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We sent Naturetrek’s newest recruit, Bret Charman, on a month-long trip to India to get a taste of this diverse country. We did give Bret one main task before he left – to take plenty of photographs – and he was more than happy to oblige.
Sunset over the Brahmaputra (Bret Charman)
I left London and flew to Kolkata (via Dubai) to join the Naturetrek group on Naturetrek’s Brahmaputra Cruise. We spent a night in Kolkata, in the Hyatt Hotel, before catching a domestic flight to the town of Dibrugarh in Assam. This was extremely straight forward and soon enough we were on the ground in one of India’s lesser-known regions.
Assam is very famous for its tea but this British favourite was not the focus of our visit. Instead we had our sights set on the Brahmaputra River with its wildlife, culture and landscape.
Our first full day in Assam was to be spent at the Mariani Gibbon Sanctuary and we were all looking forward to seeing India’s only ape. We awoke at 4.30am and headed off for our first wildlife encounter. We went for a walk through this wonderful forest reserve in search of these majestic primates. We turned a bend on the forest path to find our guide, Imran, pointing to a spot high in the forest canopy. Then after a few moments of suspense we saw some movement and there they were. It was a pair of Hoolock Gibbons, a male and a female, feeding and grooming high in the trees. We made our way through some thick forest to get a better view and within a few minutes they were coming towards us. It was a great moment and a wonderful close encounter, one that I shall not forget in a hurry.
Hoolock Gibbon (Bret Charman)
We had a wonderful breakfast in a forest clearing, prepared by the boat’s crew, and we then set off for another walk into the forest. This time we were hoping to hear the Gibbons sing and we were in for a treat. Two different pairs sang their hearts out, telling each other that they should keep away from one another. This sound is phenomenal and unlike anything else; it seems as if it hypnotises you and you are unable to move. What a start to what was going to be a wonderful trip!
Our aim for the next couple of days on the Brahmaputra Cruise was not wildlife but culture. The first day of culture was a visit to a couple of monasteries on the island of Majuli. Majuli is one of the largest river islands in the world and was once thought to be the largest. It is home to unique Hindu temples and it has been short-listed as a possible future UNESCO World Heritage site.
After a lie in and lovely breakfast our first stop was the Auniati monastery with its museum and we watched a monk pray in the main prayer hall. We also looked around some of the monks’ living quarters. The second stop was the Kamalabari Monastery where we were treated to a storytelling dance performance by some of the younger monks. These dance performances consist of a mix of yoga and some spectacular choreography. The day was interspersed by regular stops at different sites for a spot of birding.
Our second day of culture, or to be more accurate half a day, was a visit to a Mishing tribal community. The afternoon before, we had cruised downstream and moored on a sandbank a few hundred yards from the village, so we were all ready to go in the morning. After a leisurely breakfast we transferred to the banks of the village and the group disembarked for a tour. Before long we were meeting the villagers as well as photographing them and, after an hour or so, the Naturetrek group was outnumbered by 10 to 1. Before long it was time to return to the boat and we had to say goodbye to our new friends. It was time to head downstream and moor close to the banks of Kaziranga National Park.
For more information on our tours to India, click here.