Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park is one of the famous and largest national park of northern India, situated in the Sawai Madhopur region of Rajasthan in 1980. Once considered as a famous and favorite hunting place for the Maharaja’s of Jaipur.

Ranthambore National Park covers an area of 1,334 kms along with sanctuaries like Mansingh and Kaila Devi Sanctuary. This park is situated at the edge of a plateau which was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 but later it was declared as a Protect Tiger Reserves in 1973 and National Park in 1980.

This park is famous for spotted tigers which can be found easily during the day time and a dream place for wildlife enthusiasts and wildlife photographers.

Attractions: 

Animals / Mammals

Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Common Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Five striped Palm Squirrels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Long eared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose.

Birds         

Graylag Goose, Woodpeckers, Indian Gray Hornbills, Common Kingfishers, Bee Eaters, Cuckoos, Parakeets, Asian Palm Swift, Owl, Nightjars, Pigeon, Dove, Crakes, Snipes, Sandpipers, Gulls, Terns, Great Crested Grebe, Eagles, Darters, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Bitterns, Flamingos, Ibis, Pelicans, Storks, Pittas, Shrikes, Treepies, Crows, Orioles, Cuckoo-Shrikes, Minivets, Drongos, Flycatchers, Ioras, Wood Shrikes, Pipits, Bayas, Sparrows, Finches, Wagtails, Munias, Bulbul, Mynas, Falcons

Reptiles

Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chameleon.

Things to do:

Bird safari, Jungle safari, Elephant Safari, Jeep safari and Photography

Best Time to visit:

October to June is only time when this park is opened for its visitors.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Jaipur and Kota

Nearest Railway Station – Jaipur and Kota Railway Station

By Road – Jaipur, Delhi, Agra

Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans National Park is the home of more than 400 Bengal Tigers which have very well adapted themselves with the environment of Sundarbans. The Sundarbans are the world's largest delta formed by the mighty rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. It is criss-crossed by hundreds of creeks and tributaries and is the most attractive and appealing places remaining on earth.

Sundarbans National Park was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. Finally it was declared as a National Park in 1984. The Sundarbans National Park is a home of the endangered species which are Royal Bengal Tiger, Estuarian Crocodile, River Terrapin, Olive Ridley Turtle, Gangetic dolphin, Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle and King Crabs.

Traveling within the park is possible only through boats and a variety of boats are available as per choice of the visitors. A number of hotels, lodge and rent houses are available in the park. Reaching Sundarbans is very easy as it is well connect by roads, railways and airways.

Attractions: 

Animals / Mammals

Royal Bengal Tiger, Fishing Cats, Macaques, Wild Boar, Common Grey Mongoose, Fox, Jungle Cat, Flying Fox, Pangolin and Chital are found in abundance.       

 Birds  

Open bill storks, black-headed ibis, Water Hens, Coots, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Pariah Kites, Brahminy Kite, Marsh Harriers, Swamp Partridges, Red Jungle fowls, Spotted Doves, Common Mynahs, Jungle Crows, Jungle Babblers, Cotton Teals, Herring Gulls, Caspian Terns, Gray Herons, brahminy ducks, Spot-billed Pelicans, Large Egrets, Night Herons, Common Snipes, Wood Sandpipers, Green Pigeons, Rose Ringed Parakeets, paradise-flycatchers, cormorants, Fishing Eagles, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Seagulls, Common Kingfishers, Peregrine falcons, Woodpeckers, Whimbrels, Black-tailed Godwits, Little Stints, Eastern Knots, Curlews, Golden Plovers, Northern Pintails, White Eyed Pochards and Whistling Teals.

Reptiles

King Cobras, Dog face water snakes, rat snakes, Estuarine crocodiles, chameleons, water monitors, Hard Shelled Bat gun Terrapins, Mouse Ghekos, monitor lizards turtles, Olive Ridley, hawksbill, green turtles, pythons, Russell's vipers, Chequered Kill backs, and Common Kraits.

Aqua / Marine

Crabs, Turtles, Sawfish, Butter Fish, Electric rays, Silver carp, Star Fish, Common Carp, King Crabs, Prawn, Shrimps, Gangetic Dolphins, Skipping Frogs, Common Toads and Tree Frogs.

  

Things to do:

Bird safari, Jungle safari, Wildlife Photography and Trekking

Best Time to visit:

September to March is the best time to visit this park.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Kolkata Airport

Nearest Railway Station – Kolkata Railway Station

By Road – Through Kolkata highway – Regular bus services are available    from Kolkata.

