The Sundarbans are the largest and famous littoral mangrove belt in the world. The Sundarbans has been declared to UNESCO in World Heritage Site. Sundarbans South, East and West are three protected forests in Bangladesh. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests. Sundarbans is the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. The Sundarbans National Park is a famous National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Royal Bengal Tigers are the main draw, but you can most of the also spot Saltwater Crocodiles, various primates, leopards, King Cobras and Indian Cobras. Sundarbans is a largest home to many different species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and fishes. Over 120 species of fish and over 260 species of birds have been recorded in the Sundarbans. Also the Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is common in the rivers. No less than 50 species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians are known to occur. The Sundarbans now support the only population of the Estuarine, or Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodiles porous) in Bangladesh, and that population is estimated at less than two hundred individuals.
History
History of the Sundarbans, Geology The tract of the Sundarbans is of recent origin, raised by the deposition of sediments formed due to soil erosion in the Himalayas. The process has been accelerated by tides from the sea face. The substratum consists mainly of Quaternary Era sediments, sand and silt mixed with marine salt deposits and clay. Geologists have detected a southeastern slope and tilting of the Bengal basin during the Tertiary. Because of neo-tectonic movements during the 10th-12th century AD, the Bengal Basin titled eastward. Evidence from borehole studies indicate that while the westernside of the Sundarbans is relatively stable, the southeastern corner is an active sedimentary area and is subsiding.
The history of the area can be traced back to 200–300 AD. A ruin of a city built by Chand Sadagar has been found in the Baghmara Forest Block. During the Mughal period, the Mughal Kings leased the forests of the Sundarbans to nearby residents. Many criminals took refuge in the Sundarbans from the advancing armies of Emperor Akbar. Many have been known to be attacked by tigers. Many of the buildings which were built by them later fell to hands of Portuguese pirates, salt smugglers and dacoits in the 17th century. Evidence of the fact can be traced from the ruins at Netidhopani and other places scattered all over Sundarbans.[8] The legal status of the forests underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the first mangrove forest in the world to be brought under scientific management. The area was mapped first in Persian, by the Surveyor General as early as 1764 following soon after proprietary rights were obtained from the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II by the British East India Company in 1757. Systematic management of this forest tract started in the 1860s after the establishment of a Forest Department in the Province of Bengal, in British India. The management was entirely designed to extract whatever treasures were available, but labour and lower management mostly were staffed by locals, as the British had no expertise or adaptation experience in mangrove forests.
Location and Area
Sundarbans located in the southern part of Bangladesh. The Sundarbans covers approximately 10, 000 square kilometers (3,900 sq. mi) most of which is in the Bangladesh with the remainder in India. It lies on the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta at the point where it merges with the bay of Bengal. The forest lies a little south to the Tropic of Cancer between the latitudes 21º30´N and 22º30´N, and longitudes 89º00´E and 89º55´E. With its array of trees and wildlife the forest is a showpiece of natural history. It is also a center of economic activities, such as extraction of timber, fishing and collection of honey. 200 islands, separated by about 400 interconnected tidal rivers, creeks and canals.
The Sundarbans cover an area of 10, 0 00 sq. km, of which about one-third is covered in water/marsh areas. Since 1966 the Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary, and it is estimated that there are now 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.
How to Travel
Safaris are available from Dhaka,Khulna . It is ranging from an overnight trip to a week, and is probably the best way to experience the Sundarbans.
Organizing your own trip from Munsiganj-Satkhira,Mongla or Khulna is possible (and cheaper, if you're a shrewd negotiator), but questionably worth the hassle. You need a permit from the Divisional Forest Office in Khulna. With permit in hand, it's possible to hire a boat from Mongla or Dhangmari to get you to Hiron Point. From Hiron Point you will have to hire a guide to take you into the park.
Day trips from Mongla are not very interesting, and probably better avoided. After negotiating the price of a boat down to something only slightly less rediculous you'll most likely be taken to Karamjal Wildlife Center, where there are some tame deer to feed and some monkeys, crocs and snakes in cages. But surely you didn't come all this way to see a rundown zoo filled with depressed animals and raucous Bangladeshis. Boatmen seem to want no less than Tk 200 for the trip (locals pay Tk 50/day), and the center charges a very steep Tk 750/day entry fee for foreigners.
From Kolkata (India), suburban trains can take you to Canning (64 km) from where launch services are available for Sundarban. Otherwise, you can avail of buses to reach Raidighi (76 km), Najat (92 km), Sonakhali (100 km) and Namkhana (105 km) from where motorboats will take you to Sundarban.
You have to do this trip on an all-inclusive tour, which will start and finish in Khulna (although transport to and from Dhaka can be arranged). The two standout tour operators are The Guide Tours (www.guidetoursbd.com) and Bengal Tours (www.bengaltours.com), both of which have offices in Dhaka and Khulna. Bangladesh an Eco tours (www.bangladesh ecotours.com) also runs reliable trips. Prices per person for a four-day trip range from around Tk12,000 to Tk20,000 (US$150 to US$250).
Tour from Kolkata A number of tour companies operate out of Kolkata (about three hours’ drive from the fringes of the Sundarbans), and most trips include transport to and from the city. Backpackers (www.tourdesundarbans.com) and Sunderban Tiger Camp (www.sunderbantigercamp.com) are both recommended, and tours with them can be booked online. Expect to pay around Rs4000 to Rs5000 (US$75 to US$95) per person for a two-day, one-night trip.
See/Take a look at
- Hiron Pointa beautiful spot, great for spotting tigers and other wildlife
- Tin Kona Islandanother popular spot for wildlife spotting.
- Katkaa base for safaris, and good spot to see tigers and for bird-watching.
- Dublar Char Islandit's possible to fish here.
For people visiting the place from India (West Bengal), the following should form a part of the itinerary:
- Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower- Most of the tigers are sighted from this tower. Some other wildlife like axis deer’s and crocodiles may also be seen from this watch tower.
- Sajnekhali Watch Tower- Another watch tower that also houses a museum, a Bonobibi Temple and a crocodile park within its premises.
- Superb SundarBan National Park Picture
- Sajnekhali Pakiralaya
- Dobanki Watch Tower
- Bhagbatpur crocodile project
- Buridabri
- Netidhopani- It has a temple that’s 400 years old
- Kanak- Ideal for viewing the Olive Ridley Turtles
- Holiday Island- It is famous for the Barking Deer’s
- Sea Port of Mongla : Mongla is a second largest sea port in the Bangladesh
Hotel/ Sleep
Sundarvilla (sundarban), Kolkata Office-9B, Esplanade, East, Row, Kolkata-69Shop No-44, (Pick up from Kolkata.), 
09051115228. Check in: Start From Kolkata 7a.m.. Pick up, drop, sightseen on boat, Well Furnish Room, Everyday Evening Local Cultural Programed. For Detail Contact. 3200-3800.
09051115228. Check in: Start From Kolkata 7a.m.. Pick up, drop, sightseen on boat, Well Furnish Room, Everyday Evening Local Cultural Programed. For Detail Contact. 3200-3800.
Suranjana Resort (Sundarban,), Dayapur,OppoSite SajneKhali Forest Office, (Two Hours By Luxury Boat From Gadkhali To Our Resort.), 09163914473. Check in: 3days 2nights package.. Fooding AllTime Buffet OnResort.Local Cultaraul Programe Every evening,Daily morning We Go DeepForest By Boat For Sightseeing. 4200/-.
09163914473. Check in: 3days 2nights package.. Fooding AllTime Buffet OnResort.Local Cultaraul Programe Every evening,Daily morning We Go DeepForest By Boat For Sightseeing. 4200/-.