Kaziranga National Park, Assam

The Kaziranga National Park, located in Assam, the north eastern region of India, is an untouched area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain, which is known for its unique wildlife. This wildlife reserve is rich in fauna, including tigers, elephants, and two-thirds of the world’s population of one-horned Rhinoceros. Not only fauna, but it also has a variety of flora, such as tall elephant grass, but swamplands also have a variety of aquatic flora like water lilies, lotus, and water Hyacinths. National Park offers the best experience for botanists, nature enthusiasts, and wildlife photographers.

UNESCO World Heritage site

In 1985, the park was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO for providing a home to many animals like the tiger, the Asian elephant, the wild water buffalo, the gaur, the eastern swamp deer, the Sambar deer, the hog deer, the capped langur, and the sloth bear, and most importantly, preserving the one-horned Rhinoceros from extinction. And now it is home to approx. 2413 one-horned Rhinoceros.

Protecting wildlife and nature

Kaziranga National Park is popular for one-horned rhinos; later in 2006, it was declared a tiger reserve with the growing number of tigers. Not only tigers, but it also protects Elephants, wild water Buffaloes and, swamp deer, and many more animals. Along with animals, the national park also shelters birds and was recognized as an important bird area IBA by BirdLife International. It has 14 rare species of birds, such as Bengal Florican, Greater Adjutant Stork, Finn's Weaver, and Great Hornbill, among many more.

Jeep Safari in Kaziranga National Park

Greater one-horned rhinos, Royal Bengal tigers, Gangetic river dolphins, hoolock gibbons, and many more; you can witness all the animals, birds, and different species of flowers too. The safari is very unique as it can be explored by jeep, foot, boat, or on the back of an elephant.

The four zones of Kaziranga National Park

• The eastern zone, or Agoratoli 22km: Preferred to spot elephants and birds like hornbill, otters, and many more, the best site for bird watchers.
• The central zone or Kohora 28km: The most famous and also known as the heart of Kaziranga, most of the attractions are spotted here, like one-horned Rhinoceros and tigers, etc.
• The western zone, or Bagori, 26km: The zone is famous for the wild water buffalo, swamp deer, Bengal florican, and various hornbill species.
• The far west or Burapahar 17km: This zone is a prime location to spot the Hoolock Gibbon and capped langurs.

Best time for jungle safari

• Summers: April to May. During these months, the weather remains dry yet windy can go for a safari near waterbodies to spot animals.
• Monsoon: June to October, the national park remains closed as the region receives heavy rainfall and the level of the Brahmaputra increases, and has high levels of flooding.
• Winters: November to Marchmost appropriate months for a jungle safari with calm and pleasant weather, and you can easily spot migratory birds.

Timings of the Jungle safari

• Jeep Safari: starts from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM & in the afternoon from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM (or until sunset)
• Elephant Safari: 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM in the morning & 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Only available in select zones like Central and Western zones).
• Boat Safari: Generally available daily between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

How to reach

• The closest airports to Kaziranga National Park are Jorhat (112km), which is a 2.5-hour drive, and Guwahati (192km), which is a 4-hour drive.
• The closest railway station is Furkating station, located about 75km from the park.