Desert National Park of Rajasthan

The Desert National Park is situated in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan which very near to India – Pakistan border. The Desert National Park is covering an area of 3162 kms, of which 20% is covered in desert (Sand Dunes). The main attraction of this park is Black Buck which is a common antelope in this region.

The Desert National Park was established in the year 1980 and traveler all round the world come down and experiences the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. This park includes craggy rocks, salt lakes, sand dunes, exotic birds and animals which give a life time experience to its visitors.

The Desert National Park has a good collection of fossils of plants and animals of 180 million years old and also includes fossils of Dinosaurs of 6 million year old, which was found in this area.

Attractions: 

Animals / Mammals

Black Buck, Desert Fox, Bengal Fox, Desert Cat, Wolf, Hedgehog, Chinkara

Birds         

Eagles, Falcons, Buzzards, Vultures, Kestrels, Sand Grouse, Kites, Bee Eaters, Harriers, Great Indian Bustards, Shrikes, Crane, Quails, Peafowl, Larks, Warblers, Babblers, Orioles

Reptiles

Monitor Lizard, Spiny Tailed Lizard, Viper, Krait, Sand Fish, Chameleons

Things to do:

Jeep safari and Wildlife Photography

Best Time to visit:

November to January is the best time to visit.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Jodhpur Airport which is well connected with other Indian cities

Nearest Railway Station – Jaisalmer Railway Station

By Road – Delhi – Jaisalmer – Desert National Park (Distance between Jaisalmer to Desert National Park is around 40 kms).

Balphakram National Park

Balphakram National Park is situated near Caro hills in Meghalaya above 300 meters above sea level below the ancient granite Balphakram plateau. Meghalaya is a north eastern state of India which has Assam in the north and Bangladesh in the south. One third of the state is covered under forest and Balphakram National Park covers an area of 220 sq km which was established in 1987.

Balphakram National Park in Meghalaya is popularly known as "abode of perpetual winds" and also the "land of spirits". Balphakram National park is a famous park and home of wide species of plants and animals. You need to visit at least once and witness the charming beauty and various species of flora and fauna.

This park is also a great source for rare and valuable herbs like dike muni, which are medical herbs and rarely found. It is full of sprawling vegetation consisting of sub tropical and deciduous trees. In the southern part of the park is a belt of limestone. This area is very rich in minerals- especially coal, limestone and mica.

Attractions: 

Animals / Mammals

Sloth Bear, Giant Squirrels, Indian Elephants, Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Wild Buffalo, Gaur, Baboons,  Barking Deer, Hoolock Gibbon, Assamese Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, Capped Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Assamese Macaque, Sambar, Pangolin, Wild Buffalo, Serow and Slow Loris.

Birds         

Jerdon’s Baza, Black Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Amur Falcon, White-cheeked Partridge, Speckled Piculet, Ashy Minivets, Asian Pied and Pale-chinned Flycatcher, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Blue-throated Barbets, Ashy and Flavescent Bulbuls, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Plain-backed Thrush, Maroon Oriole, Sultan Tit, Black-winged Cuckoo shrike, Horn bill, Peacock, Pheasant and Inornate Warbler.

Things to do:

Jungle safari, Elephant Safari, Jeep safari, Wildlife Photography and Trekking

Best Time to visit:

October to March is best time to visit this park.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Guwahati Airport (170 kms)

Nearest Railway Station – Guwahati Railway Station (160 kms)

By Road – Through Shillong or William Nagar (Nearest Town)

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga National Park is a famous park for the ‘Great One Horned Rhinoceros’ and is located in the Golaghat and Nagoan district of Assam. Kaziranga National Park has a rich abundance of the rhinos and was declared as a Tiger Reserve in the year 2006.

Today the park covers almost 70% population of the world Indian Rhinos and is placed beside the Brahmaputra River on the north and the Karbi Anglong mounts on the South. The main attractions of Kaziranga are its broad diversity of wildlife. You will surely find rhinos along with Elephants, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Civet, Tigers and Ganges dolphins.

You can enjoy in Kaziranga National Park with jeep safari and elephant safari. It is also a famous place for bird watching and Midrange National Park has all pleasure stored in it.

