Spot a white-bellied sea eagle spread its wings. Watch an Olive Ridley or a Green Sea turtle crawl by and crabs climb a coconut tree. Laze around and sun bathe. Cool off with an ayurvedic massage; unwind with a yoga lesson? All this and more while cruising at a speed of 12 knots.

Come February, you can sail downstream to the Sunderbans in five-star comfort. The cruise, steered by Vivada Inland Waterways, involves an exclusive four-day voyage into the Sunderbans.

?The trip will provide a first-hand experience of wildlife in the Sunderbans, as also an insight into the lives of the residents, battling nature, saline water and mercurial rivers. This is a first-of-its-kind project in the country,? says R. Sushila, executive director, Vivada Inland Waterways.

The 55-m-long vessel, spread over 25,000 sq ft, has four floors ? under deck, upper deck, main deck and sky deck. Twenty-two double-bed rooms and 12 suites are being built on the upper and main decks.

Then there will be a multi-cuisine restaurant, a bar, library (with books on wildlife and the Sunderbans) and a utility store. A gymnasium with steam bath, sauna and ayurvedic massages is also thrown in. The lower deck will be for crew accommodation, while the sky deck will have a swimming pool, a barbecue corner and a performance stage.

?We plan to get local artistes and artisans on board for live performances. Books, wildlife films and a local touch will make the voyage more natural,? says Sushila.

And it?s not all luxury, with enough scope for adventure in the delta. The locations to be covered include the Sajnekhali bird sanctuary, Bhagabatpur crocodile project, Burirdabri wildlife circuit on the easternmost point of the Sunderbans, and the densely wooded island of Kalasdwip.

?There will be no long-term anchor anywhere in the Sunderbans. We will have makeshift anchors and to navigate creeks and corners inaccessible to the cruise, we will have smaller vessels stationed to take tourists around,? says Sushila.

Online bookings for the cruise, which sets sail on February 1, 2006, will be thrown open in November. ?The charges will be somewhere between Rs 4,500 and Rs 5,500 per night, with concessions for package bookings,? says Sushila.

As for safety, lifeguards, inflatable boats, buoyancy apparatus and fire extinguishers are all being put in place.