Visitors to the Konkan coastal town of Varunpur can now walk through its mangrove forest on a 1.2-kilometre raised boardwalk, guided by members of local fishing families who have known these creeks all their lives.
The walkway, built on wooden stilts so that the tide can flow freely underneath, opened this week after two years of work by the forest department and a village eco-tourism committee. Tickets are sold in time slots to keep groups small.
"My father taught me which crab lives under which root," said Sagar Tandel, 24, one of the 18 trained guides. "Now I teach visitors from the city. They are surprised that a muddy forest can be so alive."
Visiting the boardwalk
- Open from 7 am to 6 pm, in one-hour slots of up to 25 people.
- Best views of birds in the early morning and around high tide.
- No plastic, no music and no feeding of animals.
- Every ticket includes a guide; a share of the fee goes to the village committee.
Mangroves protect the coast from storm surges and erosion and are nurseries for many fish species. Committee members say the boardwalk gives the village a reason to protect them that earns money every day.
Forest officials will count visitors and survey birds every quarter to check whether tourism is disturbing the wildlife, and may reduce slots during the nesting season.
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