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Journey to the Sunderbans Delta: The Largest Mangrove Forest in the World

Published by Kunal Vahalia

Country: India

The Experience

The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, with one third of it in India, and the rest in Bengal. You’ll be amazed at how beautiful the Sunderbans is as the world’s largest and most fertile delta. Here, the Ganges breaks up into hundreds of tributaries, and flows through the forests, finally emptying its water in the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar. The Ganges is India’s holiest and most fertile river, and millions of people depend on it for its water and other services, such as washing, bathing, drinking and agriculture. The Ganges brings along rich deposits as it flows from the Himalayas to the plateau, to the plains.

It is best to explore Sunderbans by taking a 2-day government-run package or a private package from Kolkata. You start at around 8 a.m. and catch the bus to the tributary, about one hour away. You’ll be spending the next 30 hours on a boat, taking in the splendid scenery through your cabin window. There’ll be a terrace on the boat which has arranged tables and chairs. The view of the mangrove forests from the terrace is spellbinding. The whole scene appears to be right out of a fairytale.

The Sunderbans is the home of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. There are hundreds of small villages and settlements along the banks of the tributaries, and the village folk sure have a problem with the impending tigers, but they respect that it is a near-extinct animal, and the killing of tigers is banned. Villages have now trained dogs that can sense the presence of a tiger in the vicinity.

You can sit back and relax on the terrace of the boat, enjoying the splendid views of the mangrove forests. There are about four points where the boat takes you for a glimpse of the wildcat or deer. However, the chances of seeing a tiger are very slim and you should come to Sunderbans not to see a tiger but to appreciate the beauty of the forests. Food is served on the terrace, and the package includes lunch, tea, and next day’s breakfast.

The boat anchors itself during the night and continues its route again at 4 a.m. (going at a very slow pace so as not to wake you up). When you wake up at around 8 a.m., you see the mangrove forests pass by.

After an hour, you can see the mighty banks of the Ganges River. The river appears so wide at that point that even the seas may look small in comparison. After all, this is the world’s largest delta.

Photos

Map

Puzzle

When to Go to The Sunderbans

The best time to visit the Sunderbans is from November to March.

The Sunderbans tour finishes at 4 p.m. on the next day. It is an unusual and enchanting trip, and people coming to India from all over the world should definitely include the Sunderbans in their itinerary. It is a welcome change from the regular Golden Triangle tours that most of the foreigners take in India.

More Experiences Nearby

The Magnificent Erotic Carvings of The Konark Sun Temple
India is home to seven Sun Temples, among which the Konark Sun Temple is the most prominent of all. Situated in Orissa state of eastern India, Konark Sun Temple is one of the oldest temples of India and a living example of Orissan architecture. It dates back to the 13th century and was built by King Narasimhadeva I as a mark of victory over Muslim invaders. Konark Sun Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, and is also known as “Black Pagoda”. Situated at a distance of 35 kilometers from the holy city of Puri in Orissa, Konark Sun Temple ...227 miles away.

Video

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Books and DVDs

Sunderbans: The Mystic Mangrove

Elsewhere on the Web

Sunderbans National Park
Sunderbans Tiger Camp

Media References

World Bank has rescue plan for Sunderbans (newspaper)

Language Guides

Hindi , Portugese , Russian are some of the languages spoken in India. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

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