Sundarbans National Park

As I had been to the Bangladeshi Sundarbans already in 2007, the visit to its Indian counterpart felt superfluous: this should be one transboundary WHS of course. And it felt even more like a chore because the visitor experience on the Indian side doesn’t come exactly recommended: I scouted for a “better” lodge to stay the night or a more imaginative tour, but all come with mixed reviews (or worse) online. So I settled for a private day trip from Kolkata. This one also suffered from poor communication beforehand, but fortunately, the logistics on the day itself worked perfectly.

A driver picked me up at 5 a.m. from my Kolkata hotel. The drive to Godhkali this early in the morning takes only 2h15 minutes (on the way back, it would be 3 hours). When you leave Kolkata’s city limits, the typical landscape dominated by creeks and channels begins. 

In Godhkali, I was handed over like a postal package to a ferryman who put me on land at the next island, and on his turn delivered me to a waiting taxi that drove me in 15 minutes across the island to another dock. This is a densely inhabited island, it looked quite idyllic but it has suffered greatly from the devastating cyclone in 2020 and is also at risk due to rising water levels. It is protected by a low mud dike covered in plastic that looks very sketchy.

My private boat was waiting at the second dock …

I was in Sunderban, West Bengal quite a number of times to conduct a study of mental health status and needs of the survivors after two years of disaster due to Aila ( name given by Maldwip for separate identity), that occurred on 25th May, 2009 in the Southern parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh because of formation of devastating cyclone in the Bay of Bengal . While conducting my study at 8 No. Khaikhali and Deulbari, in the Kultali Block; P.O.- Ashram , I met some of the affected people like Nirupada Mondal (Fisherman), Nirmal Naskar (Autorickshaw Driver) , Rabin Naskar (Boatman), Ramini Das( Runs rented shop in Ram Krishna Mission, Khaikhali), Bishnu Pada Sardar (Farmer).... they narrated the horrible situation in Aila cyclone-affected villages of Khaikhali and Deulbari. It was not just an opportunity for me to extend my understanding of extent of disaster but also to listen to the needs of people struggling for survival. According to Nirupada Mondal immediately after disaster the survivors in the villages have been facing scarcity of food, drinking water because of the fact that sea-water ruining their freshwater ponds, and that was responsible for several survivors suffering from diarrhoea after having no choice but to drink the saline water, and loosing the means of earning livelihood as they have traditionally been dependant on agriculture that has been ruined by the saline water from Bay of Bengal that had entered their farms.

We had previously visited the Bangladesh Sundarbans back in 2006 and had enjoyed the experience so we decided to give the Indian WHS a try when we flew in/out of Kolkata on a trip to the NE of India.

The drive south from Kolkata takes around 2.5 hours and this gets you to one of a number of jetty points from where to travel onwards – ours was at Gothkhali. From there boats are available into the Sundarbans (though you can get further by public transport across several islands by short ferries and auto/cycle rickshaws). By boat the official entrance is a further 2 + hours further on mostly through heavily populated areas on either side of a mainly narrow waterways. We had arranged an overnight at the Sundarban Tiger Camp situated just outside the park (reasonable standard) but first went to the Park HQ at Sajnekhali for registration/payment of fees etc. The only accommodation inside the park is here but our lodge was only across the river at Dayapur.

Sajnekhali was a disappointment. Its caged area contains a reasonable interpretation centre and a concrete watch tower but the distinct lack of any significant wildlife most of the time from that tower had been “compensated” for by the distant positioning of laughable, life size, plastic animals such as tiger! The Sundarban tours which operate from there are conducted in traditional-hulled motor boats with a cabin and a deck verandah, capable, I guess, of taking some 10 tourists (though most, like …

I went to Sundarban World Heritage site with my son in a cruise named M.V.Paramhansha. It started from Millenium Park on Friday. Some Foreigners are there also. We enjoyed thoroughly our trip. It's 3 days trip. First day we stay near Namkhana. Next day we went to visit different Islands with a small boat. Food was really tasty and healthy. To see the different cricks and crevices you will be thrilled. The silence itself a beauty over there. Jungle birds like Cranes, Water ducks,Parrots,Titir,KingFishers are really interesting. If you see the different tributaries of River Hoogly it's amazing. Sundari plants are main vegetation overthere. 7 different rivers meet at different points. Like Hoogly, Matla, Saptaparni, Caning, Brahamaputra, Padma and Ganges are really worthwhile.

If you see the different flora and fauna over there by watch tower at different islands you can locate spotted deers, Cuckoo,mudskippers,moniter lizards, Crocodiles and turtles too. The people stays over there are very poor. Only they can avail fish and honey.

Agriculture is there like (Paddy and Sunflower). Some areas are covered with Solar power. Internal arrangement of cruse is really excellent.

Sundarbans, locals called Snderbunds. Now Sndarbans and its tigers are making news every day. Tigers are getting in the villages for easy prey. All these make Sundarbans more and more popular every day. But heard from tourist, that they never seen tiger there with repeated visit. Very recently I went to Sundarbans and found lots of people are traveling there. It is good for locals as they able to get quick money. But I found the crowd makes lots of noises, especially on weekends. Tracking a tiger is hard in the dense bush, but if you give more time to certain watch towers then your chances will be bigger. For this you need to spend more silent hrs there. You can try Trips2world.net for specialized tiger safari packages in Sundarbans.

It is important for tourists to know that the chances of seeing the tiger in this place is very very less. The main reason is that the jungle is inacessible by land, and one hs to use a motor boat. Since narrow creeks cannot be traversed using the motor boats, one generally end up cruising in the river, expecting soem animal to come by to cross the river. In this sense, unlike other jungles where animals are actively pursued using pug marks, other clues, in this place, one ends up passively waiting for the animal to some how come to the banks of the river. Also in package tours the time at the watch tower is only about 15 miniuts, the rest of the time is for travelling from the camp o the watch towers by boat. Staff was cooperative and kind. The village and the villagers were simple and loving. But the main purpose of the trip i.e to watch wild life is genearally defeated. We could not even spot a monkey in the three days at the camp.