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Piyali: About 72 kilometers from Kolkata is Piyali, the gateway to the Sunderbans. Here a small river Piyali flows through the green paddy fields and joins the Malta River. Piyali is close to Sajnekhali, Netidhopani and Sudhanyakhali through waterways. Piyali is also home to a beautiful tourist complex, which offer a number of accommodation and recreation facilities.

Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary: Situated on the confluence of Matla and Gumdi, the Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary is a good place to visit. The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary is home a large number of birds. The most popular among them are the Spotted Billed Pelican, Caspian Tern, Cotton Teal, Herring Gull, Grey Heron, Large Egret, Night Heron, Open Billed Stork, White Ibis, Common Kingfisher, Brahmini Kite and Paradise Flycatcher.

Kaikhali Island: A wonderful picnic spot, it is hard to miss the Kaikhali Island on your way to Sunderbans. It is a beautiful spot where nature is alive and colorful.

Netidhopani: At Netidhopani, you may find the ruins of a 400 year old temple that lend a mystery touch to Netidohopani.

Kanak: Kanak is the nesting place of the Olive Ridley Turtles.

Bhagabatpur: Bhagabatpur is famous for having a hatchery of the largest estuarine crocodiles in the world.

Tigers in the Sunderbans: Tigers have a sizeable presence in the Sunderbans but they are hardly seen, though their presence is always sensed. Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve across the Gumdi River is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. The reserve is spread over 362 sq km and has an incredible variety of flora and fauna. Cruising along the sanctuary is a learning experience as you get to see and learn about mangrove forests and its various characteristics.

The Sunderbans river cruise : The cruise has weekly sailings and rooms are spacious and clean, the food superb, the staff friendly and importantly the ship well maintained!

The round-trip from Millennium Park in Kolkata to Dhamakhali covering a distance of 400 kilometres, spans over 3 nights and 4 days. The experience includes a trip through Namkhana, Hatania, Doania, Lothian Island, Bhagabatpur, Nethidopani, Dobanki, and Sajnekhali, Bali and Sudhonyakhali. Plus a chance to enjoy a dip at the beaches of Kalas.

Run as Vivada Cruises, a joint venture between Vivada Inland Waterways Limited and the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation, it is stated to be the country’s first river-cruising initiative.

Vivada Inland Waterways Limited
14, Southern Avenue, Kolkata - 700 026, West Bengal, India.
Email: sunderbancruises@vivada.com

Tel: + 91-33-24631990, + 91-33-24631991, + 91-33-24631992, +91-33-24631993.
Fax: + 91-33-24631994

Monday - Friday: 9:30a.m. - 6:00p.m. IST
Saturday: 9:30a.m. - 3:00p.m. IST

By Air: Dum Dum, 166kms is the nearest airport in Kolkata

By Rail: The nearest railhead is at Canning, 48 kms away.

By Road: All you need to do is just travel about 100 kilometers south from Kolkata and you are at the gateway to the largest and most luxuriant estuarine forest in the world. This is the beauty of traveling to Sunderbans. You don’t have to think hard.
One may head to the following places and then take a launch to Sunderbans.
Namkhana (105 km)
Sonakhali (100 km)
Raidighi (76 km)
Canning (64 km)
Najat (92 km)