There are places which resist definition. They do not yield their secrets easily, nor can they be made to turn on a pithy phrase or a charming paragraph. Writing about them often feels like an impertinence, especially from the perspective of a tourist. Such a place is the Sunderbans, a vast tract of forest and water spread across the lower delta of the Ganga. For someone who lives in Kolkata, the Sunderbans is both near and far. On the one hand, going about your daily grind in the urban jungle, it is hard to imagine that the fate of the Royal Bengal Tiger is being decided just a 100km away. On the other, getting there is a matter of hours, either by train or by road, preferably, to the river, and then by boat. But nothing prepares you for the jolt you receive 30 minutes into your river journey. The landscape and the sky-line alter so dramatically. The human faces on passing boats and the banks are familiar, but they also seem to be from another time and place. Everything you see seems touched with the light of a different sun.

UNDERSTANDING THE SUNDERBANS

The Sunderbans are amongst the largest mangrove forests in the world. These mangroves – a mixture of trees and shrubs growing in saline coastal habitats – encompass an enormous 4,000sq km in India and another 6,000sq km in Bangladesh. From the water, one can see the gnarled, clenched forms of trees like hetal, garjan and sundari, seldom higher than a one-storey house. And then there are the legions of pneuma-tophores – trees with modified roots that grow out of the water’s surface to let the trees breathe.

An incredible variety of busyness goes on starting from the very edge of the water. Cruising along the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-stop lesson in biology. There are the birds to begin with – egrets, sandpipers, whimbrels, plovers, kingfishers and herons. Fiddler crabs, almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but coloured iridescent red, yellow or blue, constantly scuttle in and out of their hidey-holes. Sharing the waterfront with them are the mudskippers, a peculiar species of amphibious fish, which spend much of their lives outside the water. Another common denizen is the water monitor or tarkel as it is locally called, industriously looking for prey in shallow waters. The next level of the forest is occupied by middle-size fauna such as alligators, deer and wild boar. But the most rewarding sighting for many is the Irrawady dolphins. Sunlight glistens off their arched slate-grey backs as they rise and fall into the water. Every year, thousands of tourists cruise the rivers and creeks of the Sunderbans, straining for a glimpse of the king of the jungle. More often than not, they are disappointed. At last count, there were more than 250 tigers in the Sunderbans Reserve Area, but distributed over an expanse of 1,500sq km. Meanwhile, hidden from eager eyes, the tigers have learnt to survive in this hostile territory; they are expert swimmers, drink salty water and (like good Bengalis) eat fish and crabs.

Spotted deer foraging in the Sunderbans
Spotted deer foraging in the Sunderbans
Archyushman Dubey

But the Sunderbans is not just about exotic flora and fauna. It is also home to one of the most resilient, yet desperately underprivileged, people. An intricate network of rivers and their tributaries enmesh the Sunderbans. Of the 102 islands, only 52 are inhabited. Those who live on the river islands wage some of the hardest fought battles against the elements and poverty that you will ever see. Till the Sunderbans was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and a Biosphere Reserve in 1989, most of its human inhabitants made their living off the forest, either by collecting wax or honey, or trapping, felling and hunting.

Orientation

■ Sajnekhali is the main entry point to this vast and watery landscape. It lies at the junction of the Peechkali and Gomdi rivers. The forest department has chalked out the routes tourists can take in the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve. Every boat venturing into the sanctuary area should have a guide. The core area (declared the Sunderbans National Park in 1984) of the Tiger Reserve is closed to tourists. What you get to visit is Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary and other buffer areas. The only way to approach these areas is by boat.

■ Sonakhali is the point where you can visit the buffer zones of the Tiger Reserve.

■ Dhamakhali is the point from where you board the launch to enter the Burirdabri Eco-tourism Complex in the reserve.

■ Namkhana is the point to visit the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Breeding Centre, Lothian Wildlife Sanctuary as well as Bakkhali.

■ Gosaba is the last major settlement and is the meeting point of four rivers. En route, one cruises along the waters of the Gumdi, Gomor and Hogal rivers. Besides, there are innumerable narrow creeks, which can only be navigated by country boats. You can hire a motorboat for travelling and this can cost anything between ₹4,000 and ₹7,000 a day.