 
Attractions:

Animals / Mammals

One Horned Rhinoceros, Wild Asiatic water buffalo, Swamp Deer, Elephants, Gaur, Sambar, Wild Boar, Hog Deer, Tigers, Leopards, Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, Hispid Hare, Mongoose, Civet, Bengal Fox, Jackal, Chinese Pangolin, Squirrels, Langur, Hoolock Gibbon, black bear, sloth bear, Eastern mole, Pangolin, White browed gibbon, Ganges Dolphins

Birds

Lesser White Fronted Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Baer's Pochard duck,Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-necked Stork, Asian Openbill stork, Blyth's Kingfisher, White-bellied Heron, Dalmatian Pelican,Spot-billed Pelican, Nordmann's Greenshank, Black-bellied Tern, Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted, White-tailed, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle,Lesser Kestrel, Vultures, Swamp Francolin, Bengal Florican, Pale Capped Pigeon, Great Indian Hornbill,Wreathed Hornbill, Marsh Babblers

Reptiles

Pythons, King Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Krait, Indian Cobra, Monocled Cobra, Roofed Turtle, Rat Snake, Stripped Keelback, Vine Snake, Brown Tortoise, Bengal Monitor, Water Monitor, Monitor Lizards, Turtles, Tortoise, Gecko,

Things to do:

Elephant Safari and Jeep safari

Best Time to visit:

October to March is most pleasant but it’s open through the year for Wildlife lovers.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Tezpur or Guwahati Airport
Nearest Railway Station – Jorhat or Fukating Railway Station
By Road – From Tezpur and Guwahati.

Rajiv Gandhi National Park

Rajiv Gandhi National Park was earlier known as ‘The Nagarhole National Park’ which is located around 94kms from Mysore. The name Nagarhole derives its name from ‘Snake’ for Nagar and ‘Stream’ for hole in Kannada. Rajiv Gandhi National Park is a famous wildlife park in India and has a large population of elephants, bison and around 250 species of birds.

Rajiv Gandhi Park is located around beautiful slopes and valleys of Karnataka. The Park is connected in south-east to Bandipur National Park and to Wynad Sanctuary in Kerala to its south-west. National Park is covering an area of 600kms and spread across two districts Mysore and Kodagu of Karnataka State.

This Park was originally a private hunting sanctuary of the Mysore Royals and was declared as National Park in the year 1974. You can also enjoy the Park with a safari ride which is available at an extra cost during morning between 06 am to 09 pm and in the evening between 03pm to 05 pm.

Attractions: 

Animals / Mammals

Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Barking Deer, Porcupine, Gaur, Chital, Sambar, Wild Boar, Jackals, Sloth Bear, Hyena, Mongoose, Civet, Otter, Langoor, Giant Squirrels, Spotted Deer, Royal Bengal Tiger, Slender Loris, Four Horned Antelope, Panther,  Pangolin.

Birds         

Grey jungle fowl, Great Black Woodpecker, Red Spur Fowl, Malabar Trogon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Scarlet Minivets, Indian Pitta, Oospreys, Herons, Ducks, Peafowl, Reed Warbler, Bea Eater, Brown Dove, Bulbul, Ring Necked Dove, Spotted Dove, Eagle, Blyth Myna, Lorikeets.

Reptiles

Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Tortoises, Rattle Snakes, Frogs, Rock Python, Viper, King Cobra, Spectacled Cobra, Banded Krait, Bamboo Viper, Pit Viper, Russell’s Viper.

Things to do:

Bird safari, Jungle safari, Elephant Safari, Jeep safari and Trekking

Best Time to visit:

October to May is most pleasant but it’s open through the year for Wildlife lovers.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport – Mysore Airport or Bengaluru Airport

Nearest Railway Station – Mysore or Bengaluru

By Road – Through Bengaluru – Mysore- Hunsur-Nagarhole.

Gir National Park in Gujarat

Gir National Park covers an area of 300kms and 1150 area comes under Sanctuary which was established in the year 1965 in the state of Gujarat, India. Gir is the only habitat of Asiatic Lions located around 90kms from Keshod Airport in the district of Junagadh.  

Asiatic Lions are smaller in size compared to its cousins the ‘African Lions’. The best view of the Lions can be done through jeep safari. The counts of Lion have recently increased to 411 (97 males, 162 females and 152 cubs) due to the lion counting and breeding program conducted in Gir.

Gir National Park is a natural habitat for 300 Lions and 300 Leopards which also includes 38 species, 300 species of birds, 38 types of reptiles and more than 200 species of butterflies.

Attractions:

Animals / Mammals

Asiatic Lions, Panther, Leopard, Wild Ass, Chital, Chinkara, Four Horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Jackal, Hyena, Langur, Porcupine, Black naped Indian Hare, Blue Bull, Sambar, Palm Civet, Jungle Cat and Spotted Cat.

