The Sundarbans is one of the world’s coastal mangrove forests with diverse wildlife. Tourists come from all over Bangladesh to enjoy the beauty of the Sundarbans. The presence of tourists from different countries of the world is not less either. Most of the Sundarbans tours start from Khulna. However, some tours are starting from Dhaka lately. The advantage of traveling from Dhaka is that you do not have to go to Khulna by bus separately, but you can start your journey by ship from Dhaka. This article will enlighten you about visiting Sundarbans from Dhaka, including things to do in Sundarbans.
The naming of Sundarbans, Area, and Location
The literal meaning of the word Sundarbans is the beautiful forest or beautiful jungle. But many may wonder why this forest wrapped in green got its name as Sundarbans?
There is an idea that the Sundarbans might have been named due to the wide availability of Sundari tree in the forest. Again, many people think that it may have got its name from the ancient tribes called “Samudra Ban” or “Chandra-bandhe.” Many people think that it can be named because of its natural beauty. It is generally believed that the Sundarbans are named after the abundance of a species of tree called the Sundari tree.
The Sundarbans are covered by a network of small archipelagos with marine currents, mud, and salinity of mangrove forests. The Sundarbans, which covers an area of 10,000 sq km, has 6,016 sq km in Bangladesh and the rest in India. The other portion of Sundarbans falls on the southeastern border of West Bengal in India. The Sundarbans of India consist of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas of West Bengal. Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Patuakhali areas are covered in Bangladesh.
Specialty of Sundarbans
During the monsoon season, the whole of the Bay of Bengal part of the Sundarbans is submerged. However, most of which is submerged for about half of the year. The Sundarbans mangrove forest stands as a natural wall of South Bengal. The Sundarbans have an elevation level of 0.9 m to 2.11 m above sea level.
The diversity of the Sundarbans includes Sundari, Keora, Gewa and Jhamti Garan. A variety of animals live in the Sundarbans. According to Prain’s 1903 estimates, there are a total of 245 animals and 334 species of plants. There are also more than two and a half hundred species of birds, more than two hundred species of fish, 14 species of reptiles, 42 species of wildlife, including 32 species of shrimp, monkeys, deer, wild chickens, crocodiles, dolphins, pythons and various species of animals. Gewa is one of the major tree species in the saline area. Most of the mangrove plants are short, evergreen, shrubby, or tall.
The first thing that comes to mind when anyone hear the name of Sundarbans is the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is famous all over the world. According to 2004 estimates, the Sundarbans have approximately 500 Royal Bengal Tigers, which is considered as the the single largest tiger population in the world. According to a 2011 report, there are currently about 300 tigers in the Sundarbans.
Things to do in Sundarbans
The Sundarbans are huge, muddy, dangerous, and most of the parts are inaccessible. It is difficult for everyone to cover the whole thing. So various tourist spots have been created and are being built keeping in mind the convenience of tourists. These spots are relatively safe and easy to get to. Notable among them are-
Karamjal
Karamjal looks a lot like a zoo. Here the tourists will see caged crocodiles, deer. Further, there is a long wooden walkway for walking through the forest. There is also the Watch Tower, which offers a good view of the Sundarbans. Tourists will need to go to Karamjal from Mongla port.
Hiron Point
It’s fun to walk through the wooden walkway at Hiron Point. At this time, tourists will see monkeys, deer, monitor lizards, crocodiles. The Royal Bengal Tiger roams in this area. If you are lucky, you can meet them. Or you can see the footprints.
Dublar Char
Dublar Char is a small island located in the Sundarbans, through which small rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. Being a little inland, very few tourists come here. A wide range of fish, dried fish and crabs found here.
Kotka Beach/ Jamtola Beach
Kotka Beach is quite beautiful and clean, which is one of the most interesting places in the Sundarbans. Lots of red crabs can be seen on the beach here. This area contains three tiger hills and tiger footprints are often seen there. At night, the roar of the tiger can be heard from time to time. Many locals call Katka Beach as Jamtala Beach.
Mandarbaria Beach
Sunrise and sunset can be seen from Mandarbaria Beach.
How to go to Sundarbans from Dhaka?
There are several ways to enter the Sundarbans. It is up to tourists which way they want to enter. However, most people enter through Khulna. This is the easiest and most affordable way. From Dhaka to Khulna, you can visit by bus, train, and launch.
The buses leave for Khulna from 6 am to 11 pm. It takes 7 hours and 45 minutes to reach Khulna by road from Dhaka. Launches of various companies are regularly departing from Dhaka’s Sadarghat Launch Terminal to Khulna.
Khulna non AC bus fare is around BDT 600-700, AC BDT 1400. You have to get off the bus and go to the launch ghat by rickshaw or auto. And if you go to Khulna by train, you don’t have to get off at the station and take the car. Because the station and the launch dock are nearby. There are direct buses from Sayedabad to Mongla. These semi-chair coach buses leave between 8 pm and 8.30 pm and reach Mongla between 5-6 am. The fare is BDT 450.
Apart from these options, visitors can contact tour companies to have a hassle-free and cost-effective tour experience.
Where to Stay?
There are several places to stay, such as Nilkamal at Hiran Point, Kachikhali at Tiger Point in Sundarbans, and Forest Department Rest House at Katka. If you want to stay in Nilkamal, it will cost BDT 3,000 per room for domestic tourists and BDT 5,000 for foreigners. Kachikhali will cost BDT 3,000 for each room and BDT 5,000 for foreigners. It will cost BDT 2,000 per room in Katka and BDT 5,000 per room for foreigners.
Best Time to Visit Sundarbans
Tourists can go to Sundarbans any time of the year. However, the best time to visit the Sundarbans is from mid-October to mid-April. This is the time when most tourists come to visit this beautiful forest.
Precautions
While visiting Sundarbans, tourists may need to show the photo ID to the authorities. As you may need to walk in the dark, carrying a torch is necessary. Tourists may need to change the plan due to the tide. So, make sure you have some extra time.
Source: United News of Bangladesh