Royal Bengal Tiger

Best time to visit: September to March

Nearest town: Gosaba (50 km)

Main attractions: Royal Bengal Tigers, crocodiles, olive ridley turtles, migratory birds, fishing cats, water monitors, wild boars, different species of deer and rhesus monkeys.

The Sunderban Tiger Reserve is home to one of the most beautiful animal in Indian wildlife – the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger. Though spotting one is a rare feat achieved by lucky few, you can easily get a glimpse of crocodiles, olive ridley turtles, different species of deer, rhesus monkeys and flocks of migratory birds on a weekend trip to this World Heritage Site.

Sunderbans is the largest tiger reserve in the country and is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. The Sunderban National Park, which includes three wildlife sanctuaries at Sajnekhali, Lothian Island and Haliday Island, is the largest tiger reserve in the country. It has a core area of 1330 sq.km. The park, situated in the deltaic estuaries of the Ganga and Brahmaputra, is unique for its vast stretch of mangrove swamps, innumerable rivulets and islands.

The nearest railway station is Canning (64 km) and there are regular suburban trains running from Sealdah. Or you can go by road to any one of the access points like Namkhana (105 km), Sonakhali (100 km), Raidighi (76 km), Najatare (92 km) from where there are regular ferry services to Sunderbans. You can visit the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project, the Buridabri Tiger Project Area, Sagar Island, Sudhanyakhali, Netidhopani, Sonakhali – Gosaba, Haliday Island.

The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation also has arrangements for conducted tours to Sunderbans on cruise launchers MV Chitralekha and MV Sarbajaya. You can stay at the Sunder Cheetal forest Lodge at Sajnekhali. Other forest lodges and rest-houses are available for accommodation at Bakkhali and Piyali.

For reservations contact:
Field Director, Sundarbans Tiger Reserve,
P.O Canning, 24 Parganas (South),
35, Gopalnagar Road,
Kolkata
West Bengal
Phone: 2479-9032


OR

West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation
3/2 B.B.D. Bag (East),
Calcutta - 1
Phone : 91-33-2485917/2488271
Fax: 2485168


Source: The Telegraph, Sunday February 20, 2005