Every Indian has been familiar with the name of the Sundarbans since childhood. Even if you are not Indian, you must know something about the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. Apart from the deep mangrove forests, the Sundarbans are also known for its Royal Bengal Tiger. For those who love nature, especially those who love trees, this Sundarbans is a very ideal place. It can be called heaven for them. The name Sundarbans originally comes from the Sundari tree(Heritiera fomes).
Due to the Sundarbans’ saline soil, the tree’s roots grow upwards. These are commonly known as respiratory roots. Again, since there is always water here, the soil is relatively less hard, so to prevent the trees from being swept away by the tide, some roots grow from the stem and hold the tree firmly to the soil. This root is called the stilt root. One of the main features of mangroves is this stilt root.
The Sundarbans were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 for their vast, deep forests and the diversity of their many unknown birds and animals. The Sundarbans received the status of a Biosphere Reserve in 1989, and in 2019, the Sundarbans received the status of a Ramsar Site. This beautiful forest was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 and in 1984, the Sundarbans became the Sundarbans National Park. So this shows how vast the Sundarbans are and how diverse they are.
The most popular package in the Sundarbans is the two-night, three-day package, and this is what most people usually do here. In this blog, you will learn how to plan your Sundarbarban Tour and what are the best places to visit in this national park.
Table of Contents
Day 1 :
Visit Gosaba-
To reach the Sundarbans, you first have to come to a town called Canning, which is the main gate to enter the Sundarbans. I have explained in detail how to reach the Sundarbans later, so don’t worry. Usually, upon arrival in Canning, the package tour operator you have will take you by car to Sajane Khalir Ghat and from there your launch will depart. The distance from Canning to SajneKhali Ghat is about 18 to 20 kilometers, which will take about an hour. If you are a foodie, you can witness some great experiences in this Sundarbans package. You can witness Bengali traditional food here. Usually, all tour operators serve the same type of food here.
The launch leaves around 11 am and breakfast arrives right after that. After you sit on the launch for a while, it takes you to a place called Gosaba. Here you will first see Hamilton Bungalow. Although it is always locked, you can take some pictures and walk back to your next destination.
Day 2 :
Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary -
Wake up early in the morning and go out. You will be served your breakfast on the boat and after breakfast, your first destination for this day is the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary. This is where you will meet your guide and he will show you around the entire Sundarbans. Here you can see an aquarium where you can see many types of turtles and different types of fish.
A little further on, you can see a large watch tower here, if you climb up there, you can usually see some kind of animal. There is a freshwater pond next to this watchtower and various animals come there to drink water. Even tigers come to this pond to quench their thirst. There is also a Mangrove Interpretation Center where you can find a wealth of information and research is always being done.
Sudhanyakhali Beat-
The next destination after Sojnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary is Sudhanyakhali Beat. There is a temple at the entrance called Banabibir Temple. Since the main livelihood of the people of the Sundarbans is fishing, everyone pays homage to this temple before going fishing.
If you go a little further here, there is an old cargo ship, about 150 years old, and it is no longer used due to high maintenance costs. A lot of animals and birds can be seen here. There are a lot of posters on the trees, which makes it easy for anyone to recognize the Sundarbans. Here you can see the Khalsi tree(Aegiceras comlculatum) which produces the most beautiful honey in the Sundarbans.
Dobanki Camp-
After watching the Sudhanyakhali beat, board the boat. Your next destination is Dobanki Camp. This Dobanki camp is very famous for its canopy walk. So here people live in cages and are free from animals. It extends for about 500 meters.
There is a net of about twenty feet of wire arranged here. So here is a different experience to be seen here. Apart from that, you will only see dense mangrove forests and various animals around. Apart from that, you can climb the watchtower from where there is a water body next to it where migratory birds come to drink water.
Jharkhali -
After visiting Dobanki camp, board the boat. Here you will have your lunch. Then after taking some rest, you will reach today’s final destination – Jharkhali. Here you have to get off the boat cross a bamboo bridge and then enter the main market. Later you can buy some things from this market. Here you will see many small red crabs.
