The Sundarbans:
Sundarban had always been in my bucket list. And finally 2019 brought me this amazing opportunity. Sundarban is a restricted area and it takes some legal permission for tourists to visit the area. So it is better to go there with a travel agency. Although there are a couple of travel agencies which arrange trips to the delta forest, we visited it with Holiday Tours and Travels based out of Jamshedpur.
Wherever in the country you are coming from, you will have to first come to Kolkata to begin your journey for the Sundarbans by a bus or rent a car. After about 5-6 hours of road journey, we reached Sundarban. But our journey did not end there. We had another 2 hours journey by a water launch ahead of us. There was an amazing lunch arranged for us on the launch itself where the vast water body welcomed us with a misty breeze blowing across our faces. We reached the island called Pakhiralay and checked into our hotel, S2. It was a simple hotel with minimalistic amenities but you won’t complain about food, cleanliness or the staff. Actually amidst nature, you just can’t afford to complain about anything when you get fresh oxygen to breathe and are surrounded by nature. With a very bad internet service here, it was a digital detox for me. Only a particular corner of our hotel received a little bit of internet connection but it was definitely bliss to just enjoy the beauty of nature with my family and the fellow travelers.
The day ended with an awesome dinner. We went to bed early as the next day was full of adventures.
It began pouring right from 4 am and left us disappointed. Although the view from our room balcony was beautiful, I was disheartened. But fortunately it stopped raining at 6 am and the sun shone upon us. After having our breakfast, we left for island hopping at about 8 am by the same launch that we came by. Island hopping is not only a thing in Thailand but also in our very own Sundarbans. Though the glance of the mighty Royal Bengal Tiger is a matter of luck, various other flora and fauna can be seen during the day trip to the islands surrounding the great delta. Though most of the forest areas are restricted for tourists, some of the bird sanctuaries and islands are a must visit to experience the magic of nature. The whole day tour on the launch, with breakfast, lunch and evening tea accompanied by a scenic sunset is such a breathtaking experience. And monsoons are the best time for Hilsa (Ilish maachh) lovers. We visited many wildlife reserves, small villages and after a full day of adventure we reached the point of the river where the sea and the rivers meet. It was breathtakingly beautiful. There were ships and submarines passing by which were coming in from Bangladesh.
Our guide told us so much about the surroundings and the life of the villagers. The villagers of Sundarban know every day that there is no surety of their coming back home in the evening after fishing or collecting honey, (the only 2 major modes of occupation in the region). They don’t know which day would be their last one before they fall prey to one of the ferocious man-eater Royal Bengal tigers.
But they still leave home every morning to go to work to be able to feed their family.
According to our guide every year about 50-60 villagers get hunted down by the tigers while fishing or collecting honey. But for tourists they’re a rare vison as tigers are cowards otherwise and never come out in front of a huge group of people/tourists.
It is definitely a rare experience to get a glance of the Royal Bengal tigers, but it’s not just the majestic beasts that the Mangrove delta is worth visiting. About 80% of the types of trees all across the world are just found here. The simple life of the villagers is worth your time too. The natural beauty, scenic sunsets from the boat at the middle of the huge water body where the river and sea meet are a rare vision and the sunrise from your room balcony is something you wouldn’t want to miss!!! Sundarban is a lifetime experience and a visit for you wildlife and nature lovers.
After coming back to our hotel at about 6 pm, there was a performance arranged for us, by the local dancers and musicians. They travel all the way from a neighboring village to perform for the tourists and earn a minimal amount. Their local folk performance was as moving as their innocence. It was a lovely experience and we had a great time.
Our last and final day in Sundarban also had a few experiences stored in for us. We checked out from our hotels and boarded the same launch. We headed towards a village island called Gosaba. This is the place where Lord Hamilton, a Scottish businessman, had made his home and built a small cottage in and worked for the social upliftment of the local villagers.
Later, in the year 1932, Nobel laureate, great poet and novelist, Rabindra Nath Tagore came to Gosaba and lived in the Hamilton bungalow for months as he fell in love with the natural beauty of the little island.
Even though the building is now a deserted, wrecked house, tourists flock in to have a look at it and the statue of Tagore in the premise that still stands tall.
After leaving Gosaba, we visited another village and experienced a real Indian village and the life of the villagers. We visited their homes, sat with them and had a chat. The fresh fruits and vegetables grown by them was such a treat to us, people living in the city and eating preservatives and junks every day. The fresh milk from their pet cows was so much more real and tasted just too great. After a whole lot of detoxification, our 3 days of trip came to an end and we headed towards from where we had begun our journey. We boarded our bus and reached Kolkata by 5 pm in the evening.
The natural beauty, scenic sunsets from the boat static at the middle of the water, is rare visions that you wouldn’t want to miss!!! Altogether the trip was an experience of a lifetime for me and I am sure it will be for all you wildlife and nature lovers.
AnEnd_ANewBeginning 