The mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal is known as Sundarbans. It is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It is home to several animals, birds, and dreadful `Man-Eating Royal Bengal Tigers`.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
- Reach Gadkhali ferry ghat from Kolkata. It takes approximately 4 hours depending on the area in Kolkata.
- Enjoy the ferry ride from ferry ghat to Gosaba and then to Pakhiralay.
- Reach resort, eat lunch and relax for an hour.
- Watch sunset from Pakhiralay Sunset Point(from ferry)
Day 2
- Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary/ Sajnekhali Sunderban Tiger Reserve viewpoint.
- Dobanki View point.
- Few view points from boat.
- Folk dance and drama.
Day 3
- Learn about Hamilton Bunglow
- Return journey to Kolkata.
Budget
The cost per person for 3 days and 2 nights is INR 4277/- and this cost varies as per season and tour company. It includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and hotel expenses.
Best Season To Explore Sunderbans
Winter months – End of October to March.
There are high chances of Tiger visibility in summers but it’s very hot and humid.
Let’s Explore Island and Sundarbans together 🙂
Day 1
We were very happy to plan the last trip of the year 2021 with both of our parents. On day 1, it took 6 hours approximately, including waiting time to reach the hotel from Kolkata. The tour company provided tea, lunch, and requested to be ready by 3:30 PM IST.
Don’t miss sunrise and sunset in Pakhirala, it’s beautiful.
Day 2
I woke up early and borrowed a bicycle from a worker in the hotel and explored the island. The island is filled with private and public pools as they are a source of sweet water for them.
At 8:00 AM, we went on a ferry where we have to spend the whole day. It took us to the Sunderbans.
View from Sandhrekhali and Dobanki viewpoints. The probability to see the tiger, other animals are high at these points. We were unfortunate that we couldn’t see a tiger, the overall probability that one could spot a tiger is low because these forests are vast.
We also saw the confluence of five rivers – Padma, Meghna, Bhairab, Madhumati, and Hugli. All the meals except dinner were provided on the boat.
Day 3
We had breakfast at the hotel and went out to explore the market. We bought a few wild almonds/baksho almonds for home. It tastes similar to a mix of soaked almonds and peanuts/ pumpkin seeds.
The driver dropped us at the ferry point and requested us to visit the Hamilton bungalow which was closed.
What to expect from Sunderbans trip and some tips
- The probability to see tiger is very low.
- Rather sit back and enjoy nature.
- We recommend to book the package for 1 night and 2 days, important points can be covered in a day.
- The route for all ferry are predefined by government so day 2 is similar for all boats.
- Unless you are booking a luxirous boat stay, book your accomodation on island.
- It is paradise for Non-vegeterians, some people solely plan this trip for it while vegeterians might face some challenges in terms of quality of food. All 9 of us didn’t like food and on last day they served us stale food which lead to food poisioning.
- There are also issues with water, we highly recommend to buy filtered water bottles.
Tour Packages
- Official site for West Bengal tourism – https://www.wbtdcl.com/
- http://www.helptourism.com/social-ecological-tourism-conservation-village-community-eco-tourism-projects-initiatives/westbengal/sundarban-jungle-camp.html
- https://www.tourdesundarbans.com/sundarbontour.php
- https://www.sundarbanecotourism.com/
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