Tour Duration: 12 Nights/ 13 Days
Northeast India Wildlife Takes you to one of the most dynamic and diverse ecological regions of India. If we talk of a huge range of ecological habitats as a result of immense variation in climatic, edaphic, and altitudinal conditions then northeast India takes the crown. A transitional zone between Indian, Indo-Malayan, and Indo-Chinese biogeographic regions and a meeting place of the Himalayan Mountains and Peninsular India – northeast India was part of the northward migrating ‘Deccan Peninsula’ that first touched the Asian landmass after the break-up of Gondwanaland in the early Tertiary Period making itself the gateway for most of India’s flora and fauna. The Climatic conditions and altitudinal diversity have contributed to the richness of wildlife and birdlife here. In our Northeast India Wildlife Tour we will take to you some of the well know and little-known national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Northeast India. Manas National Park, which harbours the highest number of protected endangered endemic species. Kaziranga National Park, is a success story of conservation and home to almost 70% of Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. Apart from these two World Heritage Sites, you will visit little know Gibbon Sanctuary which is an amazing place to see endangered primates like Hoolock Gibbon the only ape species to be found in India.
Day 01 – Arrive Delhi
Arrive Delhi, met by our representative, and transferred to hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 02 – Delhi to Guwahati and Manas National Park
Morning transfer to the airport to board the flight for Guwahati. Arrive Guwahati and drive to Manas (220 Km). Arrive Manas and check in at the lodge.
Overnight in the lodge.
Day 03 – Manas National Park
Morning and evening game drive in the central range of Manas National Park.
Manas National Park - Located in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Manas National is one of the most important ecosystems in the eastern Himalayas. An important part of the Manas Biosphere, park gets its name from the river Manas that flows through from north to south of the park. Covering an area of 950 square kilometers in the terai of eastern Himalayas Manas National Park home to the highest number of protected endangered endemic species like Bengal Florican, Pigmy Hog, Hispid hare, Asian Roof Turtle and the Golden Langur". Manas support largest population Asiatic Elephant, second largest population of Tigers and third largest population of Great One-horned Rhino.
Tiger heads the list of predator here followed by, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Golden Cat, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Marbled Cat. The herbivores here are Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo, Gaur, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Hog Deer, Muntjac, and the highly endangered Pygmy Hog. Some of the other mammals recorded here include Giant Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Indian pangolin, Asiatic wild dog, sloth bear, black bear, Primates found here are Capped Langur, Golden Langur, Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris etc.
Manas harbour over 500 species of bird species of which about 350 breeds in the region. A total of 16 species recorded here are endemic to the region and 26 are globally threatened. Some of the birds recorded here are Bengal Florican, Wreathed Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill, Rufous-necked Hornbill, endangered White-rumped Vultures, Black-breasted Parrotbill, White-throated Bushchat, Greater Adjutant Stork, Jerdon’s Babbler, Slender-billed Babblers, Grey-crowned Prinia, Bristled grass-warbler, Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Baer’s Pochard. Lesser Kestrel, Pied Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle etc.
The central range of Manas National Park is defined mostly by grassland and Woodland. The grassland is a very important habitat for critically endangered Pigmy Hog, Hispid Hare, and Bengal Florican. The woodland supports an array of wildlife and birdlife activities including the elusive Clouded Leopard. During the course of the safari, we will visit Mathanguri where the river separates India from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. There is a possibility of sighting very very elusive Crab-eating Mongoose here.
We will return to the lodge for lunch.
Overnight in the lodge.
Day 04 – Manas National Park
Today early morning, proceed on a full-day game viewing drive in the eastern range of the park with packed breakfast and lunch.
The drive is through the thick rainforest along the Bhutan border observing the wildlife and the bird life of the region while stopping at forest camps for meals. Also, visit Seed Farm for Bengal Florican en route. The day will end by returning to the lodge, passing through tiny villages and observing life in the periphery of the national park.
Dinner and overnight in the lodge.
Day 05 – Manas National Park
Depending on the interest we will repeat one of the two ranges in the park.
Overnight in the lodge.
Day 06 – Manas National Park to Guwahati
Early in the morning take an elephant ride in the park.
Return to the lodge for breakfast followed by the return drive to Guwahati (220 Km). Arrive Guwahati in time for lunch and check-in at the hotel.
Afternoon, visit a dumping site to see the highly endangered Greater Adjutant Stork.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 07 – Guwahati to Kaziranga National Park
Morning drive to Kaziranga National Park (200 Km). Arrive Kaziranga in time for lunch and check in at lodge.
Kaziranga National Park - situated on the flood plains of river Brahmaputra in the north-eastern state of Assam, spread over an area of 430 sq. km Kaziranga is most commonly referred to as home to Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. It has the distinction of harbouring an almost two-thirds population of One-horned Rhinoceros in the wild. Due to the quality of wildlife viewing this park has often been compared with African wildlife sanctuaries. Kaziranga boasts of about fifteen species of India’s threatened mammals. The landscape of Kaziranga is very picturesque and its habitat consists of tall grassland, marshy swamps and tropical wet evergreen forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests.
