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Palamu shot to lame as early as 1932 for its tiger census - the first of its kind in the world. In 1974 it became one of the countrys earliest tiger reserves. Endowed with thick tropical forests and a rich variety of fauna, the core area of the sanctuary has been declared as Betla National park (232 sq. kms.). This park is a great attraction to tourists. The Park, at an average elevation of 1,000 ft. is open throughout the year although February to April are the best months. It is 140 kms from Ranchi. Large herds of Gaur and Chital are commonly seen. |
Elephants are present mostly after the monsoons up to the time when water holes begin to dry up in March. Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Bear, Sambhar, Nilgai, Kakar, Mouse Deer are also permanent residents. Large families of langurs are an ever present attraction. Palamu is now one of the nine Tiger Reserves in India under Project Tiger
Situated in the district of Daltonganj, Palamau Sanctuary is spread over an area of 979sq.km. The core area of 232 sq. kms of the sanctuary was declared as Betla National park in September1989. The park occupies the western parts of the Chotanagpur plateau and was constituted in the year 1960 as an extension of the Hazaribagh National park. Palamau has the distinction of being the forest where the world's first tiger census was enumerated in 1932. The park became one of the earliest 9 tiger reserves in India under 'Project Tiger' in 1974. The forests of the park have a vast range of vegetation consisting of tropical wet evergreen forests in the lower reaches, mixed (moist & dry) deciduous forests in the middle and temperate alpine forests in the upper reaches including Sal and bamboo as the major components along with a number of medicinal plants.
The river Koel and its tributaries run through the northern portion of the park. There are grasslands in the river flowing area. It has waterfalls and hot springs too. Once the seat of Chero kings, there are two historical forts, one of them belonging to the 16th century deep inside the forest. The main sentinel of the old fort is visible high up on the hill with defences in three directions and three main gates. The diversity of eco-system promotes a wide variety of fauna consisting of elephant, panther, leopard, wild boar, tiger, gaur, sloth bear, sambar, chital, nuntjac, nilgai, langur, mouse deer, monkeys, small Indian civet, mongoose, jackals, porcupine, ant eating pangolin etc. Elephants in large numbers are seen mostly during the monsoons up to the time when water sources begin to dry up in March. Jackal and hyena are common scavengers. Bird-life is rich featuring the hornbill, peafowl, red jungle fowl, black partridge, white necked stork, black ibis, swamp grey, quail, the pied born bill, wagtails, the harial, doves, drongo, the crested serpent-eagle, forest owls, the papiha and other birds usually found in dry deciduous forests.
The famous Kamaldah lake attracts several varieties of water birds including the common whistling and cotton teal, the comb duck, snipe and geese. The rhesus monkey and the common languor provide attraction to children visiting the park. Described as one of the finest parks in the north-east for observing a variety of wild life from close range, there are elephant rides and jeeps available with guides and spotlight for venturing inside the park. Watch towers and ground hides have been constructed to view the wild life. Only group travel is recommended. Timings are from 0500 to 1900 hours.
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| Location |
140 kms from Ranchi, Bihar. |
| Distance |
Daltonganj (25 km away) |
| STD Code |
0656286 |
| Language |
Hindi, Maithili,Urdu,English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
February to March. |
| Entertainment |
Jeep safari |
| How to Reach |
Air : Ranchi, situated around 140 km away, is the nearest airport with regular air connections to Delhi, Calcutta, Patna and Lucknow.
Rail : The nearest important railway station is Daltonganj (25 km away), connected to many places in the region with regular trains. Ranchi and Gaya are also convenient railway stations for the tourists coming from Delhi and Calcutta respectively.
Road : Betla is well connected to Daltonganj (25 kms) via Khudia morh (6km), Ranchi (140 kms), Hazaribagh (190 kms), Netarhat (211 kms), Patna (384 kms), Calcutta (575 kms) etc by regular buses run by the state transport corporation and private companies. |
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Situated in Jorhat Nawgaon district, the Kaziranga National Park declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1985, extends over an area of 430sq.km. It is bounded by the Mikir Hills on the South and Brahmaputra river on the north. The park, 217 km from the capital of Assam, Guwahati was declared a Wildlife sanctuary in 1950 and accorded the status of a National Park in 1974. The park divided into central, eastern and western sectors consists of semi- evergreen forested highlands, rivulets, marshes and extensive plains covered with tall elephant grass up to 6 metres high. |
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The park is famous for Indian one horned rhinoceros which can reach a height of over two metres and weigh more than two tonnes. The area was declared a game reserve in 1908 to save the one-horned rhino. The total number of rhinoceros in the park totals more than thousand which is 70 percent of the total population of this species in the country. A single horn of the rhino is worth exorbitant amounts of money. ( US $ 40,000 in 1995).
