Kaziranga National Park : A rendezvous with the wild and beautiful

Kaziranga National Park in Assam marks its existence back to early 20th century. Although started by a British viceroy of India, Lord Curzon in 1905 in an area of 232 km2; through gradual extensions and development, it is now spread in an area of 430 km2. In 1985, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It’s natural beauty and plentiful wildlife makes it second to none.

Kaziranga National Park is located partly in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. It borrows its incredible scenic beauty from river Brahmaputra on north and Karbi Anglong hills on the south. Although in deep woods and wild, it is easily accessible as National Highway 37 passes through the tea estates and park area. The joy of driving through this stretch is doubled by views of wild elephants and rhinos straying nearby.

Kaziranga has since its inception preserved the wildlife. The National Park has boastful population of 1400 members of endangered Wild Buffalo protected under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 of India. They are tiger’s favourite prey and are believed to survive in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Bhutan. It is also a home to one of the star attractions of north east India’s wildlife, the hoolock gibbons or the hoolocks having a life expectancy of 25 years in their natural surroundings. They are found in geographical belt extending from Assam (north eastern India) to Myanmar. Kaziranga also has the credit for being one of the two National parks that houses more than 100 Great one horned rhino. The Indian Rhinos are usually found in Assam (India), Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan. Besides the various animals housed here, it is also a much sought after destination for bird watching. The park provides few birding packages for tourists.

One Horned Rhino with Calf at Kaziranga National Park – Assam

The best time of a year to visit Kaziranga is from October to April. Since Assam has four typical Indian seasons, i.e. summer, winter, spring and monsoon; these months are the most pleasant with cool breezes and clear skies. Also, the animals prefer wandering around in these months. The months of extreme summer i.e. May and June are very taxing for them and the Park administration has to make arrangements to save them from high temperature by providing them alternative living areas in shade.

Kaziranga is well connected through road, rail and air. If you are travelling by air, there are two airports close by. One of them is at Guwahati, 217 kms. from the park and the other is at Jorhat, 97 kms. from the park. From the airports, there are good facilities for cabs on hire. When traveling by train, the nearest railway station is located at Furkating, almost 75 kms. from Kaziranga. Buses and cabs ply on the route connecting Furkating and Kaziranga. The buses run by Assam Tourism Corporation as well as private transporters also ply on this route and Kaziranga is a defined stoppage. By road, the park’s main gate is at Kohora on the National Highway No. 37.

To the tourists’ delight, there are several cafes in the vicinity of the main gate. Also, local souvenir can be bought at a small local market nearby.

There are numerous sprawling hotels and resorts around the Kaziranga National Park. While some of them are run by the government of Assam and some are privately held, they are all well maintained and offer excellent service. To name a few, Iora Resort, Wild grass lodge etc. are good options. Depending upon the budget a tourist has, there are plenty of options in terms of the kind of rooms and services to choose from. Read about some of the Hotels and Resorts in Kaziranga.

Park safari is a major attraction for tourists of Kaziranga. There are elephant safaris jeep safaris available in both morning and afternoon. These rides are the best way to go around the park. Accompanied by a guide or escort, there is nothing you will miss on. The rides usually last around two hours. If you like things at your own pace, you may also choose to go trekking in the lush wild surroundings.

When you visit Kaziranga National Park, lose yourself to God’s best creation, ever – Nature!