World’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh to be launched on Jan. 13
The Hindu
The three-deck cruise, to be inaugurated by PM Modi in Varanasi on Jan. 13, carrying 32 Swiss tourists will reach Dibrugarh after 50 days covering more than 3,200 km
: The world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh will cost $300 a day.
The voyage covering more than 3,200 km along several river systems – primarily the Ganga and the Brahmaputra – works out to $15,300 or ₹12.59 lakh per passenger.
MV Ganga Vilas, the privately-operated luxurious three-deck cruise ship measuring 62 metres in length and 12 metres in width, is scheduled to set sail from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with 32 Swiss passengers and reach Dibrugarh in eastern Assam after 51 days.
“The cruise ship with all amenities has 18 suites and can accommodate a total of 36 passengers besides the crew members. The fare, $300 per head per day, is the same for foreigners and Indians,” Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal told journalists in Guwahati on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the first-of-its-kind inland water cruise on January 13, he said.
“This will be the longest cruise in the world, beating a few other inland water cruise routes that in the range of 2,500 km,” Mr Sonowal said.
“The cruise will pass through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam. It will halt at 50 places in these Indian States and Bangladesh for the tourists to visit local cultural and heritage sites during stopover,” he said.
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