The park also has elephants, swamp or wild buffalo (Over 70% of the world population), swamp deer, hog deer, barking deer, sambar/ Hoolock gibbon, pythons, civet cat, wild boar and tigers. There is a rich variety of fresh water fowls, over 450 species of woodland and grassland birds of which 18 species are globally threatened. Birds like the egrets, pond herons, river tern, black necked storks, pelican, partridges, Bengal florican stork, pied horn bill, fishing eagle are found in abundance. The river here, has the gharial (fish eating crocodile) and dolphins.
March - April is best for animal sightings. Trained elephants are available as mounts for seeing the rhinos at close range. Elephant rides which last around one hour, should be booked the previous evening at the park administrative Centre in Kohora. Elephant rides between 0500 - 0600, 0630 - 0730 and 1530 -1630. Jeep drives are also available. The rides at dawn are best to see the animals. There are three road routes inside the park open from 0800 - 1100 and 1400 - 1630 (1) Kazi ranga or central range - Kohora, Daglang, Foliomari, (2) Western range (Best to see rhinos and buffaloes) - Baguri, Monabeel, Bimoli, Kanchanjuri. (3) Eastern range(30km from Kohora best to see birds) - Agortoli, Sohola, Rangamatia. The observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari and Harmoti. Other attractions here are the coffee and rubber plantations of the nearby Karbi Anglong and the tea gardens of Hatikhuli, Methoni, Difalu, Behora, and Borchapori.
| Location |
Situated in Jorhat Nawgaon district |
| Distance |
Jorhat, 97-km |
| STD Code |
036776
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| Language |
Assamese, Hindi, and English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
Kaziranga's visiting season is from mid-November to early April months. |
| Entertainment |
Elephant Safari,Sightseeing in Kaziranga |
| How to Reach |
Air :The nearest airports are at Jorhat, 97-km and Guwahati, 217-km away from the park. Jorhat has direct flights to Kolkata.
Rail : The nearest railhead is Furkating, situated 75-km away from the park and Jorhat.
Road : The main gate for Kaziranga, at Kohora is on the National Highway 37. ASTC and private buses stop here on their way to and from Guwahati, Tezpur and Upper Assam; some private buses retain a seat quota for Kaziranga passengers. The 4hr drive from Guwahati along the Brahmaputra south bank on the NH37 passes Dispur, Nowgong and Bagjan to the park entrances at Kohora and Baguri. |
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Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar Sub-Division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal was constituted in the year of 1943 for the protection of wild life, particularly single horned Rhinos. River Torsha runs through this riverain forest sanctuary which is mostly covered with tall grasses. The wild life, in addition to the famous single horned rhinos, consists of Royal Bengal Tigers, wild elephants, deer, swamp deer, hog deer, wild pigs, bison and a number of birds, pea-fowl etc. |
Jaldapara is a paradise for bird watchers. It is one of the very few places in India, where the Bengal Florican was sighted. Set out with a binocular and see the majestic flight of hornbill, racket-tailed drongo and paradise flycatcher. See the splendors of sun set beyond the vast grassland of Jaldapara from you Bungalow deck.
A thrilling elephant safari is organized in the early morning from Hollong to offer the exquisite beauty of the vast grassland of Jaldapara. The elephant ride is the best possible way to explore the sanctuary with the rare sight of Indian rhinos and Asiatic elephants. The jeep safari inside the sanctuary is another main attraction.
| Location |
Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar Sub-Division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal |
| Distance |
Bagdogra 145kms |
| STD Code |
03563 |
| Language |
Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, English
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| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
Between September and March, specially in winter to catch a view of the migratory birds.
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| Entertainment |
Elephant Safari,Sightseeing in Jaidapara, bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air : Bagdogra 145kms from Jaldapara is the nearest airport from where tourist can reach Jaldapara by road-route via Siliguri, noted below. (Siliguri to Bagdogra - 13 km).
Rail : The most important railway station in the North East India is NJP. NJP is directly connected with all major stations in India.
