7 Things to Do in the Sundarbans, India's Tidal Mangrove Tiger Reserve

The Sundarbans forms the largest mangrove forest in the world, spread across the delta where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the Bay of Bengal, split between India's West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh. The Indian portion is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a designated tiger reserve, but it's also simply a landscape unlike most of the rest of the country: no roads through the core area, tides that reshape the creeks twice a day, and a forest that has to be seen from water rather than land.

1. Take a boat safari through the creeks

Boat safaris, regulated by the West Bengal Tourism Department, are the only way to explore the reserve's core, with options ranging from small boats for a handful of people to larger multi-day vessels with onboard sleeping and dining. Safaris generally run from around 8:30am to 4:30pm, with entry closed after early evening for both safety and conservation reasons.

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2. Watch for the Royal Bengal tiger

The Sundarbans is one of the few places where tigers are known to swim between islands and have adapted to a tidal, saline environment, a distinct population from the reserve's counterparts elsewhere in India. Sightings are genuinely rare given the dense mangrove cover, and most visitors come away having spotted the reserve's other wildlife instead.

3. Climb the Sajnekhali watchtower

One of the reserve's main entry points, Sajnekhali has a watchtower overlooking a waterhole and mangrove clearing, along with a small interpretation centre, and is typically the first stop on a standard Sundarbans itinerary.

4. Look for saltwater crocodiles and spotted deer

Saltwater crocodiles bask openly on mudflats at low tide, and spotted deer are common along the forest edges wherever boats are permitted to approach, making them a far more reliable sighting than the reserve's tigers.

5. Go birdwatching along the creeks

More than 250 bird species have been recorded in the Sundarbans, including kingfishers, white-bellied sea eagles and a range of migratory waterfowl in winter, and the early morning boat hours tend to be the most productive for sightings.

6. Visit a village and see traditional honey collection

Guided village walks on the reserve's fringes give a glimpse of a way of life built around the forest, including the traditional method of wild honey collection practised by local honey gatherers, a livelihood that predates the reserve's formal protection.

7. Watch the mudflats at low tide

At low tide, the Sundarbans' creeks give way to wide mudflats dotted with breathing roots, or pneumatophores, that mangrove trees use to draw oxygen in waterlogged soil, a detail worth pointing out on any boat safari as a reminder of how specifically adapted this ecosystem is.

Traveller tips

• Godkhali and Sonakhali, roughly two to three hours from Kolkata by road, are the usual embarkation points for Sundarbans boat trips.
• The best time to visit is October to March, both for weather and for the reserve's more active wildlife-viewing conditions.
• Boat safaris require permits, generally arranged through registered tour operators or the forest department.
• Multi-day boat stays with onboard accommodation are common for a fuller exploration of the reserve's interior creeks.