Sundarbans National Park
Discover Sundarbans National Park
The Sundarbans National Park (SNP; Bengali: সুন্দরবন Sundarban) is a huge littoral mangrove forest in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous as a sanctuary of the Royal Bengal Tiger. This article covers the protected areas of the Sundarbans in West Bengal, including SNP, Haliday Island, Sajnekhali and West Sundarbans.
Taste of Sundarbans National Park...
Fresh sea fish, crabs, prawns, lobster, dry fish curry, cottage cheese, pancakes, Bengali-style rice pudding, and local sweet curds. It's best to savour the delicious dishes made of fresh catches from the water like shrimp, crab, hilsa, bhetki, pangas, partsay, boal, rohu, or katla. Some of the lodges also have their own kitchen garden to give the guests a sample of fresh produce. Filtered or boiled water. (Do not insist on mineral water unless it is a part of your personal medication. Mineral water comes in plastic bottles, and the Sundarbans is a no-plastic zone.) Fresh coconut juice, fresh watermelon juice, mango juice. If you are backpacking, go to Godkhali/Pakhiralay and inquire about the boats. They are generally cheaper, but there is always the risk that you may not get one on weekends and important dates and have to abandon your tour from there. Overnight stay on the boat, is possible and is a unique experience. However, check out the hygiene and safety of the boat before you do so. Most of the boats have single toilets and the toilets on the boats stink and may not be so clean as most of the boats carry a maximum number of passengers (25, 35, 40 or maybe 60) as per their Licensed capacity during the day and all those passengers use on-board bathrooms. However, if you find one such nice boat, the experience of an overnight stay on the boat and the scenic beauty of the dawn on the water is absolutely breathtaking and mesmerizing.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Sundarbans National Park into what it is today.
The Sundarbans have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 1966, the Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary, and it is estimated that there are now 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. On the coast of the Ganges Delta by the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans are the largest littoral mangrove belt in the world, stretching 80 km (50 mi) into the Bangladeshi and Indian hinterland from the coast. The forests aren't just mangrove swamps though, they include some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles which once covered the Gangetic Plains. The Sundarbans cover an area of 10,500 km (4,100 sq mi), of which about one-third is covered in water or marsh areas. Sundarbans are a plastic free zone, so if you bring any plastic with you, remember to take it out when you leave. This article covers the entire Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, along with some transition islands north of the reserve. The protected areas west of the national park are covered in a separate article West Sundarbans. The forest is called the Sundarbans due to the rich growth of Sundari trees. The chief predators are the Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, saltwater crocodile, black panther and fishing cat. The Sundarbans is home to many different species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and fishes. Over 120 species of fish and over 260 species of birds have been recorded in the Sundarbans. The Gangetic River Dolphin (platanista gangeticus) is common in the rivers....
Climate
Be sure that you have booked your lodging or trip package through a responsible tourism organisation that shares the tourism benefit with local communities, does not employ child labour, and practices environment-friendly tourism. The adjacent inhabited areas of the Sundarbans are well connected with Kolkata by roadways and railways. The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) at Kolkata. One may have to take other modes of transport to reach one's destination. Canning Sealdah South is the nearest railway station to the Sundarbans. It is 29 km (18 mi) away from Godkhali Port. Public transport services are available between Canning and Godkhali. State Highway 3 (SH 3) is the only highway in Sundarbans National Park. It starts from Krishnanagar and ends at Godkhali. Foreigners wishing to visit the SNP have to obtain a special permit, as per the Government mandate. It can now, however, be obtained at the Sajnekhali Forest Office (Ecotourism Range).
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe adjacent inhabited areas of the Sundarbans are well connected with Kolkata by roadways and railways. The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) at Kolkata. One may have to take other modes of transport to reach one's destination. Canning Sealdah South is the nearest railway station to the Sundarbans. It is 29 km (18 mi) away from Godkhali Port. Public transport services are available between Canning and Godkhali. State Highway 3 (SH 3) is the only highway in Sundarbans National Park. It starts from Krishnanagar and ends at Godkhali. Foreigners wishing to visit the SNP have to obtain a special permit, as per the Government mandate. It can now, however, be obtained at the Sajnekhali Forest Office (Ecotourism Range). The originals have to be shown to the forest office on your arrival. A permit for maximum of 5 days is usually granted which can be further extended subject to the permission of the local forest officer....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You have to rely on boats for visiting the various tourist spots of the Sundarbans. Local boats or vessels are operated by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDCL), namely M.V. Chitrarekha and M.V. Sarbajaya. You can also hire your own boat but the charges are pretty steep (₹1,500-2,000 per day). However, in case you wish to move around on your own, make sure to hire a guide or else the boatsmen may take you for a ride. The waterways of the Sundarbans are so similar to one another that even if your boat makes a round of the same place, you won't be able to tell the difference without the services of an experienced guide. The Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary is the place from where you can hire a guide. All the watch towers listed below can be covered in varying lengths of time. For instance, in a 1N 2D package, you may be able to cover 2 to 3 watch towers, in a 2N 3D package you may be able to cover a few more and so on.
Where to Stay
If you are backpacking, go to Godkhali/Pakhiralay and inquire about the boats. They are generally cheaper, but there is always the risk that you may not get one on weekends and important dates and have to abandon your tour from there. Overnight stay on the boat, is possible and is a unique experience. However, check out the hygiene and safety of the boat before you do so. Most of the boats have single toilets and the toilets on the boats stink and may not be so clean as most of the boats carry a maximum number of passengers (25, 35, 40 or maybe 60) as per their Licensed capacity during the day and all those passengers use on-board bathrooms. However, if you find one such nice boat, the experience of an overnight stay on the boat and the scenic beauty of the dawn on the water is absolutely breathtaking and mesmerizing.
Money & Budget
Fresh sea fish, crabs, prawns, lobster, dry fish curry, cottage cheese, pancakes, Bengali-style rice pudding, and local sweet curds. It's best to savour the delicious dishes made of fresh catches from the water like shrimp, crab, hilsa, bhetki, pangas, partsay, boal, rohu, or katla. Some of the lodges also have their own kitchen garden to give the guests a sample of fresh produce. Filtered or boiled water. (Do not insist on mineral water unless it is a part of your personal medication. Mineral water comes in plastic bottles, and the Sundarbans is a no-plastic zone.) Fresh coconut juice, fresh watermelon juice, mango juice. If you are backpacking, go to Godkhali/Pakhiralay and inquire about the boats.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
The Sundarbans are the only place in the world where tigers still actively hunt humans for food and usually between 50 and 80 locals are mauled per year. The royal Bengal tiger is extremely dangerous in the Sundarbans, but most visitors need not worry since wildlife tours and accommodations that is provided by the state government will never put you in harm's way; however if you are interested in a private tour (by hiring a small machine boat), do it at your own risk! The Sundarbans are also home to a population of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) and bullsharks are found throughout the estuaries, so swimming is not advised anywhere. Mosquito-borne diseases including malaria and dengue fever are present within the Sundarbans at varying levels depending on the season (the wet season represents the greatest risk). The most feared animal (by locals and tourists) within the tropics is the mosquito which represents a greater threat than any man-eater could.