We rendezvoused at the office as requested where we were expected and everything seemed to be organised. Just as well our arrival wasn’t a surprise as we’d paid a 50% deposit the last time we popped into Kolkata. This 3D/2N trip was costing us Rs9000 which was good value as it included; all food, accommodation, transport, activities and entry fees. There were no hidden extras and we would definitely recommend using the services of Sundabans Backpackers Jungle Tour. http://www.tourdesundarbans.com/ It turned out that we’d be part of a group of 6 and I think then generally try to keep the numbers under 10. We were glad there were more people as some cultural aspects of village life are included and we’d only get embarrassed if it was just us two.
The first stop was the petrol station where, even in the confines of a forecourt, the driving is haphazard enough to cause a traffic jam. The route we took out of town followed what looked like a canal but in actual fact is part of The Sundabans. The closer to the city we were the more polluted the water and it stank to high heaven – not the classic image. It was a relief to see the water quality improve as we progressed and we even began to see some bird life. Less than 100kms later we found ourselves at the end of the road, quite literally, so we boarded a local ferry to take us across a wide tributary. I say ferry but it was basically just an over-sized sampan but, it did carry vehicles – bicycles! We then traversed this largest of the 104 islands contained within the Sundabans by cycle rickshaw and caught a second ferry. Again we simply crossed the river and once across walked to the village.
The eco-hut we were staying in was as rustic as we’d expected but way more comfortable and attractive than we’d anticipated. We assumed the accommodation would be dormitory style and if rooms were available it would be shared facilities. In fact we had our own room with an en-suite bathroom and it was all substantially better than many of the $30 hotels we’d stayed in. The food consisted of a set meal of rice and curry but it was freshly prepared and more than plentiful. Having eaten more than necessary (yet again!) we sat around chatting to the other members of our group waiting for the afternoon’s activities to begin.
First we went for a stroll around the village where we thought we’d have to go through the embarrassment of gawping into people’s homes. To our delight our guide was much more interested in pointing out and naming all the birds that happened to flutter past. The area is very much dependent on farming and agriculture with rice being the staple crop. At this time of year the villagers are also given permits to enter the uninhabited islands of the Sundabans to fish and collect honey. Our brief wander brought us to the river where we hopped on a sampan and went to look at the mangrove at close quarters. With the boat being small and only powered by an oar we didn’t venture very far but we did get to float down some narrow creeks. The bird life was quite plentiful and our boatman spotted and picked up a horseshoe crab for us to admire. These curious looking creatures date back to prehistoric times and we’d hoped we’d be lucky enough to see one. Obviously our greatest wish was to spy a stripy cat but we knew that was an extremely tall order.
That evening’s cultural show was mercifully not of the audience participation ilk. It was simply some local musicians performing traditional songs that tell of the local flora and fauna. Obviously we didn’t understand a word and to our untrained ears many of the ditties sounded cunningly similar. However, it was pleasant listening to them sitting under the stars where we felt a million miles away from Kolkata’s noise and pollution.
The following morning we were up and ready to go at 6am for our full day cruise around a section of the Sundabans. The area is massive and divided into 3 distinct sections; inhabited islands, islands for wildlife tourism and the remainder are out of bounds and maintained as a strict nature reserve. Well, that’s the theory and what the rangers and park authorities would like to see but in reality people still hunt, fish and remove plants. The peoples of the Sundabans are very poor and cannot resist breaking the rules to supplement their meagre incomes. However, they do this at great risk to themselves as the tigers in this area don’t hesitate in attacking those who stray into their territory. Up to 50 people a year perish at the claws of the world’s biggest and most powerful feline.
We puttered for a couple of hours down the wide rivers, estuaries and inlets at high tide. The water swamps the muddy banks at this time making it difficult to spot any wildlife and we were disappointed in the scarcity of avian life. We then suddenly dropped anchor and realised that we could hear plenty of birds but they were feeling shy. It transpired this wasn’t a scheduled stop; there was in fact a problem with the engine. This was fixed without much fuss and we soon recommenced but 10mins later there was sudden blast of noise from the engine and we ground to a halt. Some sort of belt had snapped and disintegrated leaving us stranded in an area where nothing manmade was visible in any direction. Luckily mobiles could still receive a signal so help was summoned. Or at least that what we thought when a boat approached but in fact they’d just floated over to see what we were up to. Against the odds the necessary repairs were carried out and the boat remained in an operational state for the rest of the day.
It was lovely to see this important eco-system that makes up the world’s largest patch of mangrove forest but it’s a shame we didn’t see more wildlife. I was disappointed that we didn’t see any crocs, or even a water monitor, and once again chital were the animal of the day. It seems that if your life’s ambition is to see these spotted deer in the wild then we’re the people to tag along with. We must have seen a thousand just in the last couple of months! However, we enjoyed our boat ride and weren’t too upset as we hadn’t expected to see much. Let’s face it most of the animals are endangered at best and/or bordering on extinction. With the area now receiving greater protection we can only hope that animal numbers recover sufficiently in the years to come.