Tip Most tourists who go to the Sunderbans will be under the supervision of their tour operators. There are strict rules concerning where you can go. There is an entry fee for going into the sanctuaries; these are paid for by the operator. Permissions are also pre-arranged. Most reserves close at 5.30pm

THINGS TO SEE AND DO                             

Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve

The Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve is situated at the junction of the Peechkali and Gomti rivers and is the centrepiece of your Sunderbans experience. This is the only place where one might safely step on the reserve proper. The complex also houses a Mangrove Interpretation Centre, a museum, a watchtower, a crocodile pond, an Olive Ridley turtles enclosure and the Herbivore Acclimatisation Centre for rehabilitating lost deer.

Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary

Situated at the confluence of the Matla and Gumdi rivers within the buffer zone, the Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary extends over an area of 885sq km. Here you can see a wide variety of birds, the most common include the spotted billed pelican, herring gull, Caspian tern, open-billed stork and paradise flycatcher. A rare winter migrant, the Asian dowitcher, can also be found here.

On a boat

Spending a day on the water is highly recommended. This may not be possible for large groups but if you are travelling with a tour operator who hosts small groups, try asking if you could be taken out on the water.

Visit the endless expanse of the mohona, the area where the waters of five rivers mingle. Or you might choose to spend an afternoon navigating the network of creeks and backwaters.

Tip Carry a good pair of binoculars

Village visits

Depending on who your tour operator is, you may be taken on a visit to one of the Sunderbans villages. NGOs here promote environment friendly local practices.

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

To experience the Sunderbans in a responsible way, Sunderbans Jungle Camp (Kolkata Tel: 033-24550917, 24549719, Cell: 09733000442), run by Help Tourism on Bali Island, is your best bet. They practise low-impact eco-tourism, and run the camp with the help of poachers-turned-conservators. Their all-inclusive 2D/ 1N package costs ₹17,515 per person (transfers from Kolkata, stay, meals, forest guides, etc). They arrange river cruise.

Sunderban Tiger Camp (Kolkata Tel: 32935749; Tariff: ₹4,800–6,470 per person) offers an all-inclusive 1N/ 2D package (Kolkata–Kolkata) for ₹4,800/ ₹4,930/ ₹6,150/ ₹6,470 (tent/ hut/ deluxe cottage/ executive cot-tage) per person. Cruise launches MV Chitralekha and MV Sarbajaya run by WBTDC have arrangements for on-board stay with meals. Their 1N/ 2D package costs ₹10,800 for two for a double-bedded cabin. Call their office in Kolkata (Tel: 22436440, 22488271) for bookings.

FAST FACTS

When to go The park is open all year round, but September–March is best

Permits One doesn’t need a permit to make a boat trip through the Sunderbans outside the sanctuary area. Permits are, however, necessary to visit the estuarine delta area, Sajnekhali Sanctuary and the Project Tiger Reserve areas. Indians can obtain the permits from the office of the Field Director, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, Port Canning, 24 Parganas or the For­est Office at Sajnekhali. Foreigners should contact the Forest Department in Kolkata (below). Those with passport and visa can get it from Sajnekhali

Tourist/ Wildlife offices

Field Director

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve,

Canning PO

District 24 Parganas (South)

Telefax: 256159

Forest Department

Director, Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve Forest

Bikas Bhavan

3rd Floor

North Block

Salt Lake, Kolkata

Tel: 033-23211750

STD code 03218

State West Bengal

Location A vast tract of mangrove forest and saltwater swamp forming the lower part of the Ganges Delta, extending about 260km along the Bay of Bengal from the Hooghly river estuary in India to the Meghna River Estuary in Bangladesh

Distance 112km S of Kolkata

Route from Kolkata SH to Baruipur via Sonarpur; district road to Basanti/ Sonakhali via Port Canning; motorboat to Sajnekhali/ Sunderbans Tiger Reserve 

GETTING THERE

Air Nearest airport: Kolkata (112km/3hrs). Taxi Rs. 8–12/km

Rail Nearest railhead: Port Canning(54km/ 1.5hrs). Trains run from Kolka­ta’s Sealdah Station to Canning. Here, you cross the river by boat (a slushy affair at low tide). Then take a bus or shared auto to Sonakhali from where you can take a launch to Gosaba or Sajnekhali

Tip Rail option not recommended since multiple boat, bus and auto connections are involved

Road From Kolkata, drive to Sonakhali via the Basanti Main Road; the road branches off from the EM Bypass (2hrs). Then travel to Sajnekhali by motorboat Bus There are daily bus services from the Kolkata Bus Stand at Dharamtala and Babughat to Namkhana (106km), Raidighi (76km), Sonakhali (88km) and Najatare (92km), from where private as well as West Bengal Tourism’s motor launch services are available for Sunderbans