National parks
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Trip to Visit the Majestic Royal Bengal Tigers
Sundarban is present on the world’s largest delta adjacent to the Bay of Bengal and is formed by the confluence of three rivers - Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Sundarban is a complex of 102 islands of both large and small sizes and is the home of the largest mangrove forest, which can survive in the salt water. Out of the 102 islands, 54 islands are inhabited by the local people and the rest of the islands are no man’s land and are the core areas of tiger habitation. One of the fascinating facts is 80% of the tour will be conducted via boat. The primary sources of income for the locals of Sundarban are fishing and honey collection.
In order to Sundarban, you need to first reach the City of Joy, Kolkata. Take a train from Sealdah railway station to Canning railway station. Alternatively, you can also take a bus from Dharmatala or B. B. D. Bagh to Canning. Reach Sonakhali ferry ghat from Canning, which takes around 40-50 minutes by autorickshaw. Board on the ferry at Sonakhali and reach Gosaba and thus your tour of Sundarban commences.
There are two bungalows to visit at Gosaba.
1. Hamilton’s Bungalow - Sir Hamilton settled in Sundarban in 1880 and played a crucial role in the development of the Sundarban region. Now the bungalow is declared a heritage place by the Government of West Bengal.
2. Beacon’s Bungalow - It was built in 1932 under the initiative of Sir Hamilton. In order to promote the significance of Sundarban, he invited the pride of Bengal, Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore to stay in the bungalow.
Sajnekhali is the second destination
A tourist permit is required for entering the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary. Visit the Sajnekhali watch tower for a wide range of views. Sanjhekhali is a much-renowned place in the Sundarbans both for its bird sanctuary and the watchtower. The place is also the head office of the forest department. One of the major attractions of Sajnekhali is the Bono Bibi Temple followed by the Mangrove Interpretation Centre.
Do Ban Ki Camp
Reach Do Ban Ki Camp from Sajnekhali by boat. On your way to Do Ban Ki, the river cuts through the mangrove forest, adorned with Sundari trees on both sides and the open forest area view from the boat is simply thrilling. You might get to notice crocodiles or monitor lizards resting on the banks or even the celebrated Royal Bengal Tigers swimming across the river or searching for prey along the banks. The prime interest at Do Ban Ki is the canopy walk, a path well protected with strong fences that enter the dense forest up to 1 km. Climb to the top of the watch tower to soak your eyes in the panoramic beauty of the lush green forest and the river. There is a sweet water pit near the watch tower where the animals come to drink water. In order to sight tigers or other animals you have to hold your patience for quite long at the watch tower. Tiger spotting is very rare. But other fauna species like leopards, jungle cats, fishing cats, leopard cats, spotted deer, gharial, saltwater and mugger crocodile, and various species of reptiles, aqua fauna and avifauna are present in the Sundarban National Park. As the boat again starts from Do Ban Ki camp, it takes to Mohana, also called Panchmukhani Nadi, the junction of five rivers - Padma, Meghna Bhairav, Madhumati and Hoogli.
These are the predominant destinations of Sundarban National Park and the best part of Wildlife Tour Booking at Sundarban is the boat safari sling with the finger-licking breakfast and lunch that are provided in the oat during the safari. The meals usually consist of local fish, curry, pulses, rice, and other items.