Sundarbans National Park

Sunderbans National Park 22nd – 27th Feb 2019

The Sundarbans is by far the largest mangrove forest on earth, and it sits in the world’s largest river delta. With over 175 tigers, it has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world. The Sundarbans is 6 times the size of Greater London. Nearly half a million people depend on the Sundarbans for their livelihoods. Fishermen venture deep into the mangrove forests to catch fish, crabs or gather precious honey. Officially approximately 50 people are killed each year by tigers, but the unofficial number is thought to be closer to 150.

The Sundarbans is a vast area covering 4,000+ Sq. KM in India alone, with a larger portion in neighboring Bangladesh. 2585 Sq. KMs of the Indian Sundarbans forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. Sundarbans National park is located at the South Eastern tip of the 24 Paraganas district in the state of West Bengal. Sundarbans is the largest estuarine forests in West Bengal that are covered throughout by mangrove forests. They are constituted by the crisscrossing of 54 small islands along with numerous River Ganges tributaries. The park is surrounded by a buffer zone of 885 Sq. KMs. This also mainly consists of mangrove forests. The core area of the park has its own natural boundaries with the river Matla on its West, the river Haribhanga on its East, with Netidhopani and Gosba in the North.

The Sundarbans provides a unique ecosystem and a rich wildlife habitat – it is the home of the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger along with 50+ species of reptiles including Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and Olive Ridley Turtle; 250+ species of birds including Brown-winged Kingfisher, Mangrove Pitta and Buffy Fish Owl; and 60+ species of mammals including Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat and Flying Fox. The only way to traverse the park is by availing a boat. Jeep safaris are not allowed here. No one is even allowed to get down on the river bank.

The tigers in the Sundarbans appear to be more aggressive than those in other parts of the world. It is not fully understood why this should be – some suggest it might be the high salinity of the water. But the most likely cause is depletion of their natural habitat and a shortage of prey. With a million people living on the fringes of the mangrove forest, food scarcity is a problem for humans and tigers alike, with each poaching the other’s prey.

For your nature photography, you will be assisted on-field by an expert mentor. Our local support team is hugely experienced with the labyrinth of waterways and is well informed with tidal movements and water level fluctuations in these areas. While it is understood that wildlife sighting is dependent on many things, uncontrolled by us, including luck and natural phenomena; your photo opportunities are maximized with the mentor and our experienced local support team

Day 1 – Morning pick up from Kolkata Airport/Rail Stations and transfer to Gadkhali. Board boat and have breakfast. Start safari with lunch on board, overnight on boat/at resort with dinner

Day 2 -5  -Dawn to Dusk cruise safaris on boat with breakfast and lunch. Ongoing photo discussion withmentor and fellow participants, overnight on boat/at resort with dinner

Day 6 – Dawn to Dusk cruise safari on boat with breakfast and lunch. Ongoing photo discussion with mentor and fellow participants, evening get dropped at Gadkhali and transfer to Kolkata Airport/Rail Stations
Train and Flight Options (For reference only; Please check the actual timings with the Indian Railways/Airlines)
A. Train – Trains from all across the country come to the two major rail stations in Kolkata –
namely, Howrah and Sealdah
B. Flights – Kolkata airport

Day 1 (22nd Feb) – Arrival at Kolkata in the morning. Proceed to Gadkhali (approx.100Km/2 hours by) AC vehicle.
On arrival at Gadkhali, we will board our specially maintained motor boat for cruise safari and visit Sajnekhali to obtain permit and guide, Breakfast and Lunch on board. During breakfast, after a brief introduction of the participants, your group leader will provide an insight about the park and also run past some housekeeping rules. We will traverse through various creeks and canals looking for the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. The mud flats, during low tide, are excellent for photographing various waders. Do keep an eye for various raptors including gray-headed fish eagles, white-bellied sea eagles, ospreys etc. You may suddenly find a pod of Irrawaddy dolphins travelling with you in the river. Visit to different watch towers. Ongoing photo discussion with mentor and fellow participants.
Overnight on Boat/at Resort with dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 2 -5 (23rd Feb – 26th Feb) – The Sunderbans Dawn to Dusk cruise safari on boat with breakfast and lunch. Visit to different watch towers. Ongoing photo discussion with mentor and fellow participants. Overnight on Boat/at Resort with dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 6 (27th Feb) – The Sunderbans and Kolkata Airport/Rail Station Dawn to Dusk cruise safari on boat with breakfast and lunch. Visit to different watch towers. Ongoing photo discussion with mentor and fellow participants. In the Evening get dropped at Gadkhali and transfer to Kolkata Airport/Rail Station. End of a memorable journey in one of the most dangerously beautiful and unique bio diversity hot spot in the world. (B,L)

Cost Per Participant:

1. Stay at Resort: Rs. 36,999
2. Stay on Boat: Rs. 32,999 (maximum 4 people can stay on one boat)

Payment Terms:

Booking Amount : 20,000

Cost Inclusions:

• A/C car pick up and drop (sharing with other participants) from Airport/Rail Stations at Kolkata
• 5 nights’ accommodation in a resort/on boat, in The Sundarbans, on twin sharing basis
• All meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Packaged water throughout the tour
• All jungle cruises in a motorized boat exclusively for the participants
• All other park related costs including guide fees
• On field Mentor guidance
• Services of an experienced tour guide cum naturalist
• All applicable taxes

Cost Exclusions:

• Any Airfare or Train fare from Home/Base locations or returns
• Any kind of optional tours not included in the itinerary
• Any type of drinks like soft drinks and alcoholic beverages during journey, safari cruises or at the camps/hotel/guest houses etc.
• Any tips paid (While tipping is optional, it is widely followed and is expected by the boat man/guide. We will advise you an indicative amount to be paid in cash)
• Camera fees or Video Camera fees as levied by the forest department (we will advise you of estimated fees, in advance)
• The services of the boats are not included on leisure days and after finishing the safari cruises as per the itinerary given
• Any type of personal insurance
• Any medical emergencies
• Anything not mentioned above in the cost inclusions section

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation for an event will be considered via a written mail to info@edgeofwild.com . The date of the mail would be considered for calculation of the cancellation fee.

Early Bird registration – No Refund

Regular Registration –

• 50% fee to be refunded if cancellation is done 50 days prior to the event
• 30% fee to be refunded if cancellation is done 30 days prior to the event
• No refund if cancellation is done between 0-30 days of the event.