Inside MV Ganga Vilas, the luxury ship that will sail the world’s longest river cruise
MV Ganga Vilas is like a floating five-star hotel with swanky restaurants, a spa and a gym. It will set sail from Varanasi and make its final stop at Dibrugarh, crossing five states in India and Bangladesh, and traversing 27 rivers
)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off MV Ganga Vilas, a 62-metre-long and 12-metre-wide luxury ship, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on 13 January via video conferencing. It will undertake the world’s longest river cruise. The stunning vessel pulled into the Ramnagar port on 10 January, where it has become a star attraction for locals. Some describe it as a “floating five-star hotel”. Image Courtesy: @cleanganganmcg/Twitter
)
MV Ganga Vilas will sail from Varanasi and cover 3,200 kilometres in 51 days. It will end its journey in Assam’s Dibrugarh, where it will reach after travelling to Bangladesh and traversing across 27 river systems. It will sail across three big rivers, Ganga, Meghna, and Brahmaputra. Along the way, it will stop at 50 tourist destinations which include World Heritage Sites, national parks, and river ghats. Some big cities it will dock at include Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. Passengers will also get a chance to see Sunderbans famous for Royal Bengal Tigers and Kaziranga National Park, known for the one-horned rhino. Image Courtesy: @cleanganganmcg/Twitter
)
The ship houses 18 swanky suites and has three decks with state-of-the-art facilities. It can accommodate up to 36 passengers and 40 crew members. Thirty-two tourists from Switzerland have signed up for the maiden voyage. The average per-person fare is about Rs 25,000 per night. The 51-day trip will cost more than Rs 12.59 lakh. Image Courtesy: @cleanganganmcg/Twitter
)
The cruise boasts of restaurants, a gymnasium, a spa and a sun bath. It has all the luxurious amenities needed to keep guests entertained. The India-made vessel has been built to be eco-friendly. To avoid pollution, it has a sewage treatment and water treatment plant that uses river water for daily use, according to a report in The Times of India. Image Courtesy: @cleanganganmcg/Twitter
)
MV Ganga Vilas will herald a new age of river cruise tourism for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office said in a statement that the 51-day river cruise is a unique opportunity to connect with the country’s cultural roots and discover beautiful aspects of its diversity. It has been curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. Image Courtesy: @cleanganganmcg/Twitter
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
Top Shows
