Four national parks of Assam

Tour - 14 days

About Assam

Assam is the only state in north-east India that is almost entirely low lying. It consists largely of the flood plains of the Brahmaputra, one of the largest untamed rivers in the world. The climate is fantastic for rice cultivation, all kinds of tropical crops, bamboo cultivation and fish farming.

Assam is relatively densely populated. The legal part of the population consists of at least 35 million people on an area of 78,000 square kilometers (similar to Czechia, a bit smaller than Austria), the illegal part at least 5 million.

Region

Assam
(India)

Best Time

Feb/April &
Nov/Dec

No. Of Days

15 days

Trip Character

Jeep tour/
wildlife tour

Sleeping Altitude

65 - 100 m

Price

INR XXX/ $ XXX

ABOUT THIS TOUR

On this trip you will visit one of the least visited parts of India, the Northeast. This region is also one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. It is part of three so-called biodiversity hotspots. Northeast India has vast wildlife parks where the Indian big five can still make their living, but also leafy tea gardens, rustic bamboo villages and the awe-inspiring plains of the Brahmaputra, one of the world’s most untamed great rivers.

YOUR custom-made TRIP

The tour described here, as well as the other ones on our website, are mainly meant as suggestions. We would be happy to offer you a travel proposal that fully meets your personal demands and expectations. That means that you choose where you want to go, what level of accommodation and type of transport you want and what activities you prefer.

Please let yourself be inspired by this and other trips on our website and then drop us a line (or call us) to explain your travel wishes. We will be happy to help you put together the perfect trip. You can reach us over e-mail, Messenger, Whatsapp or mobile phone.

EXTENSIONS & VARIATIONS

Apart from the tour as described here, you could consider the following add-ons and changes:

Spend two or three extra days in the area near Nameri and Dirang, visiting Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary, Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary (both very good for birds), as well as visiting nearby Sangti Valley where black-necked cranes spend the winter.
Spend extra days at Kaziranga National Park, enhancing your chances of seeing the elusive tiger. Kaziranga has 6 different ranges, parts of the park that each have their own character in terms of landscape and chances of seeing different species. So you need 6 days to see them all.
Spend a few days more at Mancotta Tea estate in Dibrugarh, to fully unwind and relax before returning home.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Delhi / Kolkata ✈︎ Guwahati
After an early 2,5 hour flight you arrive in Guwahati, the capital of Assam. On arrival the local guide and driver will receive you. In the afternoon we visit the famous and colorful Kamakhya Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shakti, as well as Peacock Island, in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra. Altitude 55m.
Day 2: Guwahati - Manas National Park (4 h)
Today you will be transferred to Manas N.P. on the way passing through the plains of Assam. At N.P. we check in at a comfortable resort. In the evening we take a walk in along the border of the park. Even from the outside peeking into the park, we can spot deer, wild boars and sometimes even rhinos. Altitude 55 → 85m.
Day 3 & 4: In Manas N.P.
We have two full days to make up to four safaris. By jeep we will explore some of the more distant parts of Manas. One safari brings us near the border with Bhutan with a good chance to see herds of elephants and the rare golden langur, another safari goes to the eastern section of the park. Of course we are also all the time looking for the many different species of often colourful birds. Another possibility is to take a walk along the banks of the Manas river. Altitude 85m.
Day 5: Manas N.P. - Nameri N.P. (7-8 h)
A long drive brings us to Nameri N.P. at the foothills of the Himalayas, where we check in to a very pleasant accommodation in the forest near the park. In the evening we take a nature walk on the banks of the nearby Bhorelli River. Altitude 85 → 100m.
Day 6: In Nameri N.P.
We cross the river and make a bird walk accompanied by a naturalist and a forest ranger. Afternoon rafting on the Borelli River, with a decent chance of seeing the Ibisbill, as well as other waterbirds. Altitude 100m.
Day 7: Nameri - Kaziranga N.P. (3 - 4 h).
We drive to the famous Kaziranga N.P., where we check in for 3 nights at an attractive resort very near the park. In the afternoon we go inside the park for our first jeep safari, accompanied by a specialized nature guide. Kaziranga is the best place to view the Indian Big Five: Indian rhino, tiger, leopard, buffalo and elephant. Altitude 100 → 85m.
Day 8 & 9: In Kaziranga N.P.
Again you’ll do two jeep rides, each in different parts of the park. The park has seven different ranges, each with its own landscape and different chances of seeing particular species. Altitude 85m.
Day 10: Kaziranga - Majuli Island (3 h)
We travel eastward and by ferry we cross the Brahmaputra to quiet Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world. Overnight is in simple but rustic and clean cottages. Altitude 85 → 65m.
Day 11: On Majuli Island
Majuli is best known for its Satras. These are kibbutz-like monasteries where Hindu monks who belong to Vaishnavism live. We will witness monks performing dances, which have acquired UNESCO World Heritage status. Majli is also a paradise for water birds, which we will try to see on walks and bicycle rides. Think of spot-billed ducks, whistling ducks, gadwalls, common teals, bronze-winged jacanas, great egrets, white-fronted goose, greylag goose, bar-headed goose and ruddy shelduck.
Day 12: Majuli - Dibru Saikhowa N.P. (5 h)
We cross back over the Brahmaputra, then continue east. At Sibsagar we visit the famous 16th century Ahum monuments and at the largest Shiva temple of India. Passing the city of Dibrugarh, we reach a simple but rustic ecolodge at the bank of the river at Dibru-Saikhowa N.P. Altitude 65 → 115m.
Day 13: In Dibru-Saikhowa N.P.
Dibru-Saikowa is a safe haven for many rare and endangered species, including over 300 kinds of birds. We’ll explore the park with a big boat, on foot and floating in small canoes through the marshlands. Early evening, we check in to a very atmospheric tea bungalow in Dibrugarh. Once, this was the home of the tea estate manager, now it is a luxurious hotel. Altitude 115m.
Day 14: In Dibrugarh
A relaxed day. You can see how tea picking works and/or take a walk on the beach of the majestic Brahmaputra. Or you can visit a small Thai Buddhist village (2 hours driving). The local monks and laymen preserve their original culture very well. Altitude 110m.
Day 15: Flight Dibrugarh ✈︎ Delhi (45 min drive, 2.5 h flight)
After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for the flight back to Delhi. It depends on the timing of your international flight whether you will need an overnight stay in Delhi. In the latter case we can arrange this for you.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

