Sundarbans Travel Guide: How to Visit from Khulna, Mongla and Satkhira

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest on earth and the home of the Bengal tiger, and a trip into it is one of the great journeys in Bangladesh. This Sundarbans travel guide explains the two main gateways, how tours work, which permits you need, when to go and how to keep yourself and the forest safe.

Why visit the Sundarbans

The forest is a maze of tidal rivers, creeks and islands where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna meet the Bay of Bengal. It is shared by Bangladesh and India, and the Bangladesh part was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The name is often explained by the sundari tree, one of its typical mangroves.

Besides the tiger, the forest shelters spotted deer, rhesus macaques, wild boar, estuarine crocodiles, river dolphins and a great many birds. Be realistic: tigers are shy and rarely seen. What you will remember is the silence of a creek at dawn, deer at the water’s edge, kingfishers on the branches and the sheer size of the forest. The Sundarbans also shields the coast from cyclones and supports the honey collectors, fishermen and woodcutters who have worked here for generations.

The two gateways

From Mongla: the eastern Sundarbans

Most visitors go in from the east. Mongla, in Bagerhat district, is about 1–1.5 hours by bus from Khulna and about an hour from Bagerhat town. From the Mongla ghat, hired trawlers reach Karamjal on the Pasur river in roughly an hour. Karamjal is a Forest Department centre with a wooden walkway through the mangroves, a watchtower and a breeding centre for crocodiles and deer, which makes it the classic short trip.

Longer trips on licensed tour boats leave from Khulna or Mongla and go south for two or three nights to places such as Kotka, Kochikhali and Harbaria, with walks on forest trails, empty sea beaches and quiet creeks at first light. The full guide is on Sundarbans from Mongla.

From Munshiganj: the quieter western edge

The western Sundarbans in Satkhira sees far fewer visitors. Munshiganj is in Shyamnagar upazila, about 2–2.5 hours south of Satkhira town by bus, and some buses from Dhaka and Khulna run straight there. Here the forest rises from the far bank of rivers such as the Kholpetua and Malancha.

Day trips by boat go to the Forest Department’s Kalagachhia eco-tourism centre, around an hour away, with a walkway into the mangroves; longer licensed trips go deeper, as far as the coast. The villages on the forest’s edge, still marked by the memory of Cyclone Aila in 2009, are part of the experience. See Sundarbans from Munshiganj.

Day trip or multi-day tour?

• Day trip (Karamjal or Kalagachhia): good if you are short of time or travelling with small children. You see the edge of the forest, walk a raised walkway and are back by evening.
• Multi-day tour (two or three nights on a tour boat): the real Sundarbans. You sleep on the boat, reach the deeper forest and the coast, and have a much better chance of seeing wildlife.

Choosing a tour boat

Before you pay, ask:

• Is the operator licensed, and will a registered guide travel with you?
• Are armed forest guards included on the longer trip, as is normal?
• Are the Forest Department permits and fees arranged and included?
• Is there a life jacket for every passenger, a proper toilet and safe drinking water?
• What is the route, and what happens if bad weather cancels or shortens the trip?

Get the answers in writing, and book early for winter weekends and holidays.

Permits and rules

Entering the forest needs Forest Department permission and fees. On organised tours the operator usually arranges this; on the Satkhira side, permission for day trips is issued at the local forest station. Carry your national ID card or passport. Foreign visitors may have different fees and paperwork. The forest is also closed to visitors at certain times of year and in bad weather, and the rules change — check the current rules before you book.

Best time to visit

November to February is the season: cool weather, calm rivers and the best light. The monsoon brings rough water and seasonal closures, and the hot months before it are tiring on open decks. Whatever the month, trips may be suspended when the weather turns, so leave a little room in your plans.

Wildlife etiquette and safety

• Never wander off a trail or walkway or leave the group. Stay on the boat unless the guide says it is safe to land — tigers and crocodiles are real.
• Do not swim in the rivers or creeks: the currents are strong and crocodiles live here.
• Wear a life jacket on small boats and do not travel in rough weather.
• Keep quiet and wear muted colours; noise drives animals away.
• Never feed or approach animals, and do not leave food or rubbish anywhere.
• Plans follow the tides: landings and creek trips are timed to the water, so be ready to start early.

What to pack

• Plenty of drinking water, insect repellent, sunscreen and a hat
• Muted clothes, a light jacket for early mornings on deck and shoes that can get muddy
• A power bank, a torch and a dry bag for your phone
• Any medicine you need, as you will be far from a pharmacy
• Binoculars, if you have them

Combine the Sundarbans with the south-west

Give yourself an extra day for the region around the forest. In Bagerhat, the UNESCO-listed Mosque City built by Khan Jahan Ali centres on the Sixty Dome Mosque, with Khan Jahan Ali’s Tomb close by. In Khulna, an evening on the Rupsha Riverside is a pleasant way to end the trip. On the Satkhira side, the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is in the same upazila as Munshiganj.

Getting there by bus

Khulna, Bagerhat, Mongla and Satkhira are all connected by bus to Dhaka and other cities, and the road to the south-west is much quicker now that the Padma Bridge is open. A good plan is a night bus to Khulna or Mongla, so you are at the ghat early for the morning tide. Search buses for your route and book your seat before you confirm the boat.