The word "Sunderban" is derived from sundari and ban, which, when combined, means "the forests of sundari"-an obvious reference to the large mangrove trees.

The 1,330 sq km area of Sunderbans was established as a National Park on May 4, 1984. The Sunderbans had earlier been designated as a Tiger Reserve in December 1973. After this, a wildlife sanctuary was created in 1977.

The word "Sunderban" is derived from sundari and ban, which, when combined, means "the forests of sundari"-an obvious reference to the large mangrove trees.

The 1,330 sq km area of Sunderbans was established as a National Park on May 4, 1984. The Sunderbans had earlier been designated as a Tiger Reserve in December 1973. After this, a wildlife sanctuary was created in 1977.

Due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, Sunderban experiences very high humidity. Rainfall is quite heavy during monsoon, which last from mid-June to mid-September. After the monsoons, fair weather prevails until mid-March.

The best season to visit the Sunderban is between October to Marchs

Moving through the largest estuarine delta in the world is quite a thrilling experience. The flora and fauna of the region are the major attractions here. The mangrove forest presents a unique ecosystem. The wildlife includes the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, a major attraction in the tiger reserve. Some of the other attractions include chital, crocodile, monkeys, estuarine and marine turtle, dolphins and various kinds of birds. The Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project besides being a hatchery and a sanctuary is the home to the biggest estuarine crocodiles.

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The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary is situated on the confluence of Matla and Gumdi within the buffer zone that extends over an area of 885 sq km. Here you can have a look at the wide variety of birds, the most popular among them being the spotted billed pelican, cotton teal, herring gull, Caspian tern, grey heron, large egret, night heron, open-billed stork, white ibis, common kingfisher, brahmini kite and paradise flycatcher. A rare winter migrant, Asian dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), can also be found here.

Among the birds of prey are osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Pallas's fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), grey-headed fishing eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Oriental hobby (Falco severus), northern eagle owl (Bubo bubo) and brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis).

The reserve comprises a core zone, afforestation zone and restoration zone and an agri-operation zone. The core zone of 1,300 sq. km represents the National Park and the rest of the area is used for the forestry operations. The variety of the forests that exist in Sunderban include mangrove scrub, littoral forest, saltwater mixed forest, brackish water mixed forest and swamp forest.
The flora includes genwa, dhundal, passur, garjan and kankra. The goran trees, whose average height varies between 1.8 metres and 3.6 metres, cover almost the entire region.

The tigers form the major source of attraction in the reserve here. The 1980 census put the population of tiger in this reserve close to 400. Besides the tiger, you can have a look at the Gangetic dolphin, little porpoise, fishing cat, Indian fox, jungle cat, small Indian civet, common grey mongoose, spotted deer, wild pig, Indian flying fox, rhesus monkey and pangolin

Sunderban is also the breeding ground of a large variety of birds. Out here, you get to see heron, egret, cormorant, fishing eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, seagull, tern and kingfisher. The migratory birds like whimprel, black-tailed godwit, little stint, eastern knot, curlew, sandpiper, golden plover, pintail, white-eyed pochard and whistling teal also flock this place. The place is also home to the wide variety of aquatic and reptile life forms that include Olive Ridley sea turtle, hardshelled batgur terrapin, pythons, king cobra, chequered killback, monitor and lizards.

The Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project besides being a hatchery and a sanctuary is the home to the biggest estuarine crocodiles. You can access this place through Namkhana.

A Community Tourism initiative of Help Tourism

Accommodation:

We have our own Eco Lodge at Bali Island named Sunderbans Jungle Camp.06 ethnic cottages(04 Three-bedded+02 Four-bedded) that respect local rural architecture and constructed with local materials. Spotless rooms with modern bath. Large dining. A fishing deck. Surrounded by lush green village gardens, trees, pond-over looking the

Sanctuary on the bank of river Gumdi. Powered by pollution-free solar energy with powerful generator back up (battery can be charged).Safe drinking water and clean, local food. The people of Bali village are your host. They are the transformed conservationists and gainfully involved in the camp. They will take you around the forest or on a cruise through the creeks or help you have authentic encounters with the people of Sunderbans. They will tell you the story of tigers, birds, flora. They are the people who know the address of each and every turn of the river, and every creek.

Cruises:

We have 02 powerful 4 cylinder boats and One 2 cylinder boat for short and long cruise. Our sarengs (Pilots) are experienced. Both the boats are as good and comfortable with

Cabins and modern toilets. Life jackets that meet international norms of quality and coastal safety are provided during cruise and country boat ride.

The food:

We serve local dishes specially and tastefully cooked for you by our trained local chef. Much variety is not possible owing to the remoteness of the area, yet best possible food is provided under strict hygienic supervision. Vegetables come from the organic gardens of the village, fresh fish and crab from the rivers and ponds, chicken from the village farms and fresh honey from the honey collectors' houses.

The Activities:

We do not operate Tiger tours and discourage any form of Tiger shows. For those who consider Tiger sighting a must for their trip are discouraged to join our cruise safaris as Tiger sighting cannot be guaranteed in such a vast, remote and difficult terrain where visitors hardly have any opportunity to walk on the forested lands or mud flats. We welcome all to our Natural History tour for a great learning experience and a mutual education. Our project and tour is extremely environmentally-sensitive and has strong conservation and benefit sharing pledge.

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