Sunderbans Tour Packages

The Sunderbans National Park and biosphere in West Bengal’s delta has the largest number of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world. Not only rich in diverse fauna and flora, but this is also part of the largest halophytic mangrove forest in the world. Teeming with the famous “Sundari trees”, this enormous delta of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra is the world-renowned “Sunderbans” and is also called Badabon. 

The Sunderbans forest tour is assuredly one of the best wildlife safaris to sight tigers. The forests of the Sunderbans are considered to be the richest biodiversity hotspots in India. The coastal forest region is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site for mangroves but also marked as a Ramser wetland reserve. The 1355 square kilometer forest reserve comprises of clusters of islands amidst the South 24 Parganas of West Bengal. It is the main base for the tiger reserve of the Sunderbans where the tigers can be sighted in their natural habitat. The Sunderbans was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 and later in 1984, it was made a National Park. Tourists with an adventurous streak flock here for a trip to the Sunderbans and sightings of tigers are a regular feature.

At a distance of 42 km from Kolkata, Canning is considered to be the gateway to the Sunderbans. From Canning, a one and a half hour journey to Godhkhali Jetty brings you to the starting point of the boat cruise that will take you into the heart of the Badaban and tiger country. The boat ride in itself is an experience to be remembered with stunning scenery of lush green mangroves hanging over the backwaters and the sounds of bird calls and insects as you glide down the river delta. The forest can only be accessed by boat which is part of the unique Sunderbans tour package that can be experienced nowhere else in the world. A trip into the Sunderbans will bring you close to nature in a matchless atmosphere and you’ll go back with memories of a different world.

Apart from the distinctive Royal Bengal tigers that stalk the forests of the Sunderbans, plenty more species of mammals and avifauna populate this habitat. The estuarine crocodiles, pangolins, chital, leopards, Ganges River Dolphins, macaques, jungle cats, foxes, the Indian grey mongoose, wild boar, and flying foxes can be spotted during a Sunderbans safari, many of which are endangered species. The Ridley Sea turtles are also frequent visitors to the region. What makes the experience even more exclusive is the unbeatable boat safari amongst the mangroves. Staying in one of the forest retreats is another wonderfully thrilling experience. 

Planning a trip to Sunderbans in the months between September and March would be ideal. This is the time the animals, especially the big cats emerge from the deep forests to absorb sunlight near the banks of the river. Moreover, the climate also ranges from pleasant and cool to cold and a visitor to the Sunderbans will find it quite comfortable to traverse the dense forests. The best sightings have been recorded in September and May though. 

A typical Sunderbans tour starts from Kolkata or Sealdah which is the nearest railway station. The Sunderbans package tour would take you by road to Canning and further down to Godhkhali from where the rest of the journey is by boat. There are also private taxis and vans that can be taken on a sharing basis to make the road trip from Canning. The boat safaris commence from the Godhkhali Jetty. The West Bengal tourism board has made convenient arrangements for road travel and crossing by boat to make your trip to the Sunderbans as wonderful an experience as possible. There are well laid out roads connecting Sunderban National Park to most of the nearest towns as well as waterways that crisscross the riverine delta. 

The Sunderbans are truly an amazing natural reserve. Your trip to the Sunderbans, with whichever package you may choose will be a remarkable journey into the wild, wild jungle that you will never forget.