Sundarban

Sundarbans is the world’s biggest and quickest developing delta. The name originates from the tree ‘Sundri’ or ‘Sundari’ (Heritiera fomes), dominant from the mangrove tree species. Sundarbans is one of the most appealing and enchanting places on earth, with a significant Tiger Reserve transit covering a vast region up to 2585 sq. km.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. Sunderban has a highly productive ecosystem that acts as a natural fish nursery. Sundarbans is also a protective barrier for the inhabitants of Kolkata against the floods that result from the cyclones.

Sundarban is renowned for its widespread Wildlife. It is home to more than 50 species of animals, 400 species of fishes, about 50 species of reptiles, and approximately 320 species of inland and migratory birds. You will get to see chital deer and rhesus monkeys too. Sunderbans has an enormous diversity of aquatic animals, red fiddler crabs, hermit crabs, crocodiles, and an ample of different types of reptiles retains king cobra, a water monitor, and the rock python. The diversity of Wildlife in Sundarbans attracts tourists from all over the world. The Royal Bengal Tigers is the main centre of attraction here.

Netidhopani watchtower offers the view of a 400-year-old Shiva Temple ruins. It is associated with the legend of ‘Behula’ and ‘Lakhindar. Locals of the area believe that King Pratapaditya built the road on the extreme right of the forest to guard the coastal zone. There is also a pond carrying sweet water. The tower is capable of hosting 20 people at a time.

Sudhanyakhali Watchtower is the perfect place to watch Wildlife from where you can even see a tiger. You can also spot other animals such as crocodiles, wild boars, and axis deer. Wild animals come and drink water at the sweet water pond behind the tower. The Watchtower can hold 25 people at a time.

The largest mangrove forest in the world is present in this National Park. Also, a large concentration of Royal Bengal Tigers and about 78 species of mangroves are on record. Sundarban is located at the intersection of the Brahmaputra and the Ganga basin. It has been under the World Heritage site. You can travel by road, from Kolkata to Gosaba, and then take a boat to Sajnekhali from Godhkhali to reach Sundarban National Park. It is a 5-6 hour-long journey and covers an area of around 10,000 square km in the delta of the Ganges.

Sundarbans became a Biosphere Reserve in 1989. Haliday Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve. The area of the Wildlife Sanctuary is approximately six square kilometres in size. It is one among the several wildlife sanctuaries in India.

Sajnekhali Watch Tower has been estimated among the most prominent watchtowers. In this region, you will get to see Avifauna species such as lapwings, plovers, Kingfishers, Curfew, sandpipers, and eagles. It is pure bliss for Bird lovers. Sites like Bono Bini Temple, The tourist lodge of the Bengal Tourism Department, and the Mangrove Interpretation Center are worth a peek. This Watchtower can hold up to 20 people at a time.

September to May is the best time to plan a trip to Sundarbans.

Air: The nearest airport to Sundarban is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport.

Road: You can take road transportation by booking a cab or with your private car from Kolkata to easily reach Sundarban. After getting to nearby places like Sonakhali, Namkhana, Raidighi, Najat, and Canning, you have to take a boat ride to the riverine waterways.

Bus Routes to Sundarban include buses from Kolkata to Choppadandi, Kolkata to Badgaon, Kolkata to Dharna, Kolkata to Selvas and Kolkata to Jhabua. It will take around 11 to 12 hours to reach.

Train: Local trains to Canning are available from Sealdah (South). Local shared vehicles are available from Canning to Godkhali Jetty, the starting point of the boat journey to the Sundarbans.

The Tiger Camp is in the Sundarban National park itself. It’s a 4-star hotel with different accommodation facilities like AC or Non-AC rooms, cottages, huts and tents. Bars and restaurants are also available in this Camp.

The Tiger camp offers an excellent sight of wild animals. It has a library loaded with books about wildlife animals and Sundarban. This Camp has also won an award in hospitality.

The fun part about the Sundarbans trip is that you get to stay and explore the beauty of the place on a boat. The boat has all the facilities like sleeping rooms, Local Folk Cultural Program, 3-time meals, and boat safari. Sundarbans houseboat is a complete package for Adventure lovers. Accommodation charges can range from INR 3000-4000 for non-AC rooms and 4000-5000 for AC ones.

If you are a seafood fanatic, then Sundarbans is a food utopia. Some of the popular dishes include:

Hilsa is a famous fish for the people of West Bengal. It is a must to taste Hilsa while journeying to Sundarbans. Like every other place, Sundarban also has its special recipe for Hilsa prepared by moiling the Hilsa fish in mustard oil, turmeric, green chilli, and salt with the Bengali traditional spices.

Chingri Mach is a type of prawn and can easily be found in the freshwater rivers of Sundarban. Prawns here are very fresh and delicious. The preparation has a creamy texture. It is made with a delightful gravy of coconut and flavoured with cinnamon and green cardamoms.

This dish originated from a restaurant in Kolkata named ‘Golbari’. The Bengali Mutton or Chicken curry is another of the signature dishes of the Bengalis. You can have Kosha Mangsho alongside rice or Chapati.

Tourists can also relish sweet items like Rossogolla, Sitabhog, Joynagarer Moa, Langcha when in Sundarban, and the list goes on.