A cruise to break free from pandemic monotony

There is a high chance that you have been living a monotonous life since March when the coronavirus outbreak happened in the country.

You may have been struggling to handle stress and cope with all the health regulations. 

However, there is a four to seven hours river cruise on the Shitalakshya River which can be very relaxing for one's mental health.     

Tour operator Swift Solution has decided to operate their ship twice daily on two different routes from the Kanchanpur Bridge area.      

"We are giving importance to the health rules set by the government. We will allow our guests after measuring their temperature and we will provide them with new masks," said Kamruzzaman Palash, chief executive officer of Swift Solution.

"The ship capacity was for 350 guests during normal times but in the midst of the pandemic, we are allowing a maximum of 100 guests on the ship," Palash added.  

Though Swift Solution has been doing business for the last 12 years, it launched Swift Cruise last year, just six months before the outbreak of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.

Its cruise ship was plying on the Shitalakshya River from Kanchanpur Bridge area twice a week.

However, it had to stop the business due to the pandemic. 

Now they have decided to run the river cruise twice every day.

"People want to go out after staying indoors for a long time. But there is a lack of suitable places. The demand for river cruises is increasing day by day," said Palash.

The company will make its first trip from 9am on Friday morning (October 2) from Kanchan Bridge area.

The ship will go towards Ghorashal, letting its guests see natural views on both sides of the Shitalakshya River.

"Large ships do not ply on this route, so tourists will get a calm river. The ship will stop at some places where people can get down and take photos," said Palash.

The seven-hour tour will cost a person Tk2,900. The company will provide breakfast, lunch, and an evening snack buffet.

The company will also launch a BBQ Dinner Cruise starting at 6pm on the same day from the same place. It will be a four-hour trip.

The company will serve a snack and a welcome drink soon after passengers board the ship, and later a BBQ dinner at night. One guest will have pay Tk2,000.

"The river cruise will go towards the Kanchpur Bridge. The guests will see the lights of large industries on both sides of the river," said Palash.

"The food we will serve will be valued from Tk1,500 to Tk1,800. ISO-certified catering service will serve the items," said Palash.

The three-floored ship with 11 rooms and air conditioning facilities was previously operated by Tiger Tours.

The staff of the company will even sing songs to entertain the guests. Guests and their children can also play different games.

A drawing competition will be held for children.

For adults, the company will arrange a treasure hunt game. The company will hide three things at three places on the ship. Guests will have to find them out and these will be given to them as gifts.