Road : Jaldapara is connected by National Highway with Siliguri and can be reached by car within 3hrs. |
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| Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary |
The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in The Himalayan foothills and the Terai region. The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is in this region, which is the home of elephants, Indian bison or gaur (Bos gaurus), tigers, leopards, sambar (Cervus unicolor), and cheetal. The Neora Valley National Park contains some of the last remnants of virgin and pristine forests. This is reckoned as an unexplored treasure trove of flora and fauna.
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The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary constitutes the forests of the lower catchment area of the Mahananda river, and covers an area of 159.86 sq km.Situated at the western end of the elephant migration route, more than 150 elephants shelter here during the monsoon and winter seasons. Migratory water birds are common in winter. The other animals found are the rare mountain goat (Serow), some tigers and herds of Gaur, leopards, wild pig, varieties of deer and monkeys, jungle cats, porcupines, civets, monitor lizards and snakes. The Sanctuary offers some beautiful |
trekking routes from Sukna.Golaghat, Deorali and the Latpancher-Mana track are the favourites for trekking and bird watching.
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is located between Teesta and Mahananda rivers. Fauna include tiger, leopard, fishing cat, jungle cat, leopard cat, gaur, cheetal, elephants, civets, barking deer, sambar, Rhesus monkeys, langurs and birds.
| Location |
Darjeeling District |
| Distance |
18 Km from Siliguri |
| STD Code |
0353 (95353) |
| Language |
Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
April to Mid-June; Mid September to November |
| Entertainment |
Elephant Safari,Sightseeing in Mahananda wildlife Santuary, bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air : Bagdogra airport is 12 km west of Siliguri. Jet Airways and Indian Airlines have five flights a week between Bagdogra and Kolkata or New Delhi, and four a week to Guwahati. Not all the flights to Delhi are direct, some backtrack to Guwahati first. Skyline NPEC also has three flights a week to Kolkata.
Rail : Lots of train runs from different part of country. The Darjeeling mail is available from Sealdah(Kolkata). The North East Express is the latest train to Delhi.
To reach Bangladesh you can take a train from New Jalpaiguri to Haldibari.
Road : The fastest and most comfortable way of getting around the hills is by share jeep. There are a number of taxi stands where you can get share jeeps to destinations in the WB hills, and to Sikkim, including one on Sevoke Rd, and one outside Tenzing Norgay Terminal.
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The only tiger reserve in Assam and famous for the rare golden langur, Manas national park is one of the best kept national parks in the country. Manas national park is located on the banks of the river Manas in the foothills of Bhutan. Far from the human habitation this park has a unique charm of its own. Manas is a very special biosphere, for it harbors twenty species of birds and animals that are highly endangered and listed in the IUCN red data book. |
Among the highly endangered species are the attractive Red Pandas which are occasionally in the higher elevation. Initially the park was a wild life sanctuary but in 1990 it was declared a national park. Today Manas national park spreads over an area of 2840 sq kms. But the core area is just 360 sq km. This park is well known as one of the world heritage sites having its unique combination of scenic beauty and rare wealth of wildlife. The park has eastern Himalayan moist mixed deciduous forests covering. The lush green park is densely covered by trees and growth which often prevents the sunrays from entering the forest. The eastern alluvial grassland also covers a major portion of the national park. These grassland are grazing grounds for many herbivores. Manas also shows variety by mixing low alluvial saranah wood land and Assam valley semi evergreen forests. Being a tiger reserve Manas is famous for tigers. The other exclusive specie is the pygmy hog. The park harbors about 20 species of animals. the range varies from Herbivores to omnivores. The animals include panther, clouded leopard, marbal cat and other variety of cats. Elephant, Rhino, swamp deer, sambar, barking & hog deer, dhole, binturong, otter, bison, buffalo, golden langur, spotted deers are some of the animals who roam the jungles. There are numerous species of feathered beings nest in the park. The reserve also receives many visitors from all over the world who come during the winters and fly back on the onset of summers. Along the river one can spot many water birds like mergansers, brahminy ducks and a range of egrets.
| Location |
Situated 41 km from the nearest town, Barapeta Road |
| Distance |
Guwahati 176-kms |
| STD Code |
03666 |
| Language |
Assamese, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
The best season to visit Manas park is between October to April. Rest of the year it is off season for the national park. Avoid the monsoon as many parts of the park is flooded and animals are not easy to spot. |
| Entertainment |
Elephant Safari,Sightseeing in Manas, bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air : Manas Park is 176-kms from Guwahati. The nearest airport is Borjhar, which is situated, 5-km out of town, and can be reached by rickshaw, auto rickshaw or airline buses.
