Add:Â 11, Chowringhee Ln, Colootola, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016
Phone : +91 98361 77140
Sundarban Eco Village: Where to Stay Inside the Delta
The Sundarban eco village is our own riverside property on Satjelia island, roughly six acres of paddy edge and mangrove bank inside the delta, with cottages built from earth, bamboo and hay by the people who live here. Every cottage has an attached washroom with running water and a western commode. Every stay includes all meals, cooked on site.
It is not a hotel with a jungle view. It sits in a working village of honey collectors and fishing families, with the forest office directly across the water, which is where our boats collect their permits each morning before a safari. That is the whole point of it. You wake up inside the place you came to see rather than an hour’s drive from it.
Every overnight package we run stays here, and you can also book a cottage on its own if you would rather not follow a fixed itinerary. This page covers what the cottages are, what a day here looks like, what it costs and how to get here from Kolkata.
What is the Tour De Sundarbans eco village?
The eco village is a riverside stay on Satjelia island in the Sundarbans, West Bengal, made up of basic, deluxe and premium organic cottages built from local earth, bamboo and hay. All cottages have attached washrooms and charging points, all meals are cooked on site, and country boat rides and village walks are included in the stay.
Some structural concrete is used in parts of the property. We are open about that. The Sundarbans gets cyclonic weather every year, and a cottage that cannot stand up to it is not a sustainable cottage, it is just a nice photograph. Everything that can be built from local material is built from local material, and everything that cannot is kept to a minimum.
Where is the eco village and how do you reach it from Kolkata?
The village is on Satjelia island, reached from Godkhali, the last road point before the delta becomes navigable only by water.
| Leg | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata to Godkhali | Car, van or minibus, with a washroom break | About 3.5 hours |
| Godkhali to Eco Village route 1 | Cross to Gosaba island, then auto rickshaw to our river bank | About 1.5 hours |
| Godkhali to eco village route 2 | Direct engine boat from Godkhali | 2.5 to 3 hours, tide dependent |
We pick the route on the day, based on the tide and which one will actually be faster. Departure is 8:00 am from our Kolkata office, with a second pickup available at Science City at 9:00 am. Transfers are included in every tour package. If you are booking a cottage on its own, tell us, and we will arrange the transfer separately.
Which cottage should you book?
Three types, all in the same village, on the same stretch of river. The difference is comfort, not location or view.
| Feature | Basic | Deluxe | Premium Organic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fan, light, charging points | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Attached washroom | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot water | Buckets | Immersion rod | Immersion rod |
| Mattress | Standard | Standard | Upgraded |
| Capacity | Twin, triple, 4, 6, 8 | Twin, triple, 4 | Twin, triple |
| Two washrooms | On 6 and 8 person | No | No |
| Best for | Groups, families, Nov to Feb | Warm months, light sleepers | Couples, photographers |
YOUR STAY
A Day at the Eco Village
What a day at the eco village actually looks like.
01
ARRIVAL DAY
Arrive & Settle In
This is the arrival day of our overnight tours, and roughly how a standalone stay runs too. Settle into the eco village, explore the surrounding community, and spend the afternoon on the water before an evening of local music and food.
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Arrival & Lunch
Arrive, then lunch. Home-cooked and simple: rice, dal, three vegetables, papad, chutney, salad and fish curry, with a vegetarian option.
3:00 PM
Village & Paddy Fields
A walk out through the paddy fields and the village, past the homes of honey collectors and fishermen.
3:30 PM
Country Boat Ride
A one to two hour country boat ride through the creeks for birdwatching. Seven types of kingfisher live here, along with egrets, Brahminy kites, pond herons and cormorants, plus fiddler crabs and mud skippers on the exposed mud at low tide. The ride finishes at sunset on the river.
6:30 PM
Tea & Pakodas
Back to the village for black tea and freshly fried vegetable pakodas.
7:00 PM
Music & Bonobibi Pala
Local musicians with their old instruments, or the Bonobibi Pala, the sound and light folk play about the forest goddess Bonobibi and the tiger deity Dakhin Rai. Guests are welcome to try the instruments.
8:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Dinner & Night Activity
Dinner, then an optional night activity we do not name in advance. It is the part guests write to us about afterwards.
