Antara River Cruises selected as finalist in the ‘Best Sustainability’ initiative by Wave Awards 2024

Antara Cruises, India’s river cruising pioneer has been selected as the finalist in the Best Sustainability Initiative category by the prestigious UK based Wave Awards 2024, celebrating their 10^th Anniversary this year!

Antara River Cruises selection bears testimony to the effort and vision of the pioneers of river cruising in India. With its fleet of nine vessels it has shown an ideal way to explore India in a slow and sustainable way, allowing guests to discover new cultures and destinations along the waterways immersing them in unforgettable experiences. The various itineraries offer a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to explore South Asian culture along some of its most ancient regions and systems. Perfect for leisure travellers, history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and nature lovers, the cruises can be as long as 51 days or as short as two nights and three days.

“This is an extremely proud moment for us at Antara River Cruises.  We are delighted to be chosen as one of the finalists in the sustainability category by Wave Awards, the cruise industry’s leading event. These awards celebrate excellence in the cruise holiday sector and it is indeed a great honour for us to be counted among the best in the river cruising business,” said Raj Singh, Chairman, Exotic Heritage Group, promoters of Antara River Cruises.

Last year, Antara River Cruises won the Magellan Award for the World’s Longest River Cruise. The Antara Ganga Vilas was awarded Silver in the Overall River Cruising category at the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards 2023. The rivership sailed from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Dhaka in Bangladesh, an epic journey that created international headlines in January 2023, when it traversed  3200 kms over 51 days,  2 countries, 5 states and 27 river systems.

Early this year it launched 2 cabin catamarans to traverse the Bhitarkanika mangrove wetland in Odisha, also known as the ‘mini Amazon of India’,  on sustainably built,  India’s first hybrid solar electric + fuel powered boats.

“As a business that is conscious of responsible and sustainable travel, we have developed and implemented various environmental and socially conscious policies both on and off-board in order to ensure our positive contribution to ecology and economic  development.,” added Singh.

A few sustainable measures that are deployed across Antara Cruises include:

Eco-conscious Activities: .

1. Solar power for electrical onboard usage
2. Water and wastewater treatment plants that treat the water before returning it to the river.
3. Use of highly effective Oil Water Separator Machines generally used in sea-going vessels to extract maximum amount of oil from water particles to avoid river contamination.
4. Plastic free with biodegradable straws, stirrers and rubbish bags, refillable metal water bottles
5. Energy efficient LED lights wherever possible, with a policy to turn off lights when the venues are not in use.
6. Shore power connection on jetties reducing generator usage.
7. Hospital-grade silencers on the cruise generators to reduce noise pollution.
8. Room linens and towels changed every other day unless required or requested.
9. Lower polluting ‘green’ fuel for power & navigation
10. On a broader footing, directly engaged in wildlife and habitat conservation projects in partnership with NGOs.

More initiatives : Socio-cultural/economic Activities:

1. Owner managed cruising firm, locally handcrafted ships, Indian Flagged and  made in India
2. All Indian crew on permanent employment .
3. Farm to table concept with a focus on organic, seasonal vegetables, fruit, coffee, tea and other  staples that support the local economy and local growers. The ships also feature regional Indian  flavours using traditional cooking methods such as an onboard tandoor or clay oven used for barbeques and breads.
4. Use local transport  such as E-rickshaws or encourage walking tours for sightseeing.
5. Directly support NGOs to assist children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to achieve a better education.
6. Partner with several festivals to sustain heritage in living arts, culture and performance.
7. An authentically indigenous experience from the ship’s  hull to the gourmet cocktails in the lounge.