Not Just A Forest....

I have been planning to visit Sundarbans for more than a year however for some reason or the other, it did not materialize yet. Either it was for not having consensus from co travelers regarding costs, or dispute over number of days or it was not the right time to visit or the right group was not ready. I am very particular about who I travel with and wavelength.

Why Sundarbans?

I had too many reasons actually - one of them was purely for a rush of adrenaline at the thought of adventure -  a World Heritage Site, Tiger Reserve, Forest, Boats, Local life, proximity to Bangladesh and much more.

So, when a friend asked me to join her for my much awaited trip to Sundarbans in January this year, the size of the group kind of caught me off guard - Over twenty people. Though I badly wanted to do the trip, I was sure I will feel out of place in such a large group, driven by agenda of majority. I had to politely decline however I waited eagerly for her return to know more about their trip. 

How to Reach Sundarbans?

Seriously, it is no fun if one hires a cab from Kolkata and does this trip like any other package tour which range anywhere from INR 6000 to INR 18000 per person or even more depending on group size, where you stay, duration and spots you visit.

Try this route:

The forewarning is you can try this route only if you are backpack person and not that need_my_spa_now_or_I_will_collapse kind of a traveler. In short this is not meant for luxury travelers at all.

A train from Sealdah to Canning, the early morning one starts around eight. The frequency is good with a train every hour and you will reach Canning with an hour. Board a bus or an auto (INR 250) from Canning to Dhamakhali. 

My friend and her twelve year old son will never forget that chilly winter January night, as they were on a boat for three hours which they boarded in Dhamakhali to reach Hemnagar Guest House only at 10.30 in the night, completely drenched. The son almost fell asleep in the boat and she had the filmiest ideas when the boatman had to halt at some points for fuel.

Here is a glimpse of all that I missed. 

My pathos is not over yet. 

In February, a school friend who is a social worker for decades, suggested we do Sundarbans - at least the boat tour in a day, a quick visit to a nearby NGO and some photography. That excited me all the more however just two days after that hectic one day Sundarbans tour I had my Bangalore trip scheduled. I was not sure if I could survive all this, without abusing my time clock and body system. 

What actually happened is this, sitting in Acropolis early Feb, when my school friend spoke about Sundarbans, she painted a very different picture - how people do not have access to medical care, and when someone sponsored a boat, it made life easy for some.

Now I want to visit Sundarbans for a different reason, not just to tick my must visit checklist, not just for the Burirdabri or Jhingakhali or any watch tower. I want to stay there for at least a week, mix with local people there, visit a couple of islands and bring Sundarbans mainstream and do a full fledged article on it. When I told what my thoughts were, my school friend understood as I dropped out in the last minute. Did I not tell about wavelength before? They are the ones who understand.

And that boat purchase is very much in my radar - regardless whether it is for medical or tourism purpose, if a boat means better livelihood to few more, I will definitely pitch to potential sponsors. Drop a comment here, if anyone is interested to take this initiative forward.

This piece on Sundarbans is just the beginning. Many more to follow!

Picture Courtesy: Sangita Majumdar

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Write to chaltechalteindia@gmail.com if you have a story to share about Sundarbans or if you are planning a visit, our team will be glad to assist you with a no-obligation itinerary at no cost. This is our bit for the welfare of Sundarbans