Rail : The nearest railhead is situated at Barpeta road.
Road : Buses regularly ply from Guwahati to Barpeta Road in 4½ hrs. |
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Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few km from the entry point, Miau. It was designated as a National Park in 1983 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. With a total area of 1985 sq kms, this is the largest national park in the north-east and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among the earliest national parks established in the seven states of north-east India.
Tucked away in the northern-most state of Arunachal Pradesh is the Namdapha National Park. Three major rivers drain this area and flow into the Noa Dihing, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. The Park largely inaccessible has diverse habitats and flora and fauna that are typical of this area. |
The majestic gaur or mithun, elephant, Himalayan black bear, takin, the wild goat peculiar to the Patkoi range, musk deer, slow loris, binturong and the red panda are all found here. The predators include the tiger, leopard, the rare snow leopard and clouded leopard in the higher reaches of the hills. A number of primate species are to be seen in the Park, such as the Assamese macaque, pig-tailed macaque, stump- tailed macaque and the distinctive hoolock gibbon. Hornbills, jungle fowl and pheasants flap their noisy way through the jungle, which harbours other colourful bird species. The inaccessibility of the greater part of the Park has helped to keep the forests in their pristine state. This is also a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
| Location |
Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh |
| Distance |
Ledo (56 km) |
| STD Code |
3807 |
| Language |
Tangsa, Singpho, Assamese, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
November-May, the best period being December-March.
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| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Namdapha(Tiger, Snow Leopard, Elephants, Black Bear, Indian Bison), bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air: The nearest airport is Dibrugarh, Assam (140 km).
Rail: The nearest rail-head is Ledo (56 km) and the nearest station is Margherita in Assam. Local train connects Margherita to Tinisukia which is connected with major cities of India.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Miao (entry point of the park) to Dibrugarh (140 kms), Tezu (182 kms), Sibsagar (199 kms), Guwahati (561 kms) etc. Miao can be reached by Jeep/Gypsy from Margherita (Assam)
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Covering an area of 49 Sq. Kms., Pabha Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Lakhimpur District. It is a sanctuary created exclusively for the Protection of the magnificent Wild water Buffalo. For details please contact the Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, Zoo- Narengi Road, Guwahati - Assam.
For details please contact
The Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, Zoo
Narengi Road, Guwahati - Assam
| Location |
Lakhimpur District, Assam close to the Arunachal Pradesh border. |
| Distance |
Rangapara 60-kms |
| STD Code |
3752 |
| Language |
Tangsa, Singpho, Assamese, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
November-May, the best period being December-March. |
| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Pabha, bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air: The nearest airport is Saloni about 10-km from Tezpur, in Sonitpur district, which is 181-km away from Guwahati
Rail: The nearest railway station is Rangapara 60-kms from Bhalukpong, in Sonitpur district.
Road: Pabha is connected with roads various cities of Assam |
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| Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary |
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Slightly larger than the Pabha Sanctuary, The Sonitpur District houses this wonderful Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. It has in store for you, not only the exotic wildlife but also a fascinating view of the surrounding scenic beauty. Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 175 sq. kms. The whole area extends along the Himalayan foothills. This dome plays abode to the elephant, Indian bison, deer and loads of other animals you may want to see. It also houses varieties of hill birds. You can also have a look at the one-horned rhinoceros, leopard, tiger and the other cats in relation. |
This wildlife sanctuary, 175 Sq. Kms. in area, is situated in the Sonitpur District Extending along the Himalayan foothills it offers magnificent view of both scenic beauty and wildlife. The sanctuary is the home of Elephant, Indian Bison, Deer and a variety of hill birds.
For visiting this sanctuary
Tourist/visitor may contact the Divisional Forest Officer, Western Assam wildlife Division, Tezpur. District Sonitpur (Assam) or the Deputy Director, Tourism, Govt. of Assam, Tezpur, Sonitpur dist. Assam.
| Location |
Lakhimpur District, Assam close to the Arunachal Pradesh border. |
| Distance |
Rangapara 60-kms |
| STD Code |
3752 |
| Language |
Tangsa, Singpho, Assamese, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
November-May, the best period being December-March. |
| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Sonai Rupai , bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air: The nearest airport is Saloni about 10-km from Tezpur, in Sonitpur district, which is 181-km away from Guwahati
Rail: The nearest railway station is Rangapara 60-kms from Bhalukpong, in Sonitpur district.
Road: Sonai Rupai is connected with roads various cities of Assam
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