A Tour to Sunderban National Park

Sunderbans national park is located at the South Eastern tip of the 24 Paraganas district in the state of West Bengal. It got its name from one of the mangrove plants known as Sundari (Heritiera Minor). The Sunderbans are a part of the world's largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Sunderbans is a vast area covering 4262 square kms in India alone, with a larger portion in Bangladesh. 2585 sq. kms of the Indian Sundarban forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. The total area of the Indian part of the Sundarban forest, lying within the latitude between 21°13'-22°40' North and longitude 88°05'-89°06' East, is about 4,262 sq km, of which 2,125 sq km is occupied by mangrove forest across 56 islands and the balance is under water.

The park is surrounded by a buffer zone of 885 square kilometers. This also mainly consists of mangrove forests. The core area of the park has its own natural boundaries with the river Matla on its West, the river Haribhanga on its East, with Netidhopani and Gosba in the North.

The four Sunderbans national parks have been lumped together as they all share common features of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem. The main attractions of the Sunderbans are the Tiger, of which the delta harbor large reptiles like the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and the Olive Ridley Turtle, for which there is a conservation program in the Indian park. The Leopard, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer and Water Buffalo have all become locally extinct from the delta in recent decades.

Tourist Places:

Sajnekhali:

Sajnekhali has a bird sanctuary and is the only place to have a accommodation. There is a Mangrove Interpretation Centre here. There are watchtowers at Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali, Netidhopan, Haldi and a number of other places.

Bhagbatpur Crocodile Project:

This is a crocodile breeding farm. This place is accessible through Namkhana. Bhagabatput is a hatchery of the largest estuarine crocodile in the world.

Piyali:

It is 72 kms from Calcutta and is a gateway to the Sunderban. It is being developed as a tourist complex.

A thrilling cruise through the largest estuarine delta in the world and the biggest colony of the `Royal Bengal Tigers' - the Sundarbans. These evergreen mangrove forests pulsate with a myriad forms of life. Above the Kingfisher and White-bellied Sea eagle add a brilliant burst of colour. The sea creeps in at high tide. The forests float. The ebbing waters reveal nature so alive on the glistening mud flats. The land is split by numerous rivers and water channels all emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Venture further to discover a rich tribal folklore. It is believed that Bonbibi, the goddess of the forest, protects the wood-cutters, honey-collectors and fishermen on their hazardous missions. For, as the saying goes, `Here the Tiger is always watching you'.

Delta-forest home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The Ganges, which is rightly known as the Ganga, carries silt and fertility from its ice-melt sources in the high Himalayas, through the lush plains of India, past the riverine port of Calcutta. Here, however, it is no longer the Ganga because it has become one of the major distributors. For, in the flat Grey-clay lands of Bengal, the great river splits into numerous channels, dividing and sub-dividing like the roots of a tree, till it pours through many mouths into the Bay of Bengal.

Best Season:

The best time to visit Sunderbans is during winters between December and February although the park is open for longer from September to March. This is the period when the maximum migratory birds are also present here.

How to Reach:

The Sunderbans are not easily accessible. To get to the Sunderbans national park in India the nearest airport is Calcutta, the nearest railway station is Canning, and the nearest town is Gosaba. From the park headquarters at Canning take the country motor launch (5 hours) to Sajnekhali.

Bus booking is fairly easy nowadays on internet. If you plan early you’ll get budget bus tickets online. For online bus tickets booking you can check different OTA’s website. Search best bus service, compare and buy cheap tickets. Bus form delhi to agra

Bus form Chennai to Bangalore

Cherrapunji – The Rainy Valley of India

High above misty valleys and foaming rivers, ensconced in swirling clouds and perched on an escarpment, lies Cherrapunji (4,500 feet). This is a stunning location and the year-round rain earned Cherrapunji coveted entry long ago into the Guinness Book of World Records as the wettest place on earth, the place where the rainfall can be recorded in feet rather than in millimeters.

Today, climatic changes have edged Cherrapunji out of the topmost 'wet' slot, but it still retains its pristine beauty, its unusual facets, the perpetual clouds, and the perpetual mists…. Appropriately, Cherrapunji lies in the heart of the State of Meghalaya-the abode of clouds.

