The Mangrove tree has a built in water filtration system via its roots that spread and pop out of the mud. This provides the low salt water that the tree thrives on.
We spent 2 nights in a resort located in an island. The neighboring island was tiger abode and had fencing to stop the tiger from encroaching, but frequently the tiger swims across to find prey. The most recent being like a month back. We were advised not to walk outside after sunset.
We got good Indian meals all planned by the folks at the resort. The rooms were not the greatest and so that was the difficult part to handle. Also we were at the mercy of the resort staff to coordinate our trips to the tiger watch towers, sadly this is where the beauty of tiger viewing gets lost. One needs to spend hours on the watch towers to spot a tiger and not a rushed 15 mins.
In future we will rent our own boat/culinary staff/supplies and venture into the tiger islands. One cannot step on land (basically deep mud), instead one has to sit quietly in a boat and watch and hope for a shore side tiger viewing or a tiger river crossing. Unlike Hollywood or Bollywood the tiger is more scared of the humans than we are of the tiger. A swimming tiger cannot leap onto a boat and steal prey, so it is safe to watch it swim by. No forearms are allowed in the Sunderbans and one has to be assisted by local guides to be safe.
The tour package was advertised as luxury all the way through but they definitely had a different grading scale. I would rate the bus rides as torture, the boat rides as tedious, the room stay sub-par and the tiger viewing rushed. If we had a better boat it would really be a great feeling to drift in the open rivers and with mangrove islands spread around and just enjoy the vastness of the landscape. Swimming in the rivers is not advised as there are small sharks (not great white), and strong currents.
Please view the links below for more information about the Sunderbans National Park, in India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans_National_Park
(About the Sunderbans)
http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com/
(Details about Sunderban Lodging)
http://www.vivadacruises.com/
(Ship Cruise to the Sunderbans)
http://www.sunderbancruises.com/
(Sunderban Cruises Website)
We hope that all of you have a happy new 2008. I will be sending another email soon on some updates
on our side that will be of interest to all.