Treasures of India & Sri Lanka aboard Champlain

Description

PONANT invites you to discover the wonders of India and Sri Lanka, during a 13-day cruise around the Indian peninsula. From Chennai to Mumbai, fall under the spell of these eastern lands marked by Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

You will board Le Champlain in Chennai, formerly Madras.

Your ship will first head south to Sri Lanka. From Trincomalee, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of historic city of Polonnaruwa, a fortified city from the 11th century, and the splendid golden Temple of Dambulla.

During your port of call in Galle, admire the fortifications of this old town, testimony to its Portuguese and Dutch heritage and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Le Champlain will then arrive in Kerala, on Malabar Coast, in south-western India and set sail for Cochin. A former royal town where the air is rich with the aroma of cardamom and cloves, this port of call will also be the opportunity to discover, aboard traditional boats, the fishing villages settled along the banks of the “backwaters”, a network of lakes and canals that criss-cross the lush landscapes.

You will then discover Goa, a former colony of the Portuguese Indies, prized for its beaches and its rich cultural heritage, in particular a collection of late 16th-century churches and convents, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Finally, Le Champlain will call at Mumbai, India’s cultural and economic capital. Make sure you visit the Elephanta Caves, a Hindu sanctuary on an island off the coast, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station (formerly known as Victoria Terminus), a remarkable example of Victorian neo-gothic architecture: both sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Trip Name

Treasures of India & Sri Lanka aboard Champlain

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Luxury Length: 127 metres Passenger Capacity: 92 cabins Built: 2017/2018 Featuring innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment, elegantly designed cabins, spacious suites with large windows, and lounge areas that open onto the outside, this new limited-capacity yacht boasting just 92 cabins and suites will offer you a truly unique cruising experience. As the first ship in a new series, Le Champlain will embody the unique atmosphere that is the cruise line’s hallmark: a subtle blend of refinement, intimacy and comfort. Aboard this ship that flies the French flag, you will experience the incomparable pleasure of an intimate cruise, with the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations in an ethnic-chic ambiance with luxury service. Experience a luxurious setting where the accent is on authenticity and passion for travel. RESTAURANTS As it is an essential part of French culture, gastronomy will naturally have pride of place aboard this new ship. Through its two restaurants, Le Champlain will invite you on a journey to elegance and epicureanism. In a relaxed atmosphere, a first dining area located on Deck 3 and able to seat 70 will serve grilled meats daily, along with a variety of salads and desserts. To the back of Deck 4, you will find a 260 m² panoramic restaurant which can accommodate all of our passengers in a single sitting. Designed differently to that on our other ships, this dining area, which opens onto the outside, will have a buffet of salads, desserts and cheeses at your disposal. Our discreet and attentive crew will provide table service for hot meals. PUBLIC AREAS Like Le Boréal and its sisterships, Le Champlain has many common areas that are designed and equipped to meet all of your needs while preserving the intimacy of each passenger. A 140 m² reception area includes: A reception/concierge desk, An excursions desk, The ship’s administrative services, The sales office, manned by our Guest Relations Officer, Our 50 m² boutique which sells clothing, jewellery, beauty products, postcards and various accessories, Toilets accessible to passengers with reduced mobility. A new hydraulic platform with adjustable height provides: Easier boarding than on any other cruise ship, Easier Zodiac embarkation and disembarkation for expeditions, Easier access to the sea for swimming and practising various water sports such as kayaking or paddle-boarding. A pool deck offering: A pool with a panoramic view, equipped with a counter-current swimming system, A pleasant solarium, An outdoor bar and lounge with armchairs and sofas. A 200 m² main lounge which can accommodate all of our passengers to share convivial moments and to host activities organised during the day or evening. Lastly, a theatre that seats 188, equipped with: The latest sound and lighting technology, A LED wall as the stage backdrop, for the projection of high-resolution images and videos.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 CHENNAI (EX MADRAS)

Called Madras in the days of the British East India Company, Chennai is now the economic capital of South India. Mingling intoxicating flavours, colours and rhythms, Chennai is also the cradle of the traditional Indian music and cuisine from the south. Don’t miss your chance to discover Mahabalipuram, a group of sanctuaries carved out of rock and thousands of statues from the 7th and 8th centuries, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gigantic bas-reliefs such as the famous Descent of the Ganges, and temples, such as the magnificent Shore Temple, built out of granite on a promontory that juts out into the Bay of Bengal, celebrate the glory of Shiva in an artistic outpouring unlike any other.

Day 2 - Day 2 AT SEA

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Day 3 - Day 3 TRINCOMALEE

A large port city in the north-east of Sri Lanka, Trincomalee will be your gateway to two exceptional sites. The Golden Temple of Dambulla, a rock temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is sure to fill you with wonder. Its Buddhist mural paintings, its caves and its famous statue of reclining Buddha heighten the beauty of this place that is like none other in the world, created over 2,000 years ago. The other cultural gem you will be able to discover: the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa. Also listed as UNESCO World Heritage, it is home to the vestiges of a fabulous garden-city from the 12th century. There, you will be able to admire the Gal Vihara, an exceptional site featuring four statues of Buddha carved out of rock.

Day 4 - Day 4 AT SEA

Day 5 - Day 5 GALLE

Discover Galle, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest cities. Thanks to its commercial port, from which were exported spices and precious stones, Galle was once the country’s most major city. Colonised by the Portuguese and later by the Dutch, today it still bears traces of this colonial past. When your ship calls here, have a wander around the old town and its fortifications, which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Built by the Portuguese at the end of the 16th century, they are perfectly preserved. To learn more about daily and rural life in Sri Lanka, do not miss the visit to the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum in Koggala, not far from Galle.

Day 6 - Day 6 AT SEA

Day 7 - Days 7 - 8 COCHIN

An important port in the South-West of India, Cochin (Kochi) is one of the most beautiful on the Malabar Coast where the scent of cardamom mingles with cloves. It was here that Vasco de Gama disembarked over 500 years ago. But how many Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs and Romans dropped anchor before him in the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea? So many nations, at a time when pepper from Malabar was almost as precious as gold, left these shores laden with precious spices. Today, the city, a surprising metropolis with multiple identities, has a rich cultural and natural heritage combining former colonial residences, ancestral fishing methods and charming landscapes in the backwaters.

Day 8 - Day 9 AT SEA

Day 9 - Day 10 MARMUGAO (GOA)

Marmugao is a sub-district of South Goa located in the state of Goa, in India. This is where the state’s main maritime port is to be found. Renowned around the world for its climate, the beauty of its beaches, its rice paddies and its waterfalls, Goa will surprise you with the cultural and religious heritage of its old town. It has a great many 16th- and 17th-century churches, making up a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus but also Hindu temples and mosques. The Goa Chitra Museum, Goa’s main ethnographic museum, is also worth a visit.

Day 10 - Day 11 AT SEA

Day 11 - Days 12 - 13 MUMBAI (EX BOMBAY)

Mumbai, a fascinating city located on the Arabian Sea, will give you a real immersion in Hindu culture. You will be able to discover the Elephanta Caves that are home to collection of rock art typical of the cult of Shiva. Don’t miss out on visiting the Gandhi Museum and House, dedicated to the memory of the man who played a vital role in the emancipation and independence of India, or the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station (formerly known as Victoria Terminus), the finest example of Victorian architecture in India. In the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya museum, you will find very fine collections of sculptures, miniatures and portraits of the man who would become King George V.

Day 12 - Please Note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Discover the cultural and natural treasures of India and Sri Lanka.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: in Sri Lanka, the historic city of Polonnaruwa and the golden temple of Dambulla, Galle and its fortifications, the churches and convents of Goa, the Elephanta Caves and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station (formerly known as Victoria Terminus) of Mumbai, in India.
Kerala’s lush landscapes during an excursion in the “backwaters”: rivers edged with palm trees, rice paddies, fishing villages.
The cultural heritage of Goa, a former Portuguese colony.
Before your cruise: possibility of visiting Chennai, between architectural heritage and Indian traditions.
After your cruise: possibility of discovering Mumbai.