KAZIRANGA 21 -25 DEC 2018
Did a short trip to Kaziranga with Grandson Krishiv.
Gen Info. Kaziranga National Park is 240 km from Guwahati Airport and it takes 5 hours by road. Barring just a small part of 60km , the road is very good.
The Aranya Tourist lodge of Assam Tourism is very well located, it is basic hotel with good food. The staff is helpful and you can have comfortable stay at a good cost. Ph 03776 262429, Email aranyaatdckaziranga@gmail.com. It is 5 mins walk to booking office of Elephant and Jeep Safari .
Elephant Safari is booked a day prior at 7 PM onwards.
Elephant Safari is booked a day prior at 7 PM onwards.
The actual Govt Rates of Safari are these;
Elephant 900 per person
Jeep Safari Central Sect 1750 for Jeep Seating 6 Persons
Jeep Safari Western Sect 1850
Jeep Safari Eastern Sect 2250
Time for Safaris
Elephant safari Morning 5.15 AP and 6.15 AM
Morning Jeep Safari: 07.30 AM to 10:00 AM
Afternoon Jeep Safari: 13.30 PM to 03:00 PM
In addition you are reqd to pay per day Rs100 Entrance Fee, If you take a Safari in the morning, you are not reqd to pay Entrance fee in the Evening.
Jeep Entry Fee 300
Camera Charges 100 for Still Camera
Welfare Charges 100
Sunlight Hours. Remember you are in East of India, the Sunlight hours are approx. early by 1 Hour. Eg If sunset time in Delhi is 5.30PM , the sunset time in Kaziranga will be 4.30PM
21 Dec
Took a flight by Jet Air Flt at 18.40 from IGI Airport.
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| IGI Airport |
We arrived at Guwahati at 21.05 hr.
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| Guwahati airport |
We then proceeded to our Guest Room at Guwahati AF Base for night stay.
22 DEC TO KAZIRANGA 240 KM 5 HOUR
Morning after BF started for Kaziranga at 8.30AM.
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| Morning at AF Base Guwahati |
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| Tree house at Guwahati |
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| Parrot at Tea halt Hotel |
Had a Tea halt enroute.
Thereafter we reached around 3.45 pm Kaziranga View point. We saw few