Saturday, August 23, 2008

Sundarbon, World's Biggest Mangrove Forest

Located about 320 km. south-west of Dhaka and spread over an area of about 60000 sq, km of deltaic swamps along the coastal belt of Khulna, the Sundarbans is the world's biggest mangrove forest - the home of the Royal Bengal tiger. These dense mangrove forests are criss-crossed by a network of rivers and creeks.
Here, tourists find tides flowing in two directions in the same creek and often tigers swimming across a river or huge crocodiles basking in the sun. Other wildlife of the region include the cheetahs, spotted deer, monkeys, pythons, wild bears and hyeanas. The forest is accessible by river from Khulna or Mongla. There are rest-houses for visitors to stay and enjoy the unspoiled beauty and splendour of the forest. UNESCO has decleared the Sundarbans a world heritage site that it offers splendid opportunities for tourism. The main tourist spots inside the Sundarbans include Hiron Point (Nilkamal), Katka and Tin Kona island. These places offer the best vantage points for watching tigers, deer, monkeys, crocodiles and birds. Another major attraction inside the Sundarbans is Dublachar (island), a fishing village. Herds of spotted deer often come to graze here.