Beguiled by the beauty of Bengal on a journey up the Hooghly River: Eight days of bright colour, feasts, history and spice-laden air Nicholas Courtney boards the ABN Rajmahal for a 'voyage of the senses' in India He enjoys Bengal's rich culture on the cruise up a tributary of the mighty Ganges READ MORE: Welcome to Denmark's outdoor capital and its 'mosaic of lakes' By Nicholas Courtney For The Mail On Sunday Published: 10:32, 16 August 2024 | Updated: 10:32, 16 August 2024 e-mail View comments My great-aunt Evelyn told me: ‘Did you know that your four-times great-uncle Charles was eaten by Johann Zoffany?’ As a boy, I never tired of hearing how my ancestor, returning from Calcutta (Kolkata) with the great artist, was shipwrecked in the Bay of Bengal. Being the youngest, and so most succulent, he was devoured by his fellow passengers. But now certain that family history would not repeat itself, my wife and I took a rather gentler voyage up the Hooghly River, a tributary of the mighty Ganges, aboard ABN Rajmahal.
The river boat was chartered by Ibex Expeditions and led by its founders, explorer Mandip Singh Soin and his indomitable wife, Anita. Their company is named after the Himalayan mountain goat that goes ‘to places others cannot reach’. Hence, this was no ordinary river cruise, but a collection of surprises that gently unfolded over eight days.
The first (and last) night was spent at The Park hotel in Kolkata. We dined in splendour nearby at the Glenburn, where w.