Sundarban
Sundarban at a glance
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Air
The nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport at Kolkata (112 kms). It takes around 3 hours of road journey and 2 hours of boat ride to reach Sundarban.
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Rail
Canning is the nearest Railway Station to Sundarban. Local trains to Canning are available from Sealdah (South) at regular intervals and takes about 1 and ½ hours. Local shared vans are available from Canning to Godhkhali Jetty, the starting point of your boat journey to the Sundaban.
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Road
Sundarbans is about 110 kms from Kolkata. Road transportation is also available from Kolkata for Namkhana (105 km), Sonakhali (100 km), Raidighi (76 km), Canning (64 km), and Najat (92 km), which are all near the Sunderbans and have access to the riverine waterways.
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Sundarban Tiger Reserve
The Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is considered to be one of the top ten wildlife destinations in India. Literally meaning "beautiful jungle" in Bengali, the Sunderbans ecosystem is the world’s largest delta and mangrove swamp.
The Tiger Reserve lies at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna and spreads across 2,585 sq. km. It is the largest estuarine sanctuary in the world, and home to some of India’s most interesting wildlife.
The littoral forests of the Sunderbans are one of the few ecological habitats in the world suitable for the Royal Bengal Tiger. The tidal forms and mangrove forests here provide ideal habitat for several species of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals that inhabit these forests. It is home to an enchanting variety of wildlife including the spotted deer, wild pigs, monkeys, herons, kingfishers, white-bellied eagles and about 270 Royal Bengal Tigers.
The tigers at the Tiger Reserve are known to be mostly man-eaters. The uniqueness of the habitat and the lack of suitable prey seem to have contributed to this behavioral trait of Sunderbans tiger. The man-eating trait is considered to have been hereditarily acquired over a period of generations in the process of consumption of saline water. A posse of policemen accompanies all visitors who venture into these 'beautiful forests’. -
Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower
Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower is the tower from where most of the tigers can be spotted. In addition, tourists can also spot wildlife like axis deer and crocodiles from this tower.
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Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary
Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary, located between Peechkali and Gomti Rivers, is possibly the only place where tourists can take a walk. Situated adjacent to the Sunderban Tiger Reserve, it is home to egrets, herons and several other species of birds. Tourists can also visit the Mangrove Interpretation Centre here. Considered a part of Sunderbans, this sanctuary is known for its rich bird population.
In addition, at this sanctuary, tourists can spot several colourful species of Kingfisher, Plovers, Sandpipers, Whimbrels, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Lap-Wings and Curfews. Apart from a breeding colony of herons, the bird sanctuary also houses a Visitor’s Centre where tourists can see a crocodile enclosure and a shark pond along with a turtle hatchery. In addition, this sanctuary also has a Mangrove Interpretation Centre. -
Sajnekhali Watch Tower
Sajnekhali Watch Tower, another famous watch tower of Sunderbans, houses a Bonobibi temple, a museum and crocodile park within its premises.