Floating through the Sundarbans’ canals
Many tour companies arrange all sorts of package trips from Khulna, Mongla, and even Dhaka for travellers who wish to catch a glimpse of the mythical forest
Our planet's largest mangrove forest - the Sundarbans - is home to the majestic Bengal tigers; few of which are known as "man-eaters".
Every Bangladeshi must have had the desire to visit the Sundarbans at least once in their lifetime and spot a tiger in the wild, if possible.
Well, seeing a tiger is sheer luck, but visiting Sundarbans is not, especially since the last 20 years. Many tour companies arrange all sorts of package trips from Khulna, Mongla, and even Dhaka for travellers who wish to catch a glimpse of the mythical forest.
However, before planning a trip, you must know Sundarbans is the most expensive tourism hub in Bangladesh! Yet there are many affordable options to opt for.
On a tight budget, you can take a shared boat from Mongla port and visit Koromjol - the Sundarbans' entrance - and return after spending a couple of hours gazing at the mangrove roots, narrow canals, crocodile breeding centre, and anything on the way!
You can also set-off on a trip for two, three or seven days, depending on what you want to experience and how much is your budget.
I usually visit the Sundarbans to experience wildlife and for research purposes on a small research vessel with its own team. Such an experience is exclusive and really expensive, however, availing tour packages offered by tour operators is the most reliable and affordable way to visit the Sundarbans.
Last month, my mother and I tagged along with a team of 40 people on a trip to the Sundarbans on a relatively big water vessel. The whole tour was operated by a tour company; they give a detailed trip plan beforehand; show how many stops, canal cruises, and walking trips you will be experiencing.
No matter which vessel you take, there is one thing common in all Sundarbans package tours; they all provide grand lavish food and the cuisine mostly consists of local fishes from the river and sea.
Surprisingly, all vessels maintain hygiene standards, credit goes to the Guide tours - the pioneer tour operating company in the Sundarbans. A trip to the Sundarbans would never turn monotonous for food lovers.
The Sundarbans is vast; you can enter from several points and due to the security risks, a few tourist boats always anchor together.
From Koromjol, boats usually go to Harbaria, these two places can be covered in one day. In Harabaria you can catch a glimpse of spotted deers, wild boars, red jungle fowls, monkeys, and fresh tiger pugmarks by the sweet water pond. I recommend everyone to climb the watch tower and wander the land of hungry tide from top.
It is not very easy to spot wildlife in the Sundarbans; even for a bird, one has to keep eyes open but the price is rewarding. People usually get fascinated by plants like golpata (trunkless palm tree), Sundari (Heritiera fomes), Kewra (Umbrella tree), Posur, Gewa, etc, and their roots.
Some tourists are left awestruck by kingfishers of different sizes, shapes, and colours which they have never seen before! Sundarbans has seven species of kingfishers, which indicates its own rich biodiversity. As we cruised through each canal, we saw the beautiful black-caped kingfisher, large sized brown-winged kingfisher, and gorgeous collared kingfisher.
At the Jamtala canal, we caught the sight of a Manacled cobra from a distance. There were several kids on board and they were quite astonished by the mud-skipperfish, while a giant lesser adjutant bird left them in wonder. But every tourist loved the spotted deers at Katka, where they often come for feeding on supplied leaves.
We experienced the best sunset everyday and the guide took us to a few islands like Dimer char and Dublar char. But we found no trace of tigers except for pugmarks!
Day by day, they are getting rarer and more threatened. We expected tigers at every turn, at every moment. This excitement is actually one of the most thrilling parts of any Sundarbans trip. Our guide saw two tigers in Katka just three weeks ago, so we were more hopeful, however, all the excitement went in vain!
Winter is the best time for spotting crocodiles; we were lucky to have spotted a few small-clawed otters, a barking deer, and above all, the most mysterious and threatened animal of the Sundarbans - it is not the mighty tiger but a bird named Masked finfoot.
A recent study shows its global population is around 300 only! We spotted one and captured it in frames. We saw a critically endangered bird - the White-rumped vulture, who still breed in the Sunderbans.
You can find dolphins almost anywhere in any river of the Sundarbans. The Gangetic and Irrawaddy dolphins are the most common.
We visited the nearby village to see Bonbibi's temple, the local deity who is worshipped by people of all religions who enter the mangrove for their livelihood. On the way back, we spotted quite a few dolphins, which made our trip complete.
We had a fantastic time in the Sundarbans, my mother was very happy, and I can assure you can have a great experience in the mangrove if you just be quiet, study a bit about the forests and its inhabitants before you set out, and value the Sundarbans as our unique asset.
Tour Package
Khulna - Sundarbans - Khulna
3 Days, 2 Nights
Package price
Tk9,500 (per person)
Travel Destinations
Kachikhali
Kotka Sea Beach
Kochikhali Wildlife Sanctuary
Herbaria Mangrove Trail
Mongla Local Village
Koromjol Wildlife Centre
Package Includes
Tourist Vessel Accommodation
Three Meals Per Day (Bengali Cuisine)
Unlimited Snacks and Coffee
Well-trained Guide
Armed Guards
Government Tax
Operator: Deshghuri.com
Contact: 01712919532