Guwahati

Guwahati, with almost 1 million inhabitants, is the capital of Assam and serves for many as the gateway to the Northeast States. It lies at the southern bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river and although modern buildings and heavy traffic dominate major parts of the city, there is still a wooded area near the river with traditional houses and colonial-era mansions. One can visit the Kalakshetra, a sprawling enclosure depicting cultures and traditions of Northeast India, the worthwhile Assam State Museum, and/or the famous and colourful Kamakhya Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shakti. Or one can take a short boat ride to Peacock Island. The island has a small Shiva temple and is home to a small population of the rare golden langur.

Manas National park

Manas N.P. is located against the backdrop of the Bhutanese Himalayas and between the rivers Sankos in the west and Dhansiri in the east. It consists of dense jungle interspersed with alluvial grasslands and savannah and semi-alpine green forests. Wild elephants – numbering more than 500 – hog deer, musk deer, sambar deer and the beautiful Hoolock gibbon, an endemic ape species – can be seen with a small amount of luck. There are quite a few tigers and also the black leopard and the elusive mist leopard can be found here. Manas is home to at least 400 different species of birds, including some particularly colourful ones; such as the strikingly blue Indian roller, the orange-red flameback (a woodpecker) and the little minivet, to name just a few. If we’re lucky, we’ll witness the majestic flight of the Great Hornbill or of the less majestic but even more rare rufous-necked hornbill.

Nameri National park

Nameri is a beautiful national park located between the Jia Bhorelli river and the foothills of the eastern Himalayas. The vegetation consists of moist deciduous forests with epiphytes and lianas, sections of cane and bamboo, and some open grasslands along the rivers. The park is very popular with bird enthusiasts, but also non-birders will greatly enjoy its pleasant atmosphere. Birds to look for are merganser, Pallas’s fish eagle, lapwings, cormorants, ruddy shell duck, kingfishers and perhaps the elusive white-winged wood duck and the great Indian Hornbill. In 2000 part of the park was declared a tiger reserve. Accommodation is in Nameri Eco-Camp with comfortable tents under thatched roofs with attached bathrooms and in lush forest surroundings.

