Sunderbans

South of Calcutta starts the Sundarbans 'beautiful forest' in Bengali, formed by the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and extending across the entire northern shore of the Bay of Bengal. These evergreen mangrove forests pulsate with myriad forms of life.

These forests are extremely dense, often impenetrable, fringed by mangrove jungles and are one of the most intriguing wilderness on earth. Most journeys through these humid forests are done by boat, and it is a fascinating trip.

Tribes of honey gatherers live in these dark forests. They believe that the giant, saline water drinking Royal Bengal Tigers always attack from the rear and so they wear masks on the backs of their heads. This is why a posse of armed policemen accompanies all visitors who venture into these beautiful forests. Other wild creatures which lucky visitors might see are spotted deer, boar, monkey, crocodile, python, Salvator lizards, and a wide range of water birds.

General Information

Entry Permit
To visit Tiger Project area including Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary permission is to obtained from the Joint Secretary (Forest), Govt. of West Bengal 

How to get there

Air
Nearest airport is Calcutta (131 km). Connected with the all major cities in India.

Rail
Sundarbans is accessible only by riverine waterways. From Calcutta there are suburban train to Canning and buses to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where Motor launch services are available for Sundarbans.

Road
Above mentioned embarkation points from Calcutta are, Namkhana (105 km), Sonakhali (100 km), Raidighi (76 km), Canning (64 km), Najat (92 km)