Sundarbans ecosystem is one of the largest mangrove forest globally. The delta is spread over India and Bangladesh with an area of approximately 10,000 sq kms and enjoys the status of being largest halophytic mangrove forest in the world. It is a delta of the two great Indian River - The Ganga and The Brahmaputra which converges on the Bengal basin. The forests are the natural habitat of the famous Royal Bengal Tigers. Sundarban Tiger Reserve was created in 1973 and constituted as a Reserve Forest in 1978. The current core area was established as a National Park in 1984. Recognizing the region and its unique biodiversity, the National Park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The entire Sundarban area was declared a Biosphere Reserve four years later. Few of the wildlife species apart from the Royal Bengal Tigers spotted in Sundarbans include the fishing cat, spotted Deer, wild boar, gangetic dolphin, water monitor, estuarian crocodile, river terrapin, olive ridley turtle, ground turtle, hawks bill turtle, king crab, etc.
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By Air: The nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport at Kolkata. From there one can take road journey and after that boat ride to reach Sundarbans.
By Train: Local trains to Canning are available from Sealdah South at regular intervals. Local shared vans are available from Canning to Godhkhali Jetty, the starting point of boat journey to the Sundarbans.
By Road: Sundarbans is well connected with Kolkata. Road transportation is also available from Kolkata for Namkhana, Sonakhali, Raidighi, Canning, and Najat, which are all near the Sundarbans and have access to the riverine waterways. India Beacons arranges vehicles as part of their package tours to pick and drop tourists from Kolkata to Godhkhali Jetty, the starting point of the boat journey to the Sundarbans.
henrys island
Located on the western edge of the Sundarban, Henry s Island also known as Bakkhali is fast developing into West Bengal s favorite Beach Resort. Henrys Island is named after a European who surveyed land in the area in the late 19th century. Henrys Island is one of the numerous island that form the Ganga Brahmaputra delta, the largest in the world. Crisscrossed by numerous rivers and rivulets Henry s island offer an interesting mix of beach and mangrove forest. A place, where tourist can laze on the beach and spot wildlife simultaneously. Tourist can get a spectacular view from the watch tower in Bakkhali. The walk goes through a stretch of mangrove jungle accessed by crossing a small bamboo bridge.
sajnekhali watch tower
Sajnekhali Watch Tower is counted among the most renowned watch towers in the park. It s popular amongst tourist due to its proximity to several resorts in the Sundarban area. This place also serves as the head office of the forest department. Tourist can obtain permission to enter the national park from the watch tower spot. The watch tower can accommodate 20 people at a time. The major attractions in this region are Bono Bini Temple, Mangrove Interpretation Center, and the tourist lodge of the Bengal Tourism Department. This watch tower makes exploring the wilderness super fun and easy. The bird lovers get a special spectacle of avifauna species such as Pelican, Kingfishers, Plovers, Lap Wings, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Whimbrel, Curfews, and Sandpipers.
bhagabatpur crocodile sanctuary
The Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project in the Sundarban has, of late, emerged as an important tourist destination of the Sundarbans. This is the only crocodile project in West Bengal and is located adjacent to the Lothian Island and on the bank of the Saptamukhi Estuary. The dense mangrove forest at the confluence of Saptamukhi river system has immense natural beauty to attract tourist all throughout the year. The hatchery of estuarine crocodile and Batagur Baska species of tortoise in the project has crocodiles of varying ages. Though this place is easily accessible through Namkhana, one can also visit it from Sajnekhali.
burirdabri watch tower
This watch Tower in the Burirdabri camp is famous for its watchtower, mud walks and mangrove cage trail leading to a viewpoint known as Raimongal Viewpoint. The ground fauna consisting of snails, varieties of crabs and mollusks can be observed closely during the mud walk. The layout of this watchtower is very beautiful with a walk over wooden bridges followed by a walk through the mud cage and finally ending at the wooden watch tower overlooking Bangladesh with the river Raimongal forming the international boundary between India and Bangladesh. One can see the Bangladesh Sundarbans from this watchtower. This watchtower has a capacity to host 10 persons at a time.
