The boat ride
An hour or two on the river between the mangroves. Fix the rate and the time before you get in, and ask for life jackets.
travel guide
Piyali Island: the green stop on the Sundarban road
Piyali Island is where the Piyali river runs into the mangrove country on the way to the Sundarban, about 52 km from Kolkata. Most people drive straight past it towards Godkhali. If you cannot spare two days for the Sundarban, this is the nearest place that gives you the same water, the same trees and a boat ride, in one day.
travel guide
The short version
- Road distance from Kolkata
- 52 km
- From Barrackpore side
- 72 km
- Usual drive time
- 2 to 2.5 hours from Kolkata, 3 hours from Barrackpore
- Best time to go
- November to February, morning for the birds
- Suits
- Families with children, small groups, a first taste of the mangroves
travel guide
What you actually see there
The lodge and the garden
A small tourist lodge with a garden and simple food. Book the meal in the morning, because nothing is cooked on demand at 2pm.
Birds and quiet
Kingfishers, egrets and a lot of small birds in winter. Early morning is the only time it is really quiet, so start from the city by 6am.
How to reach
By car on the Basanti Road towards Canning and Jaynagar, about 52 km from central Kolkata and 72 km from Barrackpore. The road is fine but slow in patches. Many people stop here for two hours on the way to Godkhali for the Sundarban, which is the best use of it if you are already going that way.
travel guide
What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
Fix the boat rate and the number of people before boarding, and do not overload a small boat.
Carry mosquito repellent and full sleeves. This is mangrove country.
Do not plan to be on the water after sunset.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
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Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
questions
Questions about Piyali Island: the green stop on the Sundarban road
Can Piyali Island be done in one day from Kolkata?
Yes. Leave at 6am, be on the boat by 9, lunch at the lodge and home by evening. Ten hours of car time is enough.
Is this the same as a Sundarban trip?
No. The Sundarban tiger reserve, the watchtowers and the deep creeks are a two day trip from Godkhali. Piyali gives you mangroves and a boat in one day, which is a smaller thing, and we say so plainly.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
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