Sundarbans National park situated in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A part of this park extends into the neighboring country Bangladesh as well. The Sundarbans National Park is a wonderful maze of mangrove forest, the only one known in the world. It covers about 54 islands. A major part of this national park is home to more than 2,500 square kilometer Tiger Reserve, which includes a 1,330 square kilometer national park. The Sundarbans national park has 3 wildlife sanctuaries, one inside the national park itself at Sajnekhali, the other to the south of the national park at Lothian Island and the third at Holiday Island. One can see a variety of wildlife in its natural habitat such as tigers, birds, monkeys, deer, boar and various varieties of retiles.
Climate
From October to February one gets to experience the winter chill.
From March to May the whether remains hot and humid.
From June to September the constant rains of the monsoon season keeps the park wet and the air windy.
Location
The Sundarbans are located by the Ganges River. It is at a distance of about 130 km from West Bengal. The town closest to the national park is Gosaba and the nearest railway station is at Canning. One has to enter the Sundarbans from the main entrance situated at Sajnekhali.
How to reach Sundarnabs National Park
It is not quite simple to reach Sundarbans. There is no direct bus, boat or train to this National park. Take a train from the Sealdah railway station in Kolkata to Canning. The train journey takes about one and half hour to reach its destination. Then take a boat ride to Sajnekhali from Canning, the boat ride is of five hours duration.
You can also travel by road from Kolkata to Sonakhali (3 hr road drive) or Basanti. Next take a boat ride to either Sajnekhali or a ferryboat to Gosaba. From Gosaba you can hire a boat to take you to Sajnekhali, which will take you about two hours.
At Sajnekhali you can easily get guides who will take you on guided tours through the jungles from Sajnekhali.
Permits
Foreign nationals needs to get a special permit to enter the Sundarbans as per the Government regulations. You need to show proof of your orinibnals, so don’t forget to carry them. It can be obtained from a number of Government offices, which are:
Sajnekhali Forest Office
Sundarbans Tiger Camp: http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com
Eastern Sunderban Tours
Help Tourism http://www.helptourism.com.
The permits are for five days only. However, you can get an extension if you request is sanctioned by the local police officers.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Sundarbans is a no plastic zone. Hence, prefer drinking boiled water and do not insist too much on mineral water only as they come in plastic bottles.
- Do not wander into the jungles alone at night. It is not safe. Prefer taking guided tours and stay together in groups.
- You can enjoy the local cultural program Bonobibi Yatra. It is a local country-style theatre organized and performed by the villagers.
The government has tried really hard to maintain the trueness of this forest. The birds chirp all day long, the wild animals roam freely, the thick forest cover is hope to hundreds of small animals and reptiles. Enjoy the nature as much as you can you may never get to see its true nature again.
