The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language.

It is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.The Sundarbans covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres, most of which is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India. The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Home to one of the largest concentration of Royal Bengal tigers on the planet, the 2585-sq-km Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is a network of channels and semisubmerged mangroves that forms the world’s largest river delta. Tigers (officially estimated to number close to 300) lurk in the impenetrable depths of the mangrove forests, and also swim the delta’s innumerable channels.

Cruising the broad waterways through the world’s biggest mangrove sanctuary and watching wildlife, whether it be a spotted deer, 2m-long water monitor or luminescent kingfisher, is a world away from your everyday chaos.

The best time to visit the reserve is between November and March – entry is restricted through the late summer and monsoon months. Organised tours are the best way to navigate this tricky and harsh landscape