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga N.P. is one of the crown jewels of Indian conservation. It is set for the protection of the Indian (unicorn) rhino. In 1908, when Kaziranga was first declared a Reserved Forest, less than 15 animals of it were still alive, now there are more than 2400. This is due to a for India unusually strict protection, in which a real war was – and is -fought with poachers who target the horn. This has worked out well, and not only for the rhinos. Nowadays Kaziranga is home to the largest populations of wild buffalos, wild elephants and swamp deer of Asia , as well as around 500 bird species. And the tiger… ? Kaziranga also has the highest density of tigers in Asia (largest number per 100 km2). Seeing rhinos in Kaziranga is easy, the tiger is a different matter. From our own experience, your chances of seeing one on a jeep drive are around 10%.

Brahmaputra CROSSING

The Brahmaputra is the boon and bane of Assam. It originates near holy Mt. Kailash in Southwest Tibet, then travels XXXkm east along the Himalayan Range until it finally finds a gorge that provides a passage through the mountains to the south. Emerging on the eastern tip of the Assamese plains, it spreads its waters wide and far. Uninhibited by any civil engineering, it wildly braids, forming new channel and islands while abandoning others all the time. It brings water to the rice fields and fish to the nets, but commercial shipping has never taken off. Because being so wide and slow flowing, the Brahmaputra is very shallow. Wild elephants cross it regularly. Local ferries and tourist cruise boats are equipped with flat bottoms – to prevent capsizing – and often side propellers for getting unstuck as well.

Satras of Majuli island

Majuli Island is known to be one of the largest islands in the world. This is a bit of stretch as the river that bounds it at the north is not part of the Brahmaputra, but a different river and quite a small one at that. Anyhow, the area does have a clear boundary defined by waterways and dit is definitely shaped by water as well. Having lost almost half of its erstwhile area to the raging Brahmaputra, it’s future is not very certain. That goes also for the unique Hindu monasteries called satras. These monasteries adhere to Vaishnavism, a sect founded by Sankar Dev in the 15th and 16th centuries. As Hindu priests and ascetics rarely if ever live together, this is a phenomenon in itself. The monks work, pray and dance together. The dances are enactments of the ancient Hindu scriptures, choreographed by Sankar Dev. They are very graceful and esoteric, and have also been declared a Unesco World Heritage.

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

This little visited, but beautiful, park covers part of the Brahmaputra, Dibru River and adjoining wetlands in upper Assam. The land part mainly consists of moist, mixed semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, canebrakes and grasslands. 37 mammal species live here, including the severely threatened Ganges dolphin (a subspecies of the Southasian river dolphin). It shares the waters with 104 kinds of fish. Among the 500-plus birds that live here, noteworthy are greater adjutant, ferruginous pochard, the rare Jerdon’s babbler, black-breasted parrotbill, marsh babbler, puff-throated babbler, Jerdon’s bushchat, rufous-rumped grassbird, chestnut-crowned bush warbler, Sarus crane, Bengal florican, spot-billed pelican, white-necked stork, black stork, black-necked stork, various ducks and egrets, and purple heron.

Mancotta TEA BUNGALOW

The Mancotta Tea Bungalow is a so-called chang bungalow, a stately, rustic building of massive wooden bars and cottage-style masonry on stilts. The word chang is Assamese and refers to the fact that it is built on stilts. This served the purpose of avoiding flooding as well as avoiding in-door encounters with the wild animals that would regularly cross the tea estates, such as elephants, tigers leopards and king cobras. The building’s well-kept appearance belies an impressive 160 years of age. Once upon a time the manager of the Mancotta Tea Estate lived here, now it is a hotel. Its owners have taken utmost care to preserve the erstwhile style and atmosphere. It is considered one of the top-five accommodations of the Northeast.

Tea Gardens of Assam

If there is one legacy of the Brits in India it is tea. Tea estates, tea processing and exporting, and tea drinking. It was long believed that wild tea, Camelia sinensis, only grew in China, but this small woody brush was ‘rediscovered’ by the British in the early 19th century in the jungle of Assam. Camelia sinensis var. assamica had long been used by indigenous people. Large tracts of land were converted into tea gardens and these days Assam (and Darjeeling) tea are known worldwide. There are two kinds of preparation. The black tea that is being dunked in water that just has been boiled is called orthodox. In Indian households and tea stalls the tea is generally boiled for some time with milk and sugar, and sometimes spices. This is called CTC tea. The two kinds of tea require different factory handling, but both have the same Camelia leaves as the starting point.