Mousuni Island, Kolkata Overview

Mousuni is a tiny island which is attached to the Sunderbans Delta near Namkhana in West Bengal. Boasting of golden sandy shores, mesmerising orange sunsets and a beautiful view of the horizon, the island was first developed by the British to trade salt and dry fish. Considered to be a paradise among the nature lovers because of its serenity and tranquility, the island is a beautiful confluence of the river and the sea.

In addition to the exceptional natural beauty and gorgeous panoramic vistas, the Mousuni Island is a well kept secret of the state and is known by few which explains the peace and calm at the place. It is also considered to be a bird watchers’ paradise since a lot of birds migrate here for the winter. It also has a number of activities to offer to the tourists that include beach cycling, volleyball, idling and sun soaking etc. There are also several camps at the beach where you can spend the night.

Things to Do at Mousuni Beach

The verdant mangrove area draws a number of tourists owing to its greenery and forest life.
There is also a BHEL’s stand alone solar power plant which is installed here and is another attraction at the place.
Salt is a spot at the southern corner of the island where once salt was extracted from sea water.
Kankramarir Chor is a place near Baliara, which is considered the best place for bird watching.
You can also stroll down the village and interact with the locals and take a peek in the local village culture.
You can also go fishing in the sea with the local fishermen.
Beach Cycling is another popular sport at the beach. You can rent a bicycle and take a long ride on the beaches.
In addition to that, you can enjoy adventure sports like paragliding, windsurfing and deep sea diving etc.

Where to Stay in Mousuni Beach

The only accommodation to stay at the island is the tent setup. There is a cluster of tents and cottages at the beach where you can camp at night.

Cottage- There are 6 cottages with a capacity of 3 persons per cottage. The tariff for the night is INR 1400 which includes food and lodging.
Family Tent- There are also 6 family tents in the premises with a lodging capacity of 3 persons per tent, again. The tariff for this one is INR 1200 per night that includes fooding and lodging,
Dome Tent- This is the last variety of tents in the cluster. Dome Tents can accommodate only upto 2 people and can be rented with a tariff of INR 1000 per night. This also includes lodging and food.

Best Time to Visit

December to mid April is considered the best time to visit Mousumi Island. At this time of the year the weather is pleasant unlike summers, that are hot and extremely unpleasant and also unlike monsoon, when the weather is extremely humid and the sea level is also on the rise. During winter time, a lot of foreign birds also migrate to the place which is much cherished by the birdwatchers especially.

How to Reach

It is a little difficult to reach the Mousumi Island. You can reach Namkhana by bus or by train from Sealdah. From Namkhana, you will have to cross the Hatania Doania river in a boat which is a 10 minute ride. Once on the other side of the shore, take a Magic Van or a TOTO to reach Bagdanga kheya ghat. Magic Van will take 15 minutes and TOTO will take 30 minutes to transport you to the destination. From the ghat, you will again have to cross the river to reach Bagdanga which will take 20 minutes. At Bagdanga, there will be a motor van that will take you to Baliara which is again a 20 minutes ride.