There is a very nice park here with plenty of equipment for children to play, where you can have a great time. There is an animal rescue center here where animals and birds that fall ill in the Sundarbans are usually treated. So here you will see different kinds of animals as per your time. Usually, when you go here you will see two or three tigers, and there are some peacocks and crocodiles in abundance. You will always see that. This place is usually open during winter and is strictly closed during the rainy season.
Entry fee-₹30 INR
After seeing Jharkhali, come to the boat, the boat will take you to the homestay, where you will stay overnight. After reaching the homestay, you will have evening tiffin and watch the traditional Jhumur dance there, which will be very nice, and you can also dance with them.
Day 3 :
Lokenath Temple-
On the third day, get up early in the morning and go out to see some unknown birds. After reaching the ferry pier, you will take a small boat and go through the small branches of the river. It is a completely secluded place, you will not hear anything except the chirping of birds. You will see many birds there. Come back in about an hour. Then the boat will take you to the very ancient Loknath temple. Very beautiful and clean place. Very peaceful place, and you will like it very much. On the way, do not forget to listen to the stories of tigers from the locals.
Netidhopani Beat-
After visiting Loknath Temple, you can get back on the boat and after that, your destination may be Netidhopani Beat. Although very few tourists go here, maybe if you request it, they might take you or you might have to make a reservation. There is only water and forest around here. This is where the core area of the Sundarbans begins. Until now, only tourists are allowed to visit. This is an archaeological site where many mythological stories can be found. An important chapter of Manasamangal poetry is written here. Here you will see the UNESCO statue of the Sundarbans.
There is a tall watchtower here where you can see a freshwater pond next to it. Tigers usually come here to drink water almost every day.
After seeing Netidhopani Beat, get on the boat. Your Sundarbans tour is over like this. After lunch, the boat will drop you off at Sonakhali Ferry Ghat. From there, drive to Canning.
How to reach Sundarban?
The nearest station and town to the Sundarbans is Canning. So if you want to visit the Sundarbans, you have to come to Canning first.
If you want to come from Kolkata, then the best way is to take the Canning local train of the South Section from Sealdah station. The distance from Sealdah to Canning is about 45 km, it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The most popular train to Canning (mainly to the Sundarbans) is –
34516- Sealdah-Canning Local, time- 07.42 AM and
34518- Sealdah-Canning Local, time- 08.28 AM.
Apart from that, there are many trains available from Sealdah to Canning. You can check out this timming.
https://erail.in/trains-between-stations/sealdah-SDAH/canning-CG#google_vignette
Upon arrival at Canning, your tour operator will take you to the Sonakhali pier, from where the boat to the Sundarbans will depart.
If you are coming from outside Kolkata, you will have to come to Kolkata first. Kolkata is very well connected by train and air, you will not have any problem coming to Kolkata.
When did Sundarban get UNESCO World Heritage sites?
The Sundarbans have such a diversity of flora and fauna that in 1987, the Sundarbans were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When has Sundarban declared a National Park?
Sundarban was declared a National Park in the year of 1984.
When did Sundarban become a Ramsar Site?
On 30 January 2019, Sundarban became a Ramsar Site.
How many islands are there in Sundarban?
There are a total of 102 islands in the Sundarbans, of which 54 are inhabited by humans and 48 are uninhabitable and completely covered by jungle.
How many days are enough for Sundarban?
Generally, two nights and three days are ideal for visiting the Sundarbans, but you can customize it a bit, so you can usually do it in four to five days if you have more time.
What is the cost of a Sundarban tour package?
The cost of a Sundarbans package tour varies on many things. Usually, where will you stay, how many days will you travel? Normally, the cost of the Sundarbans is around ₹3500 INR to ₹6000 INR. Also, if you want to do a customized tour, your cost will be higher. Again, if you want to do a separate package for wildlife photography, then the cost would be ₹25000 INR.
Thank you for your valuable time to read this blog. I think this blog will guide your upcoming journey of Sundarbans. You can give your valuable feedback in the comment box which will motivate me to do better.
You can check out my other travel blog which will definately guide you.
Digha Tour_ https://trailsofearth.com/14-best-places-to-visit-in-digha/
Darjeeling tour- https://trailsofearth.com/what-darjeeling-is-famous-for/
Thank You.