Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans is a labyrinth of water channels and water-logged thick Mangrove Jungles at the mouth of Ganga & Brahmaputra Delta in the Bengal basin. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, a tiger reserve and a biosphere reserve; Sundarbans National Park is the realm of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Away from the hustle-bustle of life, this park offers you a surreal experience amidst picturesque landscapes.

The Topography
Spread over an expanse of around 1400sqkm, the park is composed of 54 small islands and several distributaries of River Ganga crisscrossing the landscape. The terrain keeps changing with new islands forming due to shifting tides and silt deposits.

The Vegetation
Sundarbans National Park gets it names from its high population of Sundari tree that is a special & endangered kind of mangrove. Over 26 kinds of mangroves are found in Sundarbans that combine to form the estuarine mangrove ecosystem of the park.

Inhabitants of Sundarbans National Park

Mammals and Other Species
Sundarbans is home to over 400 Royal Bengal Tigers. Other species including fishing cat, leopard, macaque, wild boar, Indian grey mongoose, fox, jungle cat, flying fox, pangolin, chital, estuarine crocodiles, rare Ganges dolphins and Olive Ridley turtle abound the Sundarbans.

Birds of Sundarbans
Sunderbans’ riverine islands are home to various indigenous and migratory birds. Spotted dove, rose ringed parakeet, kingfisher, partridge, heron, seagull, plover, pintail and many other bird species inhabit the jungles of Sunderbans.

Boat Safari in Sundarbans National Park
Boat safari is the only way to travel across Sunderbans. As your boat glides down the many creeks of Sunderbans, you may glimpse a tiger lurking in the thick forest or lazing in the mudflats. The thrill of watching a tiger swim languidly across a creek or a crocodile preying on a bird in the waters of Sundarbans is a priceless experience. Go for a boat safari and lose yourself in the sights and sounds of Sundarbans.

Best Time to Visit
Sunderbans National Park is best visited in the winter months from October to March as the chances of animal sightings increases in winters when animals come out of the dense jungles to bask in the sun on the river banks.

How to Reach
By Air- Netaji Subhash Chandra Airport, Kolkata, around 100kms away, is the closest airport.
By Train- Canning Railway Station, around 48kms from Sunderbans, is the nearest railhead.
By Road- Well-laid routes and highways connect Sunderbans National Park to various cities in West Bengal and other surrounding states.