Kaziranga - January 2015

Kaziranga National Park is a forest that lies between the river Brahmaputra to the North and National Highway Number 37 to the south. This highway connects Guwahati and Jorhat and runs in an east-west orientation or direction. Kaziranga is closer to Jorhat (2 hours by car via Numaligarh) than Guwahati (5 hours by car via Nagaon). The roads in either direction are excellent – at least when I travelled there in late January 2015.

There are four entry points or gates to the National Park to go to the different ranges within the forest. These are all a little to the north of the main highway ranging from a few hundred yards to a few kilometers. These are named Central (near Kohora), Eastern (near Agoratoli), Western (near Bagori) and Burapahar which is to the west of the Western Range. Although these are all parts of the same forest, in terms of flora and fauna they are a little different.

Burapahar

Between Burapahar and Agoratoli it is a distance of about 25 to 30 km or so. Most of the hotels are on or near the highway. We stayed in a hotel right on the highway near Kohora. This is where there are some small shops for basic grocery shopping, if you need anything or medicines etc. Several shops here sell mementoes like wooden rhinos or elephants. Hathikhuli Tea Estate, which is on the other side of the highway, has a nice little shop for their tea.

Crested Serpent Eagle

The safari in Kaziranga happens twice a day. Morning and afternoon. You have to hire open-hood Gypsies. There are only a few points in the route where you can alight from the vehicle. Otherwise you have to be seated in the vehicle all the time. Under no circumstances can you get down anywhere else. Beware of dust and the petrol exhaust. These are two major menaces you have to deal with and be prepared for in Kaziranga NP. No one talks about these in their reports on Kaziranga but these are two real issues. If you spot a bird and ask the driver to halt he will never brake at once because that raises a huge dust storm behind. Cover your head all the time with a cap and wear a synthetic outer jacket from which it is easy to brush off the dust.

One-horned Rhinoceros

Elephant rides are popular with the general tourist. It is a one hour ride. We didn’t take it and cannot comment on it. But generally you are advised to take the government elephant rides only which is available in Central Range. You can discuss this with your hotelier or the Gypsy driver.

Spot-billed Pelican

We stayed for three days in Kaziranga and this is how we planned our days. Day one, we started at 7 am with packed breakfast given by the restaurant. Went to Central Range first. Came back to the hotel for lunch at around 11:30. Went to the Western Range for the second half.

Bar-headed Goose

On day two also we started at around 7 am for Agoratoli with packed breakfast. We came out at around 12 noon to a resort near the gate called Agoratoli Resort. Had our lunch there and went back inside the same forest once again. The lunch at the resort is quite expensive but basic. It’s quite a luxury hotel in terms of looks but nothing much in reality.

Black-necked Stork

On the third morning we went to Burapahar. We had planned to go for the Western Range in the second half but had to leave for Guwahati in the afternoon as someone informed us there was a bandh declared the next day.

Northern Lapwing

These five safaris for the three of us with our two still cameras cost us Rs 12,000 – all inclusive. Not very cheap.  But since we had spent a lot of money to go and stay there, thought might as well utilise it to the fullest extent possible.

Red Jungle Fowl

I have no idea about the other hotels in Kaziranga but the one we stayed in turned out to be really very basic and therefore quite expensive at Rs 2000 per night. I would never stay in Agoratoli Resort even if it comes free. I didn’t like the surroundings in the immediate vicinity of the hotel.

If money was not an issue, I would probably stay in Borgos, which I am told is very expensive.

 

Brown-headed Fish Eagle