Tiger Safari through the Mangroves

Reise Bausteine

Multi Aktiv Reisen

Overview

The Sundarbans are a huge mangrove forest area that stretches across the southern parts of Bangladesh and the eastern part of India. This unique ecosystem stretches across the estuaries of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers and forms one of the largest mangrove forests in the world.

The Sundarbans are a Unseco World Heritage Site and are known for their outstanding biodiversity and are home to a variety of plant and animal species, including Bengal tigers, crocodiles, various bird species and fish species.

Along the edges of the Sundarbans there are communities of people living in and around the mangrove forest area. These communities are often dependent on fishing, agriculture and logging and have adapted to life in an ecologically challenging area. The people in the Sundarbans communities often live in simple, traditional houses and are closely connected to the natural resources of the area.

It takes about 5 hours to get from the metropolis of Kolkata to our eco-tourist village in the Sunderbans and the journey alone is an adventure. By car, ferries and rickshaws, we head deeper and deeper into the branching river delta.

Once you arrive in the “village”, you experience both the unique simple lifestyle of the locals and the magnificent natural diversity of the ecosystem.

Village walks, small cultural program points, boat safaris through the river system and bird canoe tours are on the program. In between, you can enjoy delicious traditional dishes, relax and unwind and, with a bit of luck, spot the famous Bengal tiger. During the safaris, a local guide tells you about the flora and fauna, as well as the traditional life of the locals.

You can choose to stay in ecological huts or small villas with air conditioning.

We organize excursions from/to Kolkata from one day to four days, the classic being the two-day excursion.

Program

Day 1 Kolkata-Sunderbans

8:00 am: We meet you at our office in Tottee Lane 4 and leave Kolkata by car/transporter/minibus in the direction of Godkhali, the last road point before the mighty Sundarbans jungle, which is only accessible by water. Three and a half hours drive to Godkhali. We take a toilet break on the way.

Guests can also be picked up at the Science City pick-up point at 9:00 am.

9:00 a.m.: Breakfast with vegetarian sandwiches is served.

12:00 pm: There are two ways to reach our ecovillage from Godkhali.

Cross the island of Gosaba, the largest market for hundreds of villages in the area, and then take a car rickshaw to the riverside of our eco-village (takes about an hour and a half). Take a motorboat directly to the ecovillage (takes about two to two and a half hours, depending on the tide). We decide on the spot which route to take, depending on which is quicker and easier on the day.

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Arrival at our eco-village on Satjelia Island, followed by a lunch of simple home-cooked vegetarian/non-vegetarian dishes consisting of rice, dal, 3 types of vegetables, papadam, chutney, salad and fish curry.

15:00: Walk through the picturesque rice fields, the village of honey gatherers and fishermen, in search of local rituals and beliefs. Most noticeable are the smiles shared between the host villagers and the guests of the ecovillage.

3:30 pm: Bird watching boat trip, during one to two hours, observing seven species of kingfishers, herons, Brahmani eagles, pond herons, cormorants etc. and most importantly introducing the beautiful mangroves with surreal creatures like fiddler crabs, mudskippers etc. and watching the beautiful sunset on the river.

18:30: Return to the ecovillage shortly after sunset and you will be welcomed with black tea and freshly fried vegetable pakoras.

19:00: We will have a local music session or the famous local play with light and sound called ‘Bonobibi Pala’ depicting the battle between the jungle goddess Bonobibi and the tiger incarnation ‘Dakhin Rai’, along with snacks and herbal tea. You can also immerse yourself in night photography of the Sundarbans sky, which is lit up with millions of celestial bodies.

20:30-21:00: We will have dinner and prepare for a surprise activity which is the highlight of our tour and will be revealed during the tour. Although this activity is optional, we highly recommend it. This activity will inspire you with nature and especially the Sundarbans.

Day 2 Safari and back to Kolkata

6:30 am: We try to leave as early as possible, on one of the four personalized motorboats (Elmar, Para siempre, Clandestino and Mangrove Mataal), obtain the necessary permits from the forestry office, which is located just opposite our village, and head into the jungle to our meeting with one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, rich in flora and fauna. This boat ride lasts until sunset and during this time we visit three lookout towers, namely Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali and Dobanki.

13:30: Lunch is served. As we cruise through the small canals and waterways, we try to spot various wild animals: deer, wild boar, civets, monitor lizards, crocodiles, dolphins and, of course, the KING OF BENGAL.

16:30: Small snacks with tea.

We start our return journey to Kolkata at sunset and arrive between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

Included services

English-language guide
total transport
Meals
Night
Permits and fees

~~Please ask for a single room~~

Highlights

Prices and dates

This tour is always possible. Please make a request for one-day tours or excursions lasting several days

As a group tour (min. 5 participants):

Price per person in hut: 140 €

Price per person in air-conditioned villa accommodation: 160 €

As a private tour for 1-2 people:

In hut: 380 €

In air-conditioned villa accommodation: 450 €

additional day: +80 €

Travel info

Accommodation

Today, our Eco Village has expanded to over 6 acres of land with its beautiful half-timbered mud houses and a range of luxurious premium accommodation, while offering a unique experience of the jungle’s pristine nature.

We offer our guests a unique experience by bringing them closest to nature. Night safaris among luminous phytoplankton or sailing through narrow channels in our handboats are some of the activities that no other companies but us carry out, but with all the necessary safety precautions. Furthermore, it is our motto to convey the true feeling of the local culture to our customers. For this reason, we also organize local musical evenings or the Bono Bibi Pala – a theatrical production of the famous Sundarbans folk beliefs.