Sundarbans

Sundarbans is the prime location for those who like nature in its wildest forms. Sundarbans offers you a very extra ordinary natural scenic views and a journey through a riverine waterways for a lifetime experience. We experienced the journey through its riverine waterways on 23 and 24 January 2009.

It is also the perfect place for the ordinary holiday makers who desire to be away from hustle bustle city life for few days. Its nly 100 KM from the city Kolkata.

Sundarbans, literally means beautiful forest, is a combined forest spread in Bangladesh and India. The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, Brahamaputra and the Ganges extends over areas comprising of mangrove forests, swamps and forest island all interwoven in a network of small rivers and streams. Sundarbans is the biggest mangrove forest in the world and is a treasure island of bi-odiversity. The Sundarbans has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The part of the forest within Indian Territory is called Sundarbans National Park and is in the district of South 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India.

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7 points

The Sundarbans National Park is the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The tigers have adapted themselves very well to the saline and aqua environs and are extremely good swimmers. Nowadays, a behavioral change being observed in Royal Bengal Tigers as they are frequently straying to villages despite of presence of other animals for their prey. Once they enter into villages, they get easy preys for which they do not even require to chase. So, they venture into villages frequently.

Sonakhali (100-kms), Raidighi (76-kms), Canning (64-kms), and Najat (92-kms) from Kolkata (Calcutta), which are all near the Sunderbans and have access to the riverine waterways leading to it. We reached Sonakhali jetty at about 1030AM and took a journey by Launch to Sajnekhali. Reached Sajnekhali at about 0230PM and checked in in the WB Govt. Tourist Lodge.

We cruised through the rivers to watch natural beuties  of Sundarbans and also to spot a Royal Bengal Tigers. We visited two watch towers, one  at Sudhanyakhali and  another at Dobanki. While moving on waterways, various types of trees and plants can be seen on the banks. While sailing to Dobanki you can see the Saptamukhi, the seven points where seven rivers meet.

Stemless Tree

Sailing to Sudhanyakhali
Sunset observed at Gosaba on our return journey
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