Sunderbans?

touring_manali

hi,

i am thinking of visiting sunderban forests. i've heard that sunderban forests are different from other forests. can someone please let me know whether to visit the sunderbans one has to take a jeep safari? how does one move within the park to see the tigers? pls let me know if anyone has been to the forests of sunderbans. your experience will be helpful to me

thanks n regards,

Bhaswaran

Visiting the SUnderbans can be done only by motorized vessels. Any jeep safari is out of question. This is a mangroove forest and no one is allowed to enter the forest or even touch down on the banks from the vessels, except the few fortified places like Sajnekhali, etc. The jungle and its inhabitants are not comparable to any other jungles in the world. Forget about sighting the tiger while sitting on an elephant or jeep. Tigers here are extremely dangerous and probably all are man-eaters. A large number of local inhabitant fall prey to them every year.

Just yesterday a Royal Bengal Tiger mauled a forest official who was trying to set up a cage near a village in the Sundarbans to catch the tiger that is straying into the village regularly for the last few days.

There is conducted tours by West Bengal Tourism and some other tour operators in this region. You can go with them. And if you very very lucky, you may sight the majestic tiger but only from the vessel, floating on the esturian rivulets.

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touring_manali

Dear Bhaswaran,

thank you for your prompt reply. well it looks that sunderban is a pretty dangerous place to look out for the tigers . it surely is a one of its kind forest in the world. i wonder if many of the tourists have sighted the tigers as u said one needs to be very very lucky to see the tiger. have you been to sunderban? pls do let me know. another thing i wanted to know was for how many hours we are allowed to move in the forest?

thanks and regard,

tasuray

Very few numbers of tourists have seen the tiger.You can roam through the 'kharis'of Sundarbans from dawn to dusk then you have to anchor to some specified places like Sanjnekhali.It is also very dangerous to anchor here and there in Sundarbans because there are lot of ruthless pirates also, in kharis.Sundarban is not like other national forests, life is really tough here.It is better to visit through tour operators.

edwardseco

Yes, my Kolkata relations told me that the tiger sees you there rather than the opposite and that is the problem..

Bhaswaran

Yes..there is a myth in the Sundarbans....that "you might not be able to have a glimpse of the king of the jungle.....but he definitely have watched you and may even have followed you......and you are the lucky one to have come back untouched".

And there why lies the danger and nobody is allowed to venture into the forest.

Sundarbans tigers have notorious records of even swimming through the rivers and climbing on to fishing boats and taking on poor fishermen, preferably when they are anchoring in the river and sleeping at night. They are extremely cunning and ruthless, and equally powerful and ferocious.

There are even more, poisonous snakes like cobra and krait, the "kalach" snake which accounts for most snake-bite deaths in the area - the after bite symptoms are mostly pain free with severe mucous formations in the respiratory tracts. Then there are crocodiles and small sharks called "Kamat" in the rivers, which can chop off your limbs with such a clean surgical efficiency that the victim could not even feel it with the first instance. But all of them avoids the king - the Royal Bengal Tiger. Also, there are spotted deers, bears, langurs, etc.

But do not get scared. Tourist launches are big and safe and the tiger avoids them. Go by conducted tour. They are done in these winter months.

Britishraj

It looks like your best option is to stay indoors in a dark room and watch a TV documentry on the Sunderbans..the tigers come Cose Up almost about to eat you..Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid.. or pause, and go and make a cup of tea.
I'm sure the real thrill of the Sunderbans is being in this unique enviroment, but as everyone else has suggested the chances of seeing a tiger are virtually nil. Believe in the myth which Bhaswaran has quoted.
I personally love to be able to'walk' in a jungle and the ONLY place I was allowed to do this was in the Royal Chitwan National Park where there are tigers, rhino,and bears. I ended up being Chased by a rhino and had to scramble up a tree to save myself. Did not see any tigers that day, but a villager was killed by one the very next day in the same area we were trekking. If your not living on the edge..your taking up too much space. The other jungle which I also found exciting and was lucky enough to see TWO tigers was in Ranthambore which is just 4hrs from Delhi.In this jungle most tiger sightings are recorded. I would recc. this place to visit, take a jeep safari. I'm in India again in Jan.08 and hope to visit a few more wild life parks. Its the excitment of the adventure of being part of the JUNGLE BOOK rather than the hope of seeing the tiger that really maters.

