Katka and Kachikhali, Bagerhat
Photo: Jyotirmoy Banik · CC BY 3.0

Bagerhat District · Khulna Division · কটকা ও কচিখালী

Katka and Kachikhali travel guide

A beach deep in the Sundarbans, herds of deer and tiger pugmarks.

🗓️ Best time to visitNovember–February
⏱ How long it takesPart of a 3-day launch package
💰 Estimated costPackages ৳8,000–20,000 per person

At a glance

Location
South-east Sundarbans, on the Bay of Bengal
Status
Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary
Special
Herds of deer, tiger pugmarks, Jamtala beach
Getting there
Only on approved launch tours

History and details

Katka and Kachikhali are sanctuary areas by the sea in the south of the Sundarbans, the most exciting part of a Sundarbans trip. Katka has a Forest Department office, a 40 ft watch tower and a path through the forest to Jamtala beach.

Big herds of spotted deer graze Kachikhali's wide grasslands, and the chance of seeing a tiger is thought to be relatively higher here. The forest here was badly damaged by Cyclone Sidr in 2007; nature has slowly brought it back.

Things to do

  • See the forest from the Katka watch tower
  • Walk to Jamtala beach (with a guard)
  • See herds of deer on the Kachikhali grassland

How to get to Katka and Kachikhali

On a package-tour launch from Khulna/Mongla.

Bagerhat is about 200 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 4–5 hours.

  • 🚌 By bus: Bagerhat/Mongla buses via the Padma Bridge (Sohag, Dola, Meghna), fare ৳600–800.
  • 🚗 By road: About 1 hour by bus from Khulna.

Where to stay

  • Parjatan Motel Pashur in Mongla
  • Basic hotels in Bagerhat town

What to eat

Shrimp, Bagerhat coconuts

Good to know

  • Only reachable on approved package tours
  • Swimming at Jamtala beach is dangerous

More to see nearby

  • Jamtala beach
  • Dublar Char
  • Hiron Point

More places to visit in Bagerhat district

  • Sixty Dome Mosque — Built by Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Shrine of Khan Jahan Ali — Khan Jahan Ali's tomb and Khanjeli Dighi; the pond's crocodiles were famous.
  • Karamjal — The easiest way into the Sundarbans; deer and crocodile breeding centre, wooden trail.
  • Nine Dome Mosque — A nine-domed mosque from Khan Jahan Ali's time on the bank of Thakur Dighi.

Location on the map