Sunderbans National Park

A national park known for its dense foliage of mangrove forests and the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger, Sunderbans National Park is a wetland made of islands, rivers, world’s largest mangroves forest, tributaries and the rich variety of flora and fauna form an intricate system of networks. Made as a national park in 1984, Sunderbans is one of the most extravagant and luscious national parks with a majestic natural beauty that attracts tourists from across the globe. A ride on the motorboat inside the park will give your money’s worth of experience and a chance to witness the fauna and flora.

Birds such as Brahminy Kites and Whistling Teals create a symphony while the crocodiles and ridley turtles fascinate you near the water. And ofcourse, the rich variety of land animals cannot be forgotten as well. The Sunderbans is many things at once – a biosphere reserve, national park, and a tiger reserve due to its richness of the mangrove system. It is a large delta sprawled across West Bengal in Indian and some part in Bangladesh as well at 40,000 square kilometers. It stretches from River Hooghly in West Bengal to River Baleswar in Bangladesh and is titled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. the name sunderbans means ‘beautiful forests’ in local language which is apt to describe the beauty of this wonder. Take a boat safari inside the park and witness the nature thrive in prosperity with your own eyes.

The history of Sunderbans goes back to 200-300 AD. It is believed that the forest land was given to the residents living nearby during the Mughal period for building settlements. Those settlements were, however, later destroyed by the Portuguese and salt smugglers in the 17th century and only some ruins remain now.

In the year 1875, a large portion of the forested land was declared as ‘reserved’ under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). After the independence, the area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 and was upgraded to national park status on 4th May 1984. Before that in 1973, it was declared as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.

Inside the lush forest of Sunderbans about 78 species of mangroves thrive in glory. These mangroves are extremely significant in the survival of marine organisms. The 64 plant species which are found have learned to survive in brackish waters and saline inundation. Some common species found here are Sundari tree, Golpati, Champa, Dhandul, Genwa, and Hatal.

• Animals : The Royal Bengal Tiger enjoys a large and dominant presence in the Sunderbans and attracts numerous tourists. Other animals include Fishing cats, Macaques, Leopard Cats, Indian Grey Mongoose, Wild Boar, Flying Fox, Pangolin, Chital Deer, Rhesus Monkey, etc.
• Marine Life/Amphibians/Reptiles : Crocodiles, Red Fiddler Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Water Monitor, King Cobra, Rock Python, River Turtles, Barking Deer, etc.

Sunderbans National Park offers only boat safari to its visitors and jeep safari is not conducted here. Tourists can sail through the dense forests connected by many free flowing rivers like Malta and Bidyadhari via boats operated by West Bengal Tourism Department. There are two kinds of boats available – AC and Non-AC and come in large and small sizes for long and short sailing. The safari boats can be booked for a day or for an entire week which have beds and other furniture to stay and relax.

A one-day private boat safari starts at 8 am and is completed by 5 pm and costs INR 950 per person with an additional cost of INR 600 for an overnight stay.

• Guide charges – INR 400 per boat
• Video camera – INR 200/camera

The safari timings are from 8:30 am in the morning to 4pm in the evening. Boats are not allowed to enter after 6:30 pm and safari rides may get canceled during monsoons.

• Sajnekhali Watch Tower – The tower is known for spotting wildlife animals and spotting birds. It is located close to the park and can accommodate 20 people at once.
• Kalash Island – Visit Kalash Island inside the Sunderbans, especially during the winter season, as it gets many Olive Ridley Turtles for nesting as the guests. It is also a great place for spotting different kinds of birds such as The Great Stone Curlew (The Great Thick-Knee).
• Henry Island – Explore the luscious Henry Island along with its beaches or mangrove jungle which is reachable by crossing a small bamboo bridge. There is a fishery department here comprising more than 50 ponds and is a great way to observe the flora and fauna of the area.
• Netidhopani – This is the only place left in Sunderbans forest land where you can see the ruins of the settlements made by people who lived here. One of these is a 400 year old Shiva temple and also a road to the extreme right of the forest built by King Pratapaditya to guard the coastal area.
• Burirdabri – Burirbadi comprises of a watch tower, a mud walk, and a mangrove cage trail which leads to a viewpoint called Raimongal viewpoint. You can witness various amphibians and the watchtower here lets you see the Sunderbans in the Bangladesh region.

• Haliday Island – It is a part of Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve situated on the River Malta and home to diverse flora and fauna. You can witness fauna such as spotted deer, wild boar, Bengal Tiger, etc. here.
• Gangasagar – Located on an island in Sunderbans, Gangasagar is known for its lovely beach. it is also one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India where several devotes visit the place during Makar Sankranti. It also hosts Gangasagar Mela, the second largest in India after Kumbh Mela.
• Belur Math – Headquarters of Ramkrishna Mutt and Mission and was founded by Swami Vivekanand. It is known as the place where Swami ji stayed and attained maha samadhi in one of the rooms along with Swami Vivekananda Temple nearby.
• Digha Beach – A spectacular beach which is enhanced by the presence of casuarina plantations. It is an ideal place to enjoy sunrise and sunset and to explore nearby places such as Amarabati Park and Kajal Dighi Wonderland.

• Sunderban Mangrove Retreat – A cozy stay option, Mangrove Retreat offers three types of stays – Rooms, Cottages, and Huts. All the rooms have attached toilet/baths, and a large common dining hall offering Indian cuisine.
• Sundarbans Jungle Camp – It has 6 ethnic cottages, 4 three-bedded and 2 four-bedded rooms available that offer a different staying experience with local rural architecture made with local materials.
• Sundarbans Tiger Camp – It is a luxury forest resort, amidst a sprawling 15 acres of forest land just opposite Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve Forest, in the heart of the Sundarbans.
• Tiger Safari Resort – Pamper yourself with the amazing hospitality and comfort stay at the Tiger Safari Resort in Sunderbans which has huts with all basic facilities included. This is a budget property at Sunderbans and one of the best hideouts for travelers.
• Tiger Roar Resort – Encircled by its extravagant nature, Tiger Roar Resort is an ideal place to stay after exploring the national park. Stay amidst the wilderness of nature in a cost-effective manner with all the basic facilities.
• Sundarban Riverside Holiday – Located alongside the river body, a few days’ stay at the Sunderbans Riverside Holiday is one of the best ways to enjoy nature and take a break from the hustle-bustle of work life.

The ideal time to visit Sunderbans is from November to March when the weather is pleasant and offers perfect weather conditions for tiger spotting along with other wild animals. You can also visit the national park during the summer seasons, but the heat can be too unpleasant to explore the area. Monsoons are usually avoided because most of the areas get flooded and taking a boat ride becomes unfeasible.

• By Air – The nearest airport to Sunderbans is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport at Kolkata. You can take a train from Kolkata to Canning and take a cab to Godhkhali Jetty. From here take a boat ride to Sunderbans.
• By Train – The nearest train station from the park is Sealdah Railway Station from where you will have to get another local train to Canning. Take a cab to Godhkhali Jetty and from here take a boat ride to Sunderbans.
• By Road – You can take a bus or drive to Godhkhali. The road is well-maintained. You will have to take some boat rides or hire a rickshaw to reach Sajnekhali. From there you can take a boat ride to Sunderbans.