While the Tiger heads the list of predators here, followed by the leopard and lesser cats like Jungle and Fishing Cat. While other mammals recorded in Kaziranga are the Wild Water Buffalo, Asiatic Elephant, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Asiatic Black Bear, Common Indian Otter, Wild Boar, Sambar, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer, and Indian Barking Deer, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Malayan Giant Squirrel. Reptiles found in the park are Water Monitor, Indian Python, Common Cobra, King Cobra, and Chinese Pangolin. Kaziranga boasts of primates like Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, Assamese Macaque and elusive primates like Slow Loris Hoolock Gibbon the only ape found in India and a highly endangered species.
Eastern Himalayas supports an interesting birdlife and Birdlife International has classified Kaziranga as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Apart from the regular residents and migrants some specialty one should expect to see during Kaziranga journey are Lesser Adjutant, Bengal Florican, Black-Necked Stork, Swamp Francolin, Finn’s Baya, Grey Peacock Pheasant, Black breasted Parrotbill, Great and Wreathed Hornbill etc.
Afternoon game drive in central range Kaziranga National Park.
The most popular safari zone in the Kaziranga National Park central range or the Kohora zone is defined by large spans of grasslands interspersed by woodland and wetlands. This range has a very good concentration of Tigers and Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. Of course, one can expect to see a good number of elephants and endangered Asiatic Water Buffalos here.
Overnight at in lodge.
Day 08 – Kaziranga National Park
Morning game viewing drive in the western range of the Kaziranga National Park.
The western range of the Bagori zone of Kaziranga is another popular safari zone in the park. It is defined by the grasslands, and wetlands, interspersed by woodlands and the right bank of the Mori Diphlu River. A very picturesque landscape this range harbours the highest One-horned Rhino population in the park. Apart from the other regular’s this range is a very good place to see Swamp Deer.
Afternoon, explore the eastern range of the park.
The eastern range or the Agaratoli zone of Kaziranga National Park is one of the most picturesque ranges. Apart from a good concentration of wildlife, one can observe a very good density of birds here.
Overnight at the lodge.
Day 09 – Kaziranga National Park
Early morning elephant ride in the park. Return to hotel for breakfast followed by morning and evening game viewing drive central range of the Kaziranga National Park.
Afternoon game viewing drive in the western range of the park.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10 – Kaziranga National Park to Jorhat
Morning game viewing drive in the eastern range of Kaziranga National Park.
Afternoon drive to Jorhat (100 Km). Arrive Jorhat and check in at the hotel with the rest of the day at leisure or explore the surrounding tea gardens.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 – Jorhat (Full day explore Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary)
Morning and evening, visit Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. Walk around the sanctuary on the lookout for primates of the sanctuary. Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is a short drive from Jorhat.
Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary - Located in the south of the Brahmaputra River near Jorhat town in eastern Assam, Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary has played a very important role in the conservation of primates. An isolated patch of 21 sq km of forested land, Hollongapar Reserve Forest has been declared a sanctuary in 1997 considering the fact that it has supported a substantial number of Hoolock Gibbon which is the only ape species found in India. The sanctuary has been renamed Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary the only wildlife park or sanctuary in India named after a primate. Apart from Hoolock Gibbon sanctuary supports six other primate species i.e. Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, Stump-tailed Macaque, Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Assamese Macaque, and Slow Loris which is nocturnal species. In fact of fifteen primate species found in India, seven have been reported here.
The forest type in Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is tropical semi-evergreen which has three-tier canopies. Hollong trees dominate the top canopy sharing space with Sam Kathal, Amari, Bhelu, Udal, Hingori etc. In the middle canopy, Nahar is the most prominent species – other species are Bhomora, Agar, etc. Lower canopies are covered with shrubs, bamboo, and canes.
Other mammals recorded in the sanctuary are Wild Boar, Malayan Giant Squirrel Asiatic Elephants, Tigers, Leopards and Jungle Cats, Civet, etc.
Though it is a primate sanctuary Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary will not disappoint birders either – over 230 species of birds are recorded here and some specialties are Purple Wood-Pigeon, Slender-billed Babbler, Marsh Babbler, White-cheeked Hill Partridge, Rufous-throated Hill Partridge Lesser Adjutant Stork, White-cheeked Partridge, Great Hornbill, Black Baza, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, etc. Sighting of the White-winged wood duck has been reported in the sanctuary in 2009 January.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 – Jorhat to Delhi and Depart
Morning at leisure. In time transfer to airport to board the flight for Delhi. Arrive Delhi and transfer to airport hotel. Late evening transfer to the international airport to board the flight (assuming mid-night/ early morning departure) for onward destination.
H-10 (Top Floor),
South Extension, Part I,
New Delhi-110049
India
