Sunderbans: A Great Destination

The largest delta in the world with a total area of more than 10000 sq km, the Sunderbans-which literally means "Beautiful Forest" covers two nations, India and Bangladesh, and is formed by three rivers-Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna.

Vast tracts of mangrove forests, saltwater swamps, brackish and fresh water marshes, sand flats, sand dunes, and crocodiles infested estuaries characterize the Sunderbans that gets its name from the Sundari trees (mangrove) which dominate the forests of the Sunderbans. In fact, the Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world.

However, the pride of the Sunderbans is the Sunderbans National Park--also called Sunderbans Tiger Reserve. This national park situated on the Sunderbans Delta is the largest protected area in the world and the biggest national park of India.

The Sunderbans is the last preserve of the Royal Bengal Tigers and has the largest number of wild tigers (approximately 500) in the world. The Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is the site of Tiger Preserve Project, which was started in 1974. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve has a total area of 2585 sq km and a core area of 330 sq km.

Apart from being home to the Royal Bengal tigers, the Sunderbans also has Cheetal, Wild Boar, Rhesus, Macaque, and the Fishing Cat. The Sunderbans are also a perfect breeding ground for the estuarine crocodiles. The Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project started at Bhagabatpur has proved to be a great success. Actually, Bhagabatpur is the largest hatchery of estuarine crocodiles in the world. Apart from crocodiles, the Sunderbans is also a perfect place for the Salvator Lizards, Horse Shoe / King Crabs and River Terrapin.

The Sunderbans is also a haven for the Trans Himalayan Migratory Birds. The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary at the Sunderbans attracts them in good numbers. The Sunderbans is also the last retreat of the barking deer. The Holiday Island is a wonderful place where one can see the barking deer in perfect natural surroundings.

How and when to visit

Port Canning is the main entry point to the Sunderbans and remains open for the visitors from July to March. For bird watching, July to September is the best time to visit the place.