History:

As in days gone by, the faces of Cherrapunji change not with the seasons, but with the pattern of rainfall. The heaviest downpours span approximately five long months-from May until September. The clouds then are dark and menacing, full blown with rain, which descends earthwards with the stinging force of a whiplash.

Tour to Cherrapunji Throughout these months, Cherrapunji is transformed into a sea of tiny, gushing rivulets. The raindrops beat incessantly on rooftops and treetops creating a compelling tattoo of awesome sounds, which cannot be savored anywhere else but in the Northeastern states. These are also the 'record-making' months, which contribute to records such as the stunning 22,987 mm of rainfall in 1861. The annual average rainfall of Cherrapunji stands today at 10,871 millimeters. Barely 10 km from Cherrapunji stands the village of Mawsynram, which has snatched away the heaviest rainfall record, with 12,163 millimeters of rainfall.

With the passage of September, the rhythm of the rain-its main force spent-changes to a gentle patter. And the Khasis and other residents of Cherrapunji, the flora, and the fauna respond to the change in the Rain God's mood. Soft pastel shades begin to appear in skies that were gray all day and rainbows that are a photographer's delight begin to make unexpected guest appearances.

Tourists Attractions:

The home of enterprising Khasi clans, Cherrapunji's place in the Guinness Book of Records is not its only claim to fame. Along with falls lesser in height but no less alluring, the spectacular, cascading 1,035-ft-high Mawsmai Falls-the fourth highest in India-lie just a few kilometers beyond Cherrapunji.

Close by is situated a fascinating labyrinth of underground passages beneath age-old caves-a veritable dream for amateur explorers. Elsewhere around Cherrapunji, Khasi monoliths (stones in memory of their ancestors) lie dotted around-a vague reminder of the forests of Bastar.

Amidst all the surprises of Cherrapunji, perhaps the most abiding is the startling realization that the wettest place on earth where it rains every month also has an amazing amount of warm sunshine. When the clouds drift away, there are a series of memorable views, and one can see as far as Bangladesh. Orchids blooming a few feet away from a patch devoid of vegetation. Dense woods interspersed by rocky, cliffs furrowed by erosion.

As the months move on, the smell of decaying vegetation lessens as the showers become intermittent. New plants spring to life, and people go about their tasks with renewed energy.

The hills around Cherrapunji do not have the lush green vegetation one normally associates with wet places. The vegetative cover in the form of dense woods appears in patches and constitutes yet another marvelous surprise: the richness and variety of the flora in these 'zones' has to be seen to be believed. An amazing variety of rare orchids, ferns, and moss convert each pocket into a botanist's paradise. Cherrapunji produces the best quality of oranges as well as pineapples. In fact, Cherrapunji oranges are the ancestors of the famous Nagpuri oranges in the Central India.

How to Reach:

Cherrapunji is 58 km from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. A steep motorable road, almost perpetually bathed in mist as it climbs upwards on the last lap, leads up to Cherrapunji. Buses and taxis ply to Cherrapunji from Shillong.

Bus booking is fairly easy nowadays on internet. If you plan early you’ll get budget bus tickets online. For online bus tickets booking you can check different OTA’s website. Search best bus service, compare and buy cheap tickets. Bus form mumbai to pune

Bus form bangalore to pune

A Guide to Adventure Tourism in India

There is incredible prospect of adventure tourist places in India, due to diverse topography, seasons and climate. On land and water, under water and in the air, tourists can pick out from various option of adventure in our country.  India is the land with a wide immense range of adventure sports, activities and holidays, during summer, winter; autumn seasons. The Southern, Eastern, and Western especially in North India. Trekking and Skiing adventure sports in the Himalayas, white river rafting rapids of snow fed rivers are breath taking attraction in Himalayas and Uttaranchal, jeep safari, bird watching, wild camp, wildlife safari and jungle trail on Rajasthan region and North India, Paragliding, hand gliding, hot air ballooning trekking in Himachal region, Amazing wind surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling in crystal waters of Lakshadweep Islands’ lagoons and  Andaman Nicobar, water sports in Goa, wildlife and backwaters adventure in South India, these are just some of wonderful options for adventure seekers in various parts with options of different season in each sector.  Especially there is constant challenge of mighty Himalayas for mountaineers and trekking lovers.  Coniferous jungle, forests, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks are most potential places for wildlife lovers and trekkers.  India is the ultimate destination and absolute paradise for wildlife and adventure lovers.

