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Itineraries  /  Eastern Wetlands & Mangroves
IN41 · India · Birding

Eastern Wetlands & Mangroves

Bhitarkanika National Park · Mangalajodi · Sundarban National Park
Duration
10 Days · 9 Nights
The route
Bhitarkanika National Park · Mangalajodi · Sundarban National Park
Style
Wetlands & mangroves
Best season
Nov–Feb · winter
The route

9 nights, 3 stops — wetlands & mangroves.

From Mangalajodi to Sundarbans, the route is built around the eastern wetlands, mangroves and their birdlife.

Round trip · returns to Bhitarkanika

BhitarkanikaMangalajodi
What you're tracking

What you'll see

Waterbirds
Waterbirds
Tens of thousands in winter.
Waders
Waders
Through the reeds.
Raptors
Raptors
Over the marsh.
Day by day

The journey, one day at a time

01Bhubaneswar → Mangalajodi

Into Mangalajodi

First light on the water.

Drive in from Bhubaneswar to the edge of Chilika and settle in for dawn on the marsh. Poled-boat birding through the reeds for tens of thousands of waterbirds, guided by former poachers turned protectors.

02Mangalajodi

Marsh by boat

Quiet hours, full lists.

Poled-boat birding through the reeds for tens of thousands of waterbirds, guided by former poachers turned protectors. Mangalajodi's birds are safe because protecting them now feeds the community, through guiding and tourism, better than poaching ever did. It is one of the clearest examples in India of conservation aligned with local livelihood — and the reason the marsh is alive with birds rather than empty.

03Mangalajodi → Bhitarkanika

On to Bhitarkanika

The dawn chorus.

Transfer to Bhitarkanika and settle in, with an afternoon outing to get your bearings.

04Bhitarkanika

Crocodile creeks

Patience and a long lens.

Boat days through the mangrove creeks for the giant saltwater crocodiles, with monitors, kingfishers and the heronry.

05Bhitarkanika

Crocodile creeks

Eyes up, ears open.

Cruising the channels for crocodiles and birds, with the chance of the Gahirmatha turtles nearby.

06Bhitarkanika → Sundarbans

On to Sundarbans

First light on the water.

Transfer to Sundarbans and settle in, with an afternoon outing to get your bearings.

07Sundarbans

Mangrove by boat

Quiet hours, full lists.

Boat days through the tidal creeks of the world's largest mangrove, watching for crocodiles, birds and the rare sign of a tiger.

08Sundarbans

Mangrove by boat

The dawn chorus.

Cruising the channels for the mangrove's wildlife, the tiger almost always unseen.

09Sundarbans

Mangrove by boat

Patience and a long lens.

Boat days through the tidal creeks of the world's largest mangrove, watching for crocodiles, birds and the rare sign of a tiger.

10Sundarbans → onward

Departure

A last morning, then the road home.

A final morning in onward — a last outing or a slow start as time allows — before the transfer onward and the journey home.

When to travel

The season changes what you see.

Nov – Feb

Winter

Migratory waterbirds in their greatest numbers — the signature season.

Oct & Mar

Shoulder

Edges of migration, still good with fewer crowds.

Wildlife you may see
Tiger

Make it yours.

Add nights, swap a park, extend to the coast — this route is a starting point, not a fixed menu. Tell us how you travel and we'll route the rest.

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season

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