Sundarbans Safari Tour

Thanks for joining our 6 Days Tour to Bagerhat and Sundarbans! Your guide and driver will pick you up at the arrival hall and take you to the hotel. Since this tour mainly takes you to enjoy safari in Sundarbans, so a Dhaka city tour is not officially arranged. Of course, if you are interested, we are glad to arrange an extension for you to delve into Dhaka’s crazy life energy.

► Tips on Preparing for Safari in Bangladesh:
1. The coolest and most comfortable time for safari in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans is from October to March, with the temperature fluctuating from 10°C to 30°C, when animals are willing to show themselves as well. If today falls in March and there will be a full moon, you also get to experience the national Holi Festival, the day when people gather on streets dancing amid sprayed colorful powders. If you are more of an adventurer and are interested in Hilsa Festival - the culinary festival of enjoying the national fish of hilsa, come during September, the tail of the country’s monsoon; since the water level is still beyond normal and there will be tons of mosquitos, you will have to think twice for safety concerns before coming at this time if you are taking kids or the aged.
2. Wear cotton clothes in green, beige, or khaki. These natural tones would help you blend in nature and attract less attention from wild animals, as some creatures would be particularly sensitive to certain colors. Why you should wear cotton is because it dries quickly if wet - when the temperature is high, you will sweat a lot.
3. Also remember to bring these items: insect repellent; hiking shoes or safari boots; binoculars; telephoto lens (for photographers!); etc.

Accommodation: Sky City Hotel Dhaka/ FARS Hotel & Resorts

In the morning, you will be escorted to catch your flight to Jessore and then transfer to Bagerhat for its UNESCO-preserved Mosque City, where you will visit Sixty Dome Mosque and Shrine of Khan Jahan Ali. Apart from the architecture and stories, what makes the Shrine more interesting is a nearby big pond, or “dighi” in local language, where you may find some crocodiles that have been accustomed to people’s presence. Visitors often feed them with chickens bought nearby and even pat on their heads without being attacked (we don’t recommend you to try this though, to protect either the nature of the animals or yourself). Also, good luck meeting village kids who would sometimes catch fish here and would be willing to have a conversation with you. After a visit to Nine Dome Mosque, we will head for Mongla port and embark on your journey to the Sundarbans to start your exciting safari. We will first stop at Chadpai forest office to get our entry pass and an armed forest guard. Continue sailing and stay overnight on boat. While hiking in the wild, please follow the directions of the forest guard and your guide and don’t leave your team.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cruises: Sundarbans Reserved Boat

This morning, continue ahead to Sundarbans National Park. You are going to meet the largest mangrove swamp forest on earth. Admire a play of light and shade by mangrove canopy and find yourself amid a symphony woven with unique natural beauties and endemic fauna and flora. Immerse in a mysterious, quiet, yet thrilling world! And witness the sundari tree, “the tree of beauty”, the main species of the mangrove trees here taking up 70% of the total. There will be elusive swimming tigers, bears, spotted deer, river dolphins, monkeys and over 350 bird species for you to spot. Curious mudskippers, a walkable fish, are also residents here.

We will enter the park through Harbaria Eco-Center, from which a 30-minute walk will take us to the wildlife gathering area - tigers and Madan Tak (a rare species of stork) are all sought-after stars here. Later, go on boating to Kochikhali and tackle our lunch onboard. If time permits, we will also have a side safari trip on a smaller boat. At the end of today, dock at Kochikhali Forest Office. Overnight on boat.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cruises: Sundarbans Reserved Boat

Have a quick breakfast and we will have a small boat ride along a narrow river. At some point, we will hop ashore and go on a hike into the deep forest. After getting back to our boat, let’s set sail to Kotka, our ultimate destination for today. On arrival in about 2 hours, get off the boat and head for Jamtola Sea Beach, where you get to leisurely appreciate the beauty of Bay of Bengal. After lunch, we will come to Kotka Wildlife Sanctuary, the most popular sanctuary in the Sundarbans. You will want to climb a watchtower jutting out from a clearing in the woods, where there are lots of deer roaming in the daytime and where animals usually come to drink water at night. You might also find tigers’ traces - prick up your ears for their roars and look for their pugmarks! As the sun sets, dock at Chadpai halfway through the Sundarbans. Tonight, a BBQ dinner is in store.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cruises: Sundarbans Reserved Boat

Today, have fun at a fishing village to mingle with local fishermen and get to know their traditional way of living. Interestingly, you are still likely to encounter the tradition of locals using otters to help them fish. Usually they would bring two or more otters tied to their boat, which, after the fishing net is spread out, would swim afar and chase fishes into the net. Each time the otters complete their job, they are rewarded some of their fruits of labor.

Later, sail back to Mongla port, disembark, and drive 2.5 hours to Jessore Airport for your flight to Dhaka. Overnight near Dhaka Airport.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Marino Royal or similar

Today, we will drop you off at Dhaka International Airport at your designated time. Safe flight home!

► For Anyone Hoping to Further Experience Bangladesh:
Although this itinerary mainly focuses on wild safari, as today is your last day staying in Bangladesh, it’d be a pity if you miss the chance to check out Dhaka’s colorful life and religious cultures - the soul of Bangladesh! If your flight takes off at a late time, why not check off some most-meaningful spots (see the recommended top attractions below) to make your tour fulfilled? Just remember to make a foolproof schedule in order not to miss your flight - Dhaka’s population density (65 thousand people/per square km) means you might be troubled with traffic congestions from time to time; also arrive at the airport 4 hours prior to departure, which is recommended by the airport’s official guideline. Alternatively, you can simply prolong your stay in Dhaka and let us arrange a tour extension for you.Top Attractions of Dhaka:
1. Kawranbazar Vegetable Market. This is Dhaka’s largest wholesale marketplace.
2. Dhakeswari Temple. Dating to the 12th century, it’s the most important Hindu temple of Bangladesh where goddess of Dhaka is worshipped.
3. Ahsan Manzil. A pink palace built in the mid-19th century and now a museum exhibiting the aristocratic life of Dhaka’s nawab at that time.
4. Sadarghat River Port. The biggest water transportation hub of Dhaka, noisy yet exhilarating. You can ride a boat and watch the riverfront from afar.
5. Other historic sites like Armenian Church and Star Mosque. The former is the only architectural heritage of the vanished Armenian community, while the latter is a beautiful mosque with stars covering its dome.
Meals: Breakfast