If you are a solo travel or a group of travelers going to travel at Sundarbans without buying advance tour package from any tour agency, you are at the right place because I am going to share my experiences below how to make a proper plan to travel at Sundarbans at a very tight budget from Sealdah to Sundarbans.
You may have many questions in your mind that how to go? Where to go? Which place will be the best for riding on boat? How much will be the cost as boat fare? How many islands a tour guide will go around? Will I be cheated there? Is it adjustable with other travelers on boat?
And the biggest rumor and fear in you mind that it is not possible to travel at Sundarbans mangrove forest without booking advance tour package.
Finally, you will think that it is not possible to make a deal with tour or boat guides because you have not booked a tour package. But it is totally your misconception. Just keep in mind that they also find travelers like you to get extra profit.
I am not promoting any travel agency or hotel or home stay. That is why, I am not referring to any name of tour agency, hotel or home stay or any travel related business.
How to go Sundarbans:
I am from Chapra, Nadia district. So, I started with my friend from Chapra to krishnanagar to Sealdah but my friend was from jalangi, Murshidabad. But you are from different place. So, for you the starting point would be from sealdah by local train.
Let start, buy a Canning local train ticket from sealdah station for reaching Canning station at a rate of 10 rupee. Distance between Sealdah to Canning 45 km by Canning local and it will take approximately 1:15 hours to arrive there. Trains run between two station very frequent, approximately per hour you will get a train. After arriving canning station, get off from train and get out of station and walk for 3-4 minutes towards bus stop and ride on bus for Jharkhali. But keep in mind that whenever train reached at station two bus must be at bus stop for Jharkhali. So, you have to be a little bit of rushed to get bus seat. Otherwise, you may not get a seat in bus because everyone want sit on bus seat. Distance between Canning to Jharkhali is 46 km and it will take 1:20 hour buy bus and the fare will be around 50 rupees. But you may reach there by auto also if you want but auto fare will be more than bus you know it.
Where to go?
I have already told you to go Jharkhali from canning. But you may have questions in your mind why should I go to Jharkhali? There are many jetty or ferry ghats at Sundarbans like sonakhali, Gosaba, Godkhali, Sajnekhali and even from Canning but I recommend Jharkhali is the best ferry ghat to start your journey. Go to there and stay at any hotel or home stay near Jharkhali Jetty ghat. You will get a room there easily at the rate of 600-800 rupees with night dinner where you can stay with your partner. Get refresh at room and get out for visiting Sundarban Wild Animal Park Jharkhali. It is in the front of ferry ghat. So, after enjoying the park in the evening you can refresh yourself at the ferry ghat in stunning view of sunset.
And now your main task to make a deal with tour managers at ferry ghat. You can see many tour managers are there on boat. Go to them and talk to make a deal. They may say that it is difficult to manage you with other travelers but believe me that they are also finding the travelers like you for extra profits. My friend and me had made a deal with a tour manager at the rate of 900 per head one day boat safari, breakfast with pakura, lunch with mutton and katla fish and evening tea with biscuit. After the journey in the evening time, we realized that if we could do a proper bargaining, it would be 600 per head with these same facilities.
If you are not able to deal with tour managers, talk with hotel or homestay manager or owner for managing the boat. They will do it easily.
Which place will be the best for riding on boat?
I have ready told you that Jharkhali is the best place for the Sundarbans trip. But others may have different view regarding the place for riding on boat. If you select others place for riding on boat you may have to cross Jharkhali. So, it will be better place for saving time to reach actual Sundarbans visiting places. Also, this place may be the last place for the human settlement from where actual Sundarbans islands are started.
How much will be the cost as boat fare?
It is very difficult to figure out the exact cost of boat fare but I have already told you that we paid 900 rupees per head for one day boat safari, breakfast, lunch and evening tea with biscuit. I think if you go alone and make a deal with them the cost may be more than 900 rupees per and if you are more than one or group of friends, the price must be decreased per head. Also, it is depended on your dealing or bargaining capacity. I hope the cost of boat safari must be affordable.
How many islands a tour guide will go around?
It is almost impossible to say how many Islands a tour guide will go around but here I am sharing my experiences. Out boat was started about 11 am from Jharkhali ferry ghat then we crossed the Bidyadhari river and reached at DOBANKI CAMP (Sundarbans Tiger Reserve) and ride on Dobanki Watch Tower and enjoy the stunning view of Sundarbans. It was inexpressible amazing view which is beyond words. Then we get off from the Dobanki Watch Tower and ride on the boat again and started Eastwards our journey through a khari and round two to three islands and come back near Bobanki Camp in the evening time. Then we crossed the giant Bidyadhari River and reached at starting point Jharkhali Ferry ghat.
It is also most impossible to estimate how many islands a travel guide will visit you. But they can show you more than four to five islands if your boat is started by 8:30 AM.
Will I be cheated there?
I think you won’t be cheated by tour guide or hotel owner. They are very honest with their profession. They must behave with you like very professional travel guides and you won’t be disappointed. But few bad people may be there like the other place.
Is it adjustable with other travelers on boat?
This question may bother you but if you behave well with others on the boat, they must welcome you like your friends. you have to keep in mind that they are also travelers like you. They are also finding friends and peaceful environment like you. Just believe that all the good people are also very eager to know new people, places, cultures. So, it is totally adjustable with other travelers on boat. Also travel guide or boat manager made a deal with other travelers for adjustment with other unknow travelers then they start a boat. So, they also have responsibility to create and maintain a peaceful environment. So, please don’t be worried about adjustment with you unknow travelers.
We got off from the boat around 6 PM in the evening and planned to stay at a hotel nearby Jharkhali Ferry Ghat. We spent the night together with a lot of gossip and in the morning, we started to returning journey and went to Jharkhali to Gosaba to visit Hamilton Bungalow and Beason Bengalow on the returning path. After enjoying there we came to Canning railway station and from there to Sealdah station.
After completing the tour, we calculate our expenditure and seen 2500 rupees per head for one day Sundarbans travel but it actually taken 3 days starting from my home to come back home. If you have tight budget, you may select Sundarbans as travel destination.
After all of these, I must say that Sundarbans is a calm eco-friendly travel destination decorated with beautiful Mangrove Forest. The giant rivers and its branches, narrow Khari, the story of Royal Bengal Tiger and giant saltwater Crocodiles, and also out of network coverage areas altogether are very horrible but it gives mental calmness with its beautiful silent surrounding, cleaning and eco-friendly environment, deepness of forest and river and stunning sunset.
I must say that it was a great tour of my life with beautiful memories and experiences.
Thank you
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