Sunderban National Park

Sunderbans National Park is one of the top ecotourism destinations in India, and it is absolutely thrilling to visit it. Just like any other place, there are certain travel tips which will make your trip a smooth and pleasant one. Here are some of them.

• Do not drink tap water, as you may end up being severely ill or contracting various water-borne diseases. Always go for filtered water over coconut water.
• You should not carry any mineral water bottle while visiting the national park as Sunderbans is a "no plastic zone".
• Always carry some light snacks along with fruits and dry fruits with you. They will come in handy when you want a small snack.
• It can be very hot in Sunderbans during the summers. Take adequate precautions if plan on visiting it during this time. Carry hats, sunglasses and sun tan lotion to protect yourself from the heat.
• You will hardly come across any ATM’s in this area, so it’s better to carry enough cash to get you around. The only ATM which you will find here is in the village of Gosaba in Sundarbans.
• Don’t let an illness take away all the fun out of your trip. Keep yourself equipped to deal with illness at any time by carrying medicines for cold, cough and upset stomachs.
• A torch can always carry in handy. Carry one, along with spare batteries./li>
• Carry spare batteries for your cameras too, in case you don’t find the means to recharge them during the course of your trip.

For most tourists, a boat ride through Sundarbans is what it’s all about. Not many are aware, though, that this national park is also home to other attractions. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Sajnekhali Watch TowerSajnekhali Watch Tower is a popular watchtower in the Sundarban National Park which is great for spotting wildlife animals. It is situated in close proximity to the park, and that is one of the reasons behind its popularity. At any given point of time, only 20 people can be accommodated in it. This watchtower is greatly appreciated among birdlovers. From here, one can spot various kinds of birds including Pelican, Plovers, Lap Wings, Kingfishers, White Bellied Sea Eagle and Sandpipers.

Kalash IslandIf your vacation plan is visiting Sunderban during the winters, you are in for a delightful surprise. During this time,a large number of Olive Ridley Turtles make their way to Kalash Island located in South 24 Parganas for nesting. It is also great for spotting different kinds of coastal birds like The Great Stone Curlew (also known as Great Thick-knee).

Henry Island Take a walk through Henry Island to come face to face with the lushness of this region. Take a stroll on its beach or explore the dense mangrove jungle which is accessible by crossing a small bamboo bridge. You will also find a fisheries department here, consisting of more than 50 ponds. It’s another great way of observing the flora and fauna of this region.

Netidhopani The history of Sunderbans goes back hundreds of years. Under the Mughals, this land was leased to the people staying nearby who built settlements. Most of these settlements, although in ruins today, are great for sightseeing. One of these is a 400 years old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is also a road to the extreme right of the forest which was built by King Pratapaditya to guard the coastal area. Today, it is covered in earth and consists of a sweet water pond.

Burirdabri There are many things that make Burirdabri famous. It consists of a watchtower, a mud walk and mangrove cage trail which leads to a viewpoint called Raimongal View Point. During the course of the mud walk, you come across a variety of fauna including snails, crabs and molluscs. The great thing about this watchtower is that it lets you see the Bangaldesh Sundarbans. Upto 10 people can be accommodated in this watchtower at any given time.

The coastal active delta of Sunderban at the mouth of Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh, having a complex geomorphologic and hydrological character with climatic hazards, has a vast area of mangrove forests with a variety of flora and diverse fauna in a unique ecosystem. The natural environment and coastal ecosystem of this Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site is under threat of physical disaster due to unscientific and excessive human interferences. Conservation and environmental management plan for safeguarding this unique coastal ecology and ecosystem is urgently required.

Flora: Sundarban has achieved its name from the Sundari Trees. It is the most exquisite variety of tree that are found in this area, a special kind of Mangrove tree. It has specialised roots called pneumatophore which emerge above ground and help in gaseous exchange i.e. respiration. During the rainy season when the entire forest is waterlogged, the spikes rising from the ground has their peak in the air and helps in the respiration process.

Fauna:The Sundarbans forest is home to more than 400 tigers. The royal Bengal tigers have developed a unique characteristic of swimming in the saline waters, and are famous for their man-eating tendencies. Tigers can be seen on the river banks sunbathing between November and February. Apart from the Bengal tiger, Fishing cats, Leopard cats, Macaques, Wild boar, Indian grey mongoose, Fox, Jungle cat, Flying fox, Pangolin, Chital, are also found in abundance in the Sundarbans.

