing through the various heritage sites for seven hours to reach Namkhana, a fisherman's cove and the Gateway to Sunderbans. The guests can unwind, relax, soak in the beauty of the river, read books in the library, interact with artisans or take an Ayurvedic massage.

The cruiser will drop anchor at Namkhana for the night. The guests will have several choices – watching wild life film shows or a talk with a wild lifer and a dinner with music from modern and traditional Bengal.

At 5.30 AM the guests can see the spectacular sunrise, while the cruiser sails towards the east. This day the guests will experience the lifestyle of the people of Sunderbans, their traditions, culture along with the rich Biodiversity of the region.

The busy fishing harbour will give an insight to the lifestyle of the fishermen. The guests can buy fresh fish and other sea foods to be cooked in the live kitchen counters.

After the interaction of the guests with the fishermen, the cruiser enters Sunderbans to navigate through the narrower creek of Hatania – Doania. The guests will have the first glimpse of the dense mangrove and the vast river system with several creeks flowing into the main rivers.

The first excursion will be to Lothian Island, a forest trail or visit to the Crocodile project at Bhagabatpur. Thereafter, the vessel will turn towards the towards North-East.

The vessel will again drop anchor at the confluence of the River Malta and River Bidya. From here the guests will be transferred to a small creek boat for a ride through the creeks and shore visits to some of exotic Sunderban islands – Nethidopani / Dobanki, Sajnekhali, along with a Wildlifer, who will guide the guests to experience the forest, sight animals and birds, explain various mangrove species and tell interesting stories of the islands.

After sun sets, the guests will enjoy a rich mythological folk drama by the local artists.

The guests can also enjoy a romantic night with star gazing from the sky deck, soak in the serenity and tranquility of nature.

This morning there will two exciting shore visits – First a visit to Bali, a beautiful Sunderban Village. Guests will experience farming, paddy husking, honey packing, fishing and various occupations of the region. And..

As we traverse back we will visit some of the other exotic locales not visited on the previous day like Lothian Island, or Crocodile project at Bhagabatpur before starting the return journey to Kolkata.

Sailing through the various Ghats of the River Ganges, the cruiser will pass the magnificent confluences of the rivers Rupnarayan and Damodar and cross the ancient port of Diamond Harbour and the distant Industrial town Haldia, on the opposite bank. The cruiser would reach Kolkata by 11:00 AM.

N.B. The above schedules are subject to tide and weather conditions.

Tariff

We offer sailing every week.

from Kolkata to Kolkata,
for 4 Days and 3 Nights. Sailing will start off at 9.00 AM and guests should reach before 8.30 AM

Out of the destinations marked on the map, the vessel will drop anchor only at 4 or 5 locations.

	Room Type	Price for 3 Nights 4 Days (per pax)
Up to March 08	Deluxe	INR 29000/-, US$ 735
Up to March 08	Luxury	INR 35000/-, US$ 885
April to September 08	Deluxe	INR 20000/-, US$ 500
April to September 08	Luxury	INR 24000/-, US$ 600
October to March 09	Deluxe	INR 29000/-, US$ 735
October to march 09	Luxury	INR 35000/-, US$ 885

Third compliment is permitted in luxury category only and chargeable 40% extra.
Children below five years sharing the room is chargeable 20% extra.
All Applicable taxes extra.
Cancellation Charges

15%: More than One month before the Sailing date
50%: Between One month to Fifteen days before sailing date
100%: Less than Fifteen days before sailing

Classification: IRS
Port of registration: Kolkata, India
Built in: 2006
Length: 55 mts
Breadth: 12 mts
Draught: 1.5 mts
Speed: 12 knots (maximum)
Number of cabins: 32

Navigational Systems:
Mini SATCOM, Radio Telephone, GSM Mobile, VHF, Eco sounder, Radar

Best time to visit: September to March. The region has a tropical climate with hot summers and cold winters. Maximum and minimum temperatures during the summer are 42°C and 37°C respectively. In winters, the maximum and minimum temperatures are 29°C and 9.2°C respectively.

Nearest airport: Nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport at Kolkata.

Delhi: 1350 km
Mumbai: 1710 km
Kolkata: 112 km
Bangalore: 1605 km
Main attraction: Royal Bengal Tiger, Crocodiles, Olive Ridley turtles, migratory birds

Established in 1978 spread over an area of 2608 sq. kms.
Sixty percent of the demarcated area of the Sunderbans sprawling actually over
9630sq.km, is in Bangladesh.
The National Park with a core area of 1330sq.km, has been designated as a World
Heritage Site in 1985 and is a part of the Project Tiger.
The Sunderban has three wildlife sanctuaries at Sajnekhali, Lothian Island and Haliday
Island.

Carry all the basic medicines along.
Carry all the essentials including mosquito repellent cream, light clothes, sun hat, thick
rubber sole boots etc.
Don’t forget your camera

Sunderban Cruise