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A Few Must Know
Facts ? |
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Area : The Sundarbans, world's largest estuarine mangrove forest, covers
an area of nearly 240 sq. miles or 3600 sq. km.
» Climate : At Sundarbans, the annual maximum and
minimum temperatures can be 34°C and 20°C, respectively. Rainfall
is heavy and humidity is high (80% on average) due to the proximity of the
Bay of Bengal. The monsoon usually lasts from mid-June until mid-September,
after which fair weather prevails until mid-March. Storms are very common in
May and October-November, sometimes developing into cyclones which are
usually accompanied by tidal waves and cause much loss of life and damage to
property and the forests
» When to Visit : The ideal time to visit the
Sundarbans national park is during the months of September and May.
» Nearest Town : The nearest town from Sundarbans
National Park is Gosaba, at a distance of 50 km.
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A Rendezvous With
Sundarbans ? |
Famous as the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world,
Sundarbans National Park, lies in the south-eastern region of Kolkatta in
the 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal. It is a part of the Gangetic
Delta, close to the Bay of Bengal. This park was declared as the core area
of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in December in 1973, a wildlife sanctuary in the
year 1977, a national park in the year 1984 and was included in the list of
the World Heritage Sites in the year 1985.
Home to Royal Bengal Tiger, the Sundarban region has derived its name from
the Sundari trees, once found in large number here. The park is a vast
swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, Brahmaputra and the Ganges
stretching over areas consisting of mangrove forests, swamps and forest
island all creating a chain of small rivers and streams.
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Sightseeing in
Sundarbans ? |
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The Flora : This biologically rich park has trees like Genwa, Dhundal,
Passur, Garjan, Kankra and Goran, which are commonly seen here.
» The Fauna : The Sundarbans is home to more than
400 tigers. The Royal Bengal Tigers of Sunderbans are extremely good
swimmers. The animal stock of the park includes - Fishing Cats, Macaques,
Wild Boar, Common Grey Mongoose, Fox, Jungle Cat, Flying Fox, Pangolin,
Chitals, etc. on the way.
» The Avifauna : The bird life is varied and immense
at Sunderbans. The bird stock includes - White Ibis, Water Hens, Coots,
Pheasant Tailed Jacanas, Pariah Kites, Brahminy Kites, Marsh Harriers, Swamp
Partridges, Red Jungle Fowls, Jungle Babblers, Cotton Teals, Brahminy Ducks,
Spotted Billed Pelicans, Paradise Flycatchers, Cormorants, Fishing Eagles,
White Bellied Sea Eagles, Seaguls, Common Kingfishers, Peregrine falcons,
Woodpeckers, Pintails, White Eyed Pochards and Whistling Teals will make
your trip to Sundarbans extremely delightful.
» The Aqua fauna & The Reptiles : This section
includes - Saw Fish, Butter Fish, Electric Rays, Silver Carp, Star Fish,
Gangetic dolphins, Common Toads and Tree Frogs.
Some of the most commonly seen reptiles are - Olive Ridley Turtles, Sea
Snakes, Dog Faced Water Snakes, Green Turtles, Estuarine Crocodiles,
Chameleons, King Cobras, Russels Vipers, Monitor Lizards, Curviers, Pythons,
Common Kraits, Chequered Killbacks and rat Snakes.
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The Park Trip ? |
The park can only be explored by riverine waterways. Motor launch
facilities are available from Namkhana - Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project-
Sagar Island - Jambudwip; from Sajnekhali - Sudhanyakhali-Buridabri-
Netidhopan-Holiday Island; from Sonakhali - Gosaba; from Raidighi - Kalas.
The luxury launches starts their journey only from Canning
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Excursions from
Sundarbans ? |
Sajnakhali
Sanctuary (famous for its rich avian population), Netidhopani (ruins of a
400 year old temple), Bhagabatpur, Kanak, Holiday Island, Piyali, Kaikhali
Island are some of the places which you should not miss. Sundarbans is close
to Kolkata (the city of joy), visiting this city would be worthwhile.
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Getting There ? |
» By Air : Nearest airport at Kolkata, at
112 km. Kolkata is well connected by air, rail and road to rest of the
country. Taxis, buses are easily available to transport you to Sundarbans.
» By Trains : Canning is nearest railhead (48 km)
from Sundarbans. Taxis are available at the railway station to transport you
to the Sundarbans. From Port Canning, regular buses ply to Sonakhali,
Raidighi, Najat and Namkhana, accessible by the riverine waterways..
» By Road : Road transportation is available from
Kolkata for Namkhana (105-kms), Sonakhali (100-kms), Raidighi (76-kms),
Canning (64-kms), and Najat (92-kms), which are close to Sunderbans and are
accessible by the riverine waterways.
» By Boat : Boat cruise in the riverine waterways
from different places covering different stretches like Namkhana -
Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project- Sagar Island -Jambudweep; from Sajnekhali -
Sudhanyakhali-Buridabri- Netidhopan-Holiday Island; from Sonakhali - Gosaba;
from Raidighi - Kalas are an option to move in the park area. The
watchtowers at Netidhopan, Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali and Haldi- provide you
an excellent view of the wildlife.
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Anchoring In
Sundarbans ? |
The
land of Royal Bengal Tigers, Sundarbans , is the ultimate destination for
those who love this beautiful animal for its symmetry and might. This park
is also filled with some of the wonderful trees and is famous as the world's
largest Mangrove forest. It is also rich in fauna, as you can find rare
animals and wide variety of birds and water animals. Though, Sundarbans is a
nature lover's delight but one needs to keep certain things in mind. Try to
consume safe food and water to avoid any type of disease. Use mosquito
repellents to avoid mosquito bites if you are traveling.
For Foreigners certain permits are required to visit the Tiger Projects &
Sajnekhali. Contact the Secretary, West Bengal Forest Department, Kolkata
for the same. Collect the permit for a visit to other areas of the
Sundarbans from the Field Director, Sundarbans Tiger Reserve.
To reach Sundarbans, from Kolkata airport or the Canning railway station,
the nearest airport and the nearest railway station from this park, you can
hire a taxi. And if you really want to enjoy the tour with out worrying
about all the above problems, then book with us and forget about the
worries, we'll handle them. We will provide you with a complete package for
the tour to Sundarbans, ensuring an exceptionally exciting trip.
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Accommodation ? |
Being close to Kolkata the accommodations near the park are plenty
and in wide range. There are also many forest rest houses and jungle resort
located close to the sanctuary. But if you are looking for a luxurious
facility then Kolkata would be the best place for you.
sundarbans
national park 
