Breathtaking scenery welcomes you every day on this 15-day expedition on Silver Discoverer. Enjoy the perfect combination tour for cultural and natural treasures of India and Myanmar or enjoy wildlife viewing in the designated Sundarbans Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. Make a pilgrimage to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, where sacred relics of the Buddha lie enshrined beneath its golden spires. Turtles are abundant at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and is the nesting site for thousands of olive ridley sea turtles. This expedition is the perfect opportunity to explore the Bay of Bengal from the comfort of the Silver Discoverer.
Highlights
Search for over 285 species of birds in Himchari National Park, and keep an eye out for resident wild elephants.
Spend two full days exploring the UNESCO World Biosphere-designated Sundarbans Reserve Forest
Make a pilgrimage to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda
Explore Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary where thousands of turtles nest
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Enjoy a morning at leisure before a welcome brunch at the hotel. Afterward, explore this vibrant city that has been dubbed the “cultural capital of India.” Visit the 17th-century Fort St. George and the Kapaleeshwarar Temple. This afternoon, embark the newly refurbished Silver Discoverer.
One of India’s holiest Hindu cities, Puri is home to the colossal Jagannath Temple, an important pilgrimage site. Nearby in Konark, the exquisitely carved 13th-century Sun Temple replicates a giant chariot. There will also be an opportunity to visit Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, a tract of coastal forest that offers refuge to spotted deer, endangered blackbucks, monkeys, monitor lizards, jackals, and mongoose, as well as many butterfly and bird species.
Day 4: Bhitarkanika National Park | Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary
This morning, explore along the network of rivers that weave through the mangroves of Bhitarkanika National Park. The park is home to the largest population of saltwater crocodiles in India, as well as deer, wild boars, jackals, and over 300 species of birds. The nearby Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary protects massive turtle colonies, including the world’s most important nesting area for olive ridley sea turtles which can be found in the waters offshore and on the golden-sand beaches from October to May.
India’s second-largest city and capital of the state of West Bengal, Kolkata is a cacophony for the senses, a heady mix of colonial heritage and push toward modernity. That dichotomy is clearly evidenced during a tour of B.B.D. Bagh, once Dalhousie Square and center of British Raj power, where the Writers Building and other stately structures lie in view of sky-high tower blocks.
Sundarbans is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. Not only notable for magnificent scenic beauty, this area is also renowned for its high biodiversity of flora and fauna. Board Zodiacs to explore the reserve’s mosaic of islands and labyrinthine water channels. Excursions may reveal Ganges and Irrawaddy dolphins, monkeys, estuarine crocodiles, and water monitors. A wide variety of birds can be found here, including brahminy kites, white-bellied sea eagles, lesser adjutant storks, Indian pond herons, and collared, black-capped, and stork-billed kingfishers. Get a different perspective from one of the park’s watch towers, take a walk along the extensive boardwalk, visit a crocodile hatchery, and observe fisherfolk using trained otters to chase fish into their nets.
Enjoy a rare look into rural Bangladeshi life on Maheskhali Island. Rickshaws and motorized tuk tuks putter through tiny Thakur Tala village; Adinath Temple, set atop its highest hill, houses saffron-robed monks and holy ponds, while a small Rakhain community produces traditional textiles at the weaving center. Contrast this with the frantic pace of Cox’s Bazar, the area’s fishing port set upon one of the longest unbroken beaches on the planet.
Close to Cox’s Bazar, Himchari National Park is home to a variety of birds and wildlife. With luck, you may even spy a few of the park’s resident wild elephants. Time permitting, visit coconut palm-fringed St. Martin’s Island for afternoon beach walks and a refreshing swim.
An ancient seaport in westernmost Myanmar, Thandwe boasts a series of 8th-century stupas that hold sacred relics of the Buddha. Every type of ware is on display at the town’s market, held in the former colonial prison. The main attraction, though, is the soft white sand of four-mile-long Nagapali Beach, Myanmar’s main resort destination and the perfect perch for swimming, snorkeling, and beachcombing.
Formerly known as Rangoon, Myanmar’s largest city is a mélange of wide boulevards and twisting alleyways, colonial architecture, and modern high-rises. Gold-leafed Shwedagon Pagoda, the country’s most important Buddhist site, enshrines eight hairs from the Buddha’s head beneath its 325-foot-high, diamond-encrusted spire. Not to be outshined, the smaller Sule Pagoda is equally gilded while Chauk-htat-gyi Temple showcases a 213-foot-long reclining Buddha.
Day 15: Yangon | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Disembark and transfer to the airport for your independent flight home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$14,980
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Category 1
186 sq. ft. with an ocean view and two portholes
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Category 2
181 sq. ft. with a large picture window
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Category 3
181 sq. ft. with a large picture window
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Category 4
181 sq. ft. with a large picture window
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Category 5
269 sq. ft. with two large picture windows
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Category 6
280 sq. ft. and feature private balconies
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Category 7
408 sq. ft. and features a living room and a private balcony
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
