Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, spread across the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The Sundarbans in India is protected as a tiger reserve, declared in 1973, and a national park, and Sundarbans National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The name is often said to come from the sundari tree, one of the main mangroves of the forest.

The Sundarbans is the only mangrove forest in the world with a population of tigers. The Royal Bengal tigers here swim between islands, drink brackish water and are rarely seen, though they are always present. The forest is a maze of tidal channels, mudflats and islands that flood and drain twice a day. People in the villages at its edge live by fishing, crab collecting and honey gathering, and many worship Bonbibi, the forest goddess believed to protect them from tigers. Visits are made only by boat, with forest department permits and guides.

What to see

• Boat safaris through the tidal channels and creeks
• Sajnekhali watchtower and its mangrove interpretation centre
• Sudhanyakhali and Dobanki watchtowers, the latter with a canopy walk
• Spotted deer, estuarine crocodiles, water monitors and kingfishers
• Village life on the islands near Gosaba

What to wear

Wear light, neutral-coloured cotton, long sleeves and trousers to protect against sun and mosquitoes, and a hat and sunglasses on deck. Winter mornings and nights on the water are cool, so bring a light jacket from December to February. Non-slip shoes are best for boarding boats. Use insect repellent. Village women wear the cotton saree, often the everyday tant weave of Bengal.

Local food to try

Meals are usually cooked on the boat or at the lodge, and they feature Bengali fish and seafood: prawn malai curry in coconut milk, crab curry, fried bhetki and, in season, hilsa cooked in mustard. Simple vegetarian meals of rice, dal and vegetables are always available. Sundarbans honey, gathered from the forest, is sold in the villages.

Good to know

• Best time: November to February; the season generally runs from September to March
• Boats move only in daylight, roughly 6am to 5pm
• Forest entry permit, guide fee and boat charges; foreign visitors pay higher entry fees
• Allow two days and one night at least
• Godkhali jetty is about 100 km from Kolkata, around three hours by road
• Visitors must stay on the boat except at watchtowers; do not trail hands in the water

Nearby places

The Sundarbans is usually visited from Kolkata, home of the Victoria Memorial. For a longer eastern India trip, the temples of Puri and Konark, including the Jagannath Temple, lie about 500 km south-west in Odisha, and Darjeeling is in the far north of the state.