• Mountaineering: There is nothing more challenging any place in the world like great Himalayas. They stand aloft, stirring the adventure spirit, challenging to conquer the challenging mountains. For an adventure lover who wants to scale the high mountains, then mountaineering in India, is ideal for exotic experience. However, winter treks in Himalayas combined with skiing can be a most exotic and thrilling experience. The Himalayan Mountains are the most sought after place for mountaineers. Kanchenjunga and Nanda Devi are the two highest peaks, which offer very thrilling environment for mountaineers from all over the world. Some of the amazing challenges for the intrepid climbers are located in Tehri Garhwal, Himalayas, Zanskar region in Kashmir, Kulu & Lahaul in Himachal. Also there are lots of options of mountaineering in North Eastern India and other places.
• Camel Safaris: Rajasthan is the most ideal place for Camel Safari; enjoy the adventure of a Camel Safari, which awaits you in the golden sands of the enormous Thar Desert - primeval, savage and lonely. Ride through sandy landscape in the desert, passing through isolated villages, meeting with them close look and interaction about their traditions and livings. Enjoy camping on the solitary oasis, experience local people under starry nights and dance to musicians playing ancient haunting, stringed music instruments with folk dances in camp fire. The rolling sandy landscape of the unrelieved Thar desert and xerophytes shrub covered area is breathtakingly and the variety of flora and fauna amazingly large for a desert region Share and experience a very unique and memorable performance of local people. The camps are set in deep sand dunes with all basic amenities for tourists, also very rich and traditional Rajasthani cuisine and the picturesque hamlets with friendly folks in Thar Desert, which is fastest growing adventure landscape in Asia and all over the world.
• Trekking: The unexplored mountain ranges of India offer breathtaking, enchanting trekking routes. In the vast amphitheatre of Himalayas and Karakorams, there are endless possibilities for trekking mountaineering, skiing, and river rafting, within this fascinating arena, the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, there are variety of trekking places. Where enthusiast trekkers can explore the rugged beauty of the lofty mountains peaks romancing the shimmering waterfalls, cascading down in joviality like a merry village belle. Experience the thrill of sheer adventure by our trekking tours in India amidst the world’s most beautiful places. The Garhwal and Kumaon mountain regions of Uttaranchal are the very famous destinations for trekking, though Manali and Chamba in Himachal, and Ladakh and Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir region, other trekking places are Kullu and Kangra valleys, Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal and in North Uttar Pradesh, North part of Rishikesh. Yuksam in Sikkim, and Leh in Ladakh. Darjeeling in West Bengal, The major challenge for the mountaineers is in the Garhwal region in Himalayas. Among the high altitude regions of Himalayas, where wonderful dreams of trekking turn into reality.
• Rock Climbing: Rock climbing, one of the popular adventure sports in India, is a relatively new sport. However, in a short span of time, it has become the most popular adventure sport. Because of the good availability of adequate climbing rocks throughout India, coupled the element of excitement involved, rock climbing has become the adventure sport to participate in for the young and the old alike. Experience the adventure running in your veins as you climb up the rocks. The ideal climbing faces are obtainable at the Aravali hills in Dumdama, Dhauj, and Nuh- all in nearby proximity of Delhi. In Himachal region, the Manali Valley, Manikaran and the Rohtang Pass offer excellent climbing opportunities for the armature and professional adventurer. In South India Karnataka also offers exciting rock-climbing activities at the Chamundi Hills. Sariska and Mount Abu in Rajasthan all offer variety of rock faces and excellent grounds for better and quality climbing. The high altitude climber will enjoy the rocks at Sonmarg in Jammu & Kashmir and Gangotri in the Garwal district of Uttar Pradesh North India.

Travel Planning:

As India is a large geographic country and adventure spots are spread throughout its’ boundary, it is very difficult to plan a trip where you can visit all place at one go. So choose the favorite tour and place which is nearby from your city and plan your travel accordingly. You can check flights, train or bus based on your travel budget. Bus booking is fairly easy nowadays on internet. If you plan early you’ll get budget tickets online. For online bus booking you can check different OTA’s website. Search best bus service, compare and buy cheap tickets. Bus form delhi to agra