02
AFTER DARK
The Night Sky
The night sky here is worth staying up for. There is very little light on this island, so the sky fills up and the mangrove edge carries fireflies.
NIGHT
Under the Stars
With very little light on the island, the night sky fills up with stars.
MANGROVE EDGE
Fireflies
The mangrove edge carries fireflies after dark.
RIGHT NIGHT
Luminous Water
On the right night, the water in the narrow channels turns luminous with plankton.
1 Day
1 Country Boat Ride
7 Types of Kingfishers
1 Unforgettable Night
What is included in a stay?
- All meals, cooked on site, vegetarian or non-vegetarian
- Evening tea, snacks and herbal tea
- Paddy field and village walk
- Country boat ride through the creeks for birdwatching
- Local music or the Bonobibi Pala on most evenings
- Cottage with attached washroom, fan, lights and charging points
- Help arranging jungle safaris, boats and forest permits
Not included: the forest entry and permit fees for non-Indian guests, which are charged separately, and anything you buy in Gosaba market on the way through.
What does it cost to stay at the eco village?
Rates depend on cottage type and on whether you are booking a package or the cottage alone. Package prices are per person and exclude 5% GST.
| Package | Basic | Deluxe | Premium Organic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Night 2 Days | Rs. 4,400 | Rs. 5,100 | Rs. 6,000 |
| 2 Nights 3 Days | Rs. 5,500 | Rs. 6,300 | Rs. 7,500 |
Prices as published on our package pages, August 2026.
For a cottage-only booking, without the safari and transfers, contact us with your dates and group size, and we will confirm the per-night rate and availability.
What makes this different from a Sundarban hotel or resort?
| Feature | Eco village | Typical Sundarban hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Inside the delta on Satjelia island | Usually near Godkhali or on the mainland fringe |
| Built from | Earth, bamboo and hay, local labour | Concrete |
| Meals | Cooked on site, included | Ordered, billed separately |
| Evenings | Village music, Bonobibi Pala, night sky | Television |
| Safari | Own boats, forest office across the water | Booked out to a third party |
| Who benefits | The village the property sits in | The owner |
Who runs the eco village?
Tour De Sundarbans started in 2005, when a group of friends came here to get out of Kolkata and did not really leave. The tours came later, built with local fishermen who were willing to show more than the standard boat safari, and the eco village came out of that.
Two things we are proud of, neither of which is a marketing line. We planted a patch of mangrove forest directly in front of the village to hold the bank against soil erosion, and it is still there. And we have raised funds through our guests for local families after the cyclones that hit this delta, which is the sort of thing that only works if the guests and the villagers already know each other, which here they do.
We also do not run trips anywhere else. Only the Sundarbans.
Recognition, for what it is worth: the Travel and Hospitality Award 2021, a feature in the last three editions of the Lonely Planet guide, and an episode of the travel series Travel XP filmed at the eco village.
What should you know before you book?
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the Tour De Sundarbans eco village?
On Satjelia island inside the Sundarbans, West Bengal, roughly 3.5 hours by road from Kolkata to Godkhali, then either 1.5 hours via Gosaba island or a direct engine boat of 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the tide.
Do the cottages have air conditioning and attached bathrooms?
Every cottage has an attached washroom with running water and a western commode. Deluxe and premium organic cottages have air conditioning. Basic cottages have fans and charging points, with hot water supplied in buckets.
What food is served at the eco village?
Home cooked Bengali meals prepared on site, vegetarian or non-vegetarian. A typical lunch is rice, dal, three vegetables, papad, chutney, salad and fish curry, with evening tea and fried snacks. Dietary requirements can be handled with notice.
Which cottage is best for a family with children?
The basic cottage in six or eight person capacity, because those come with two attached washrooms. From March onward, book two deluxe cottages instead so the rooms are air conditioned.
Is there anything to do at the eco village besides the jungle safari?
Village and paddy field walks, country boat rides through the creeks, birdwatching, local music, the Bonobibi Pala folk play, night photography and an optional evening activity on the water.
Book a cottage
Call or WhatsApp +91 98361 77140 or +91 62904 03668, or email junglawala@gmail.com.