Good Hunting

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Bhaswaran

The conducted vessel tours in the Sundarbans are definitely a thrilling and nice experience and one must go for it. It is also safe. So, no need to get scared unless you jump into the river and try to swim to the banks of the jungle. Overall, this trip is highly recommended.

tasuray

Bhaswaran,
That is the problem, most people mixed Sundarbans with other national parks.Many people think that you are scarcing them.You have not mentioned the 'shulo'(roots of Sundari tree)and deep mud on the banks.Even veteran forest guards dare to walk inside the forest.

Bhaswaran

Yes.."sulo or shul" are the aerial roots of the tress (Sundari - from which the name Sundarban comes) that come out of the sticky mud like numerous arrows striking from the earth, limiting movement on these even more dangerous terrain. These is an unique mangrove forest when water goes deep inside the forests during high tide and remains there for hours, and in the monsoon season, for months. For this reason , the tress have adapted to these conditions with their aerial roots.

Only the wildlife in these forest are seen to move freely along these inhospitable condition. May be such strong adverse conditions in which they are forced to live in along with salt water to drink make them so cunning and ferocious. Salt is an ingradient which effects improved brain activity. (Salt: Na+Cl- provides the static electricity within the body to provide path for the neurologic impulses). Humans consume most salty food than other animals and have more level of salt in their blood compared to other animals...so we are the best animal. And may be the Tiger who knows the taste of salt (from salt water) find much resemblence with human flesh and blood. It is widely accepted that salt water is one of the major causes for these tigers to be in-born man-eaters. For this reason, Forest Department is known to have cut out some sweet water ponds inside the jungles but it depends on the tigers (who have already got the taste of salt) who will prefer it or not.

Just note, once you have tasted salt, you cannot take food without any salt for a long period. You will find a craving for it.

Britishraj

I must say Bhaswaran what an interesting reply. I guess maybe this theory could also apply to salt water crocodiles who are known to be more aggresive than others. I think you have convinced me that next year when I've got a few days spare in Cal. I will sign up for this tour.
Thanks all for the info.

touring_manali

thank you everybody who has dropped in to post their replies...looks like sunderban is indeed a very different forest than the rest of the forests. well i did surf the wb tourism site and i came across the tariff for hiring the boats. it has rs. 3000 per head for 3 days and 2 nights...but wht i wanted to know is does that mean i can roam on the boat from dawn till dusk? (as mentioned by tasuray)...like in other national parks, one can move around in the forest only for few hours. it wud be indeed very exciting to roam from dawn till dusk and xplore the nature. well i must admit that i m now very much eager to go to sunderbans but as i read the posts by you all, i feel its not just a family place to visit...maybe its more of an adventurous trip...thanks for your views and advices

rongon

If your family has got real love with jungle then Sundarban is for them also.
The rates you've got is for a Trip with fellow tour members 'coz if you want to hire a boat at your own then you have to reach any gateway like Sonakhali,Gondkhali or Taki first then only you can have a boat to go inside. The cost is obviously heigher.
It is better if you have any local contacts who can take you inside with proper permission from Govt. Dept.
If you visit my profile, you will see my picture, which has taken on board of a vessel to Sundarban, which I have hired for my own and in that trip I've seen a tiger after my result less previous tours for three times.

somnath biswas

I had been to Sunderban once and hired boat from Caning. From Sealdha I took a train to reach Caning. After walk say 100 meter, I reached the bank of the river called Matla. Hired a boat, which is easily available. Earlier we made booking for Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge from W B Tourism - 22103199. Getting room is difficult during winter especially in the weekends. It was awesome journey in the river. Took halt at Gosaba for lunch break. By 4 pm we reached the destination and booked the same boat for the next day trip. Then the next morning went to Suddanya Khali, Netidhopani. In both the places we got down from the boat and went up to the watching tower to watch the big cat. Ultimately we saw them in Sajnekhali on the next day. But at Netidhopani, we saw many signs of big cat. Netidhopani is the most dangerous place. We saw boatman cooking on the boat wearing musks on the back of their head. They said, if Tiger see us from the back he would think and attack from our front and we can fight in that case. While returning we had beautiful memory of crossing a point where five rivers meet . Instead of going by conducted tour, we dared go separately. It was really an experience.

sumanthewhiz

Can try the "Sunderban Tiger Camp" package tour - I've availed of their services once and am fully satisfied with it. Its a 3days/2nights all-inclusive package (includes buffet meals and unlimited supply of chips n cold drinks :P ).

U can try their website for contact details - http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com/