River Cruising in INDIA

Sailing down Assam's mighty Brahmaputra, Diya Kohli discovers a centuries-old flow of reverence and transience

-  Diya Kohli

"YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE WATERS. Here, GPS and maps don't work, as the islands appear and disappear and the depths keep changing," says Bimal Mondol, the shipmaster who expertly steers our vessel, the ABN Charaidew II, across the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India. It's early December, and we are ready to embark on ecotourism giant & Beyond's return to cruising in India, designed in collaboration with local operator Assam Bengal Navigation. The careful itinerary reflects the partners' shared values regarding land, community, and wildlife conservation.

As a weak sun breaks through the winter fog, we board the elegant 18-suite ship. Everything is a showcase of Assamese culture-the 19th-century rattan furniture, the handwoven fabrics, the local art hanging on the walls. There is a robust collection of books on Assam, as well as an onboard naturalist and historian who can fill in any gaps during our daily excursions.