Birds

Flycatcher, Bonneli’s Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Woodpecker, Flamingo, Quails, Greenish Warbler, Saras Crane, Long necked Vulture, Falcon, Oriental honey buzzard, Fish Owl and Spotted Owl.

Around 200 species of Butterflies.

Reptiles

Marsh Crocodiles, King Cobras, Python, Viper, Krait, Indian Star Tortoise and Monitor Lizard.

Things to do

Lion safari, Wildlife safari, Jeep safari and Butterfly watching.

Best Time to visit:

November to June is most pleasant for Wildlife lovers.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport –Keshod, Rajkot and Bhavnagar

Nearest Railway Station – Sasan Gir, Rajkot, Bhavnagar

By Road –Junagadh and Verawal.

Dudhwa National Park

Location : Indo – Nepal border

Area Covered : 490 Sq kms

Main Wild Life : Bara Singha, Swamp, Chital, Hog Deer, Jackal, Wild boar,

Best Time to Visit : November to May

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Lakhimpur kheri district of Uttar Pradesh is one of the finest examples of the exceeding diverse & productive Terai Eco System, the reserve has an area of 490 sq km. The northern edge of the reserve lies along the Indo Nepal border while the river Suheli marks the southern boundary.

From mosaic grasslands & dense forest to swampy marshes, the terrain of Dudhwa National Park is a diverse as the wild life population us harbors. A Tiger Reserve since 1879, Dudhwa became a National Park in 1977 & adopted the Project Tiger in 1988. Although the Tigers at the Park are numerous, sightings are rare due to the thick forest cover of the srea. Besides Tigers, Leopards, Hispid Hares & the Swamp Deer & rhino thrive amidst the vegetation. The marshlands are especially inviting for about 400 species of resident and migratory birds including the swamp Patridge, Great Slaty Woodpecker & Bengal Florican.

Attractions:

A part from the swamp deer, there are at least 37 species of mammals, 16 species of reptiles & 400 species of avifauna. Dudhwa Wildlife Sanctuary is said to have 101 tigers & 4 Leopards. Recently the hispid hare has also been sighted from the area.

Leopards are very few in Dudhwa, as it is situated habitat for the tigers, where competition from the superior predator depresses their population. In spite of the fact that the prey overlap between the two species is limited. Since Dudhwa provides the optimum habitat for the Barasingha or Swamp Deer the ruminants of the once prolific deer species is crowded into the wetlands of the park, which has the distinction of having the largest population of this threatened species in the sub continent.

Return of the Rhino:

It was her in 1984 that a major rhinoceros rehabilitation project was started since these forest had been the habitat of the rhinoceros 150 years ago. Five rhinos were relocated from Assam but two of the females died due to the strains of transportation. These were replaced in 1985 by four more females from Nepal.

Other animals seen in Dudhwa in fair to dwindling numbers are wild elephants, sloth bear, ratels, civets, jackals, fishing cats, jungle cats and leopards cats. Among the deer in the addition to the barasingha, are the sambar, chital, hog deer and barking deer. Also wild pigs and blue bulls our largest antelope.

In winter, basking on the sandy banks of the suheli Neora river running along the southern boundary of the park, the snub nose crocodiles or mugger may be seen. Otter are fairly common, as also pythons and monitor lizards.

Avian World:

Dudhwa’s birds in particular are a delight for any avid bird watcher, plenty of plated storks, sarus cranes, owls, barbets, woodpeckers, Minivets and many more including some rare species like Bengal florican. Much of the parks avian fauna is aquatic in nature & found around Dudhwa’s lakes especially Banke Tal.

Migratory birds are plentiful, especially waterfowl as Dudhwa is very close to Himalayan foothills. Various species stopover in the course of their migration to the plains in winter. The White Ibis has vanished and the ethereal trumpeting of the lighting demoiselle cranes is heard no more.

Flora Attractions:

The major vegetation types in this region are tropical semi evergreen forest , tropical moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest, swamp forest and riparian forest. The dominant tree species are shorea robusta, terminolis tomentosa, adinia cordifolia, terminalis belerica, Eugenia jambolana, dolbergia sissoo and bombar malabaricum.  

Safari:

Jeeps and mini buses can be hired from the park. Elephant’s rides through the park are also available.

Best Time to visit:

The best time to visit Dudhwa is between November & May. The park remains open to the public from November to June, but by June its usually a little too hot.