Wild Life – India – Sunderbans – 2N/3D

Sunderbans National Parks:

This park is located in the vast swampy delta of two great Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Ganga, in West Bengal. It extends over a vast area. mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands, covering over 1,300 sq. km.

Sunderbans is home to nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers. Part of the forest lies in Bangladesh and it is estimated that the combined population of tigers in the region could be about 400. Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the park are good swimmers.

Traversing the mangroves by motor launch is quite an experience, for the area is completely unspoilt and very different from the more conventional wildlife park.

The estuarine crocodile is often seen along the mud banks but owing to the dense undergrowth the tiger is a sight to behold.

General Information

Best time to visit :
October to March

Nearest Town :
Basanti

ITINERARY
Day 1: Calcutta-Sunderbans National Park
Meals: lunch, dinner and tea service
When you arrive in Kolkata in the morning you are met and transferred by a comfortable vehicle to the jetty at Sonakhali. The 2½ hour drive takes through the lush-green rural Bengal landscape, dotted with its picturesque villages and quaint markets. Our personal boat, the M.B. Sundari awaits you here. You cruise down the rivers Hogol, Gomor, Durgaduani, Bidya and the Gumdi. As you sip tea or coffee, our resident naturalist explains the many mysteries of the Sunderbans. On this stretch alone you can see six different types of Kingfishers! A couple of pleasant hours later you arrive at the Sunderbans Jungle Camp on the Island of Bali. Here a sumptuous lunch awaits you and after a short rest in the well-appointed cottages we take you down to Sajnekhali, to see the Mangrove Interpretation Center and return via the Sudhyanakhali watchtower. You can either dine aboard the boat or at the resort.

Day 2: Sunderbans National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea service
This day we take you on a full day cruise. We leave just after breakfast and head towards the canopied walk at Dobanki. We then proceed to the furthest point-Netidhopani, where you can see age-old excavations and view game from the watchtower. If you are lucky you can spot the famous swimming tigers of Sunderbans. We keep a sharp watch for basking Estuarine Crocodiles and the elusive Irrawady Dolphins. Lunch is on board and we return late in the evening after watching the spectacular sunset. In the evening the local village troupe enacts the opera based on the popular myth of the Goddess Bonobibi.

Day 3: Sunderbans National Park-Calcutta
Meals: breakfast, lunch and tea service
We take you on a tour of the island village of Bali, where you can watch local residents conducting their everyday chores- fishing, weaving and boat-making. A short cruise in country boats along the narrow canals completes the Sunderbans experience. After lunch we transfer you back to Kolkata.

Sunderbans National Parks:

This park is located in the vast swampy delta of two great Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Ganga, in West Bengal. It extends over a vast area. mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands, covering over 1,300 sq. km.

Sunderbans is home to nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers. Part of the forest lies in Bangladesh and it is estimated that the combined population of tigers in the region could be about 400. Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the park are good swimmers.

Traversing the mangroves by motor launch is quite an experience, for the area is completely unspoilt and very different from the more conventional wildlife park.

The estuarine crocodile is often seen along the mud banks but owing to the dense undergrowth the tiger is a sight to behold.

General Information

Best time to visit :
October to March

Nearest Town :
Basanti

ITINERARY
Day 1: Calcutta-Sunderbans National Park
Meals: lunch, dinner and tea service
When you arrive in Kolkata in the morning you are met and transferred by a comfortable vehicle to the jetty at Sonakhali. The 2½ hour drive takes through the lush-green rural Bengal landscape, dotted with its picturesque villages and quaint markets. Our personal boat, the M.B. Sundari awaits you here. You cruise down the rivers Hogol, Gomor, Durgaduani, Bidya and the Gumdi. As you sip tea or coffee, our resident naturalist explains the many mysteries of the Sunderbans. On this stretch alone you can see six different types of Kingfishers! A couple of pleasant hours later you arrive at the Sunderbans Jungle Camp on the Island of Bali. Here a sumptuous lunch awaits you and after a short rest in the well-appointed cottages we take you down to Sajnekhali, to see the Mangrove Interpretation Center and return via the Sudhyanakhali watchtower. You can either dine aboard the boat or at the resort.

Day 2: Sunderbans National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea service
This day we take you on a full day cruise. We leave just after breakfast and head towards the canopied walk at Dobanki. We then proceed to the furthest point-Netidhopani, where you can see age-old excavations and view game from the watchtower. If you are lucky you can spot the famous swimming tigers of Sunderbans. We keep a sharp watch for basking Estuarine Crocodiles and the elusive Irrawady Dolphins. Lunch is on board and we return late in the evening after watching the spectacular sunset. In the evening the local village troupe enacts the opera based on the popular myth of the Goddess Bonobibi.

Day 3: Sunderbans National Park-Calcutta
Meals: breakfast, lunch and tea service
We take you on a tour of the island village of Bali, where you can watch local residents conducting their everyday chores- fishing, weaving and boat-making. A short cruise in country boats along the narrow canals completes the Sunderbans experience. After lunch we transfer you back to Kolkata.