Manas National Park

Wildlife

Assam

27°C / Clear

History
Places to visit
How to reach

India is a country where you will find a great diversity of flora and fauna and Manas National Park is one of the many sanctuaries where you get to satiate your thirst for a wildlife adventure. This national park is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and apart from being a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, the park is majorly known as a Tiger and Elephant Reserve.

It is home to India’s second-largest tiger population and apart from that, you can easily spot rhinos and elephants roaming around. The park’s rich biodiversity offers stunning scenery and spectacular views of the natural landscape inclusive of forested hills, alluvial grasslands along tropical evergreen forests. Owing to all this, we can say that this park is one of the best tourist places in Assam.

Coming on to the timing, the months between October and April is the best time to visit Manas National Park. During these months, the overall climatic conditions are quite pleasant for exploring around. However, don’t visit here in the monsoon season as this is a time when the region witnesses heavy rains which flood the park.

The entry charges are as follows (Please visit the official website to confirm the same)

Indians - INR 20 per head, for the camera and camcorder one will need to shell out INR 50 and INR 100 respectively
Foreign Nationals - INR 250 per head, for the camera and video recorder one will need to shell out an extra INR 500

Major Attractions of Manas National Park

1. Jeep Safari

If you are a wildlife buff, then don’t forget to indulge yourself in the Jeep Safari while you are still here. If you are lucky, you might just be able to spot anything from pygmy hogs to even an elephant or a rhino. The timings for the Jeep Safari are from 09:00 AM–12:00 PM and 02:00 PM–05:00 PM. For the pricing, you can check the official website of the park.

2. Elephant Safari

Now, what can be more bone-chilling than riding an elephant? This mixed surge of emotions like fear, anxiety, and excitement somehow makes you feel more alive while you ride these beasts of nature. The best part is that by opting for an elephant safari, you are able to explore the nooks and corners of the jungle where a jeep cannot take you. The timings for an elephant safari at Manas National Park are between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM and the tourists will need to pay (approx) INR 500 - INR 1,500.

3. River Rafting

Tantalize the adventurer in you by going river rafting here. You will find the whole experience to be quite exhilarating and filled with an adrenaline rush. It is basically a 35 km ride that takes you through the wild deciduous forests. This is something you mustn’t miss out on.

4. Nearby Villages

As this sanctuary is home to the Bodo villages, you will find several small indigenous communities here living in complete harmony with nature. The best part is that you can join them and get to interact with them while they celebrate life by dancing and singing.

How to Reach Manas National Park

To reach Manas National Park in Assam. You will need to cover a total distance of about 1,811, 2,647, 918, 2,893 km from major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Check out the following details on how you can reach Manas National Park by the following means of local transportation.

By Air

The nearest airport is the Guwahati Airport aka Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) situated about 140 km away. The airport has very good flight connectivity with other Indian cities and towns. From the airport, you will need to cover the remaining distance by some means of local transportation like a cab.

From Gwalior - Board Spicejet, Air Asia flights from Gwalior Airport. The airfares start from INR 5,000-6,000
From Bhubaneswar - Board Spicejet, IndiGo, Vistara flights from Bhubaneswar Airport. The airfares start from INR 6,000-7,000
From Bhopal - Board IndiGo flights from Bhopal Airport. The airfares start from INR 6,000-7,000

By Train

The nearest railway station is the Guwahati Railway Station (GHY) situated about 120-140 km away. This is the first fully operated solar station in India with good train connectivity with other Indian cities and towns. From the railway station, you can easily book a taxi to reach Manas National Park.

From Mumbai - Board LTT GHY SPL from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and deboard at Guwahati Junction
From Delhi - Board Brahmaputra SPL from Delhi and deboard at Guwahati Junction

By Road

Depending upon your location, you can reach here via roadways. However, first, you will need to reach Guwahati by interstate/private buses or by self-driving. From Guwahati, it is about a 5-hour off-road journey to the park. To navigate better you can consider taking the help of the park’s map.