The days in between the months of October and March are considered as the best time to visit the Sundarbans National Park as the weather during these days are more pleasant than any other time of the year. The winter season is the best time not only for a comfortable day trip in the dense forest but also for the better wildlife animals sighting as they come out from the dense forest and bask in the sun on the river banks. You can enjoy the boat safari in this pleasant weather and can also enjoy the various local foods that you will get while on the boat during your day safari. Apart from the winter season, visiting during the other seasons are considerably less comfortable for the Safari in Sundarbans due to one or another reason.

The summer season is very uncomfortable due to the very hot weather as the temperature is very high and unbearable during the daytime. If you will hire the non-AC boat during the summer season then it will be the worst trip for you as you cannot enjoy the beautiful surroundings and amazing wildlife due to the unbearable heat waves you will face on the deck. The monsoon season in Sundarbans used to witness the generous rains and the water levels of the rivers flowing through the forest get high due to which the safari in the monsoon season is a bit risky in the small boats.

Visiting Sundarbans During Summer (April to June): From April to June, the weather is extremely hot in the Sundarbans and the humidity is on top with the high temperature that ranges from 30 to 42 degrees Celsius. The hot weather is very uncomfortable for tourists, thus it is not an ideal time to visit Sundarbans.

Visiting Sundarbans During Monsoon (July to September): From July to September, the monsoon season brings heavy rains in the Sundarbans making the water level reaches beyond the normal level which makes the boat safari a risky affair. Though the monsoon season brings much-needed relief for the wild flora and fauna after the summer this season is also not an ideal time to visit Sundarbans.

Visiting Sundarbans During Winter (October to March): It is the best time to visit the Sundarbans due to the pleasant weather from October to March. Except for a few days of very cold weather, the entire duration of the above time interval is having a lovely weather with moderate temperature which ranges from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius. You will enjoy the flora and fauna of the Sundarbans and the beauty of the raw forest without any hassle.

By Air: The nearest airport from the Sunderbans National Park is the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, which located in Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal. The airport is located at the distance of 120 km from the starting point of the Sunderbans safari at Godkhali Port. Further, you can hire the taxi or cab to reach the Godkhali from the Kolkata airport, which will take around 3 hours by road.

The unique and amazing Sundarbans National Park is known for being the largest Mangrove forest and natural home to the most dangerous and endangered predator in the wilderness of the dense forest, the Royal Bengal Tigers along with a large array of wild species of various flora and fauna. The estuarine of the Sundarbans makes it a unique and a must visit wildlife destination in India for the wildlife lovers as well as Nature lovers. Visiting the Sundarbans National Park is as easy as visiting any other tourism destination in India.

By Train: The nearest major railway station is the Sealdah Railway Station and the nearest local railway station is Canning Railway Station. The Sealdah Railway Station is one of the prime Railway Junction in West Bengal and located on the main route of the northeast railway zone and connected to the various cities of India by the regular trains. So, you can visit the Sealdah railway junction from other corners of India and then reach the Canning railway station by using the local trains from Sealdah which will take around one and a half hour of the train ride. Further, you can take the private taxi or shared public transport at the Canning to reach the entry point of Sunderbans at Godkhali to board the boat for the safari.

If you are traveling by train then there are trains to Canning from Sealdah at regular intervals and the train covers this distance in one and a half hour. The private taxi or the shared vans are also available at Canning and takes you Godhkhali Jetty, the initial point of the boat cruise to the Sundabans.

By Road: The Sunderbans visitors, who want to travel by road, can either take the public transport from Kolkata to Canning and further Canning to Godkhali or hire the private taxi or cab to reach directly to Godkhali from Kolkata. It is better to hire a cab or a taxi as public transport is very crowded. The road distance from Kolkata to Godkhali and Canning are around 120 km and 64 km respectively. At Godkhali, you can get into the boat to further explore the forest.

The tourism department of West Bengal has well maintained the roadways and waterways connecting the Sundarbans National park to the nearest towns. Visitors to the Sundarbans National Park can use either the airways or railways or roadways to visit the starting point of the Sundarbans tour which is the Godkhali port. The Sundarbans forest can be explored only through the medium of water transport so from the Godkhali port you can use the small or the big boat to further explore the wildlife of Sundarbans.

The park is well connected to the nearby cities with the roadways, railways and waterways which further connected to the world with the airways as well. Tourists from all over the world visit this forest not only to enjoy the sighting of the wild animals, but also the gorgeous scenic view of the tranquil delta land. The forest can be explored through the water transports that sail in various river channels that divide the land into the deltas. However, the park is open throughout the year for the Safari, but if you know the best time to visit Sundarbans National Park then you can plan your tour accordingly to make your visit more enjoyable and interesting.