Our colorful convoy of auto rickshaws had just arrived at the marigold-orange, 19th-century Kathgola Palace, which was beautifully reflected in a pond out front. I stood awed by the imposing four-story, Palladian-inspired mansion built by wealthy local merchants in Murshidabad, India.
Adding to the moment, the crew from our riverboat had arrived before us to offer snacks under the shade of a tree, fortifying us with small cups of delicious Indian chai and cookies before our guides led us around the estate.
There were many excursions that wowed me like this on our weeklong, 250-mile cruise from the town of Farakka to Kolkata on the snaking Hooghly River (also known as the Lower Ganges). Our conveyance was the very comfortable, 40-passenger Raj Mahal, one of several riverboats owned and operated by Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN), an Indo-British, family-owned joint venture that also operates cruises on the Brahmaputra and the Upper Ganges.
While an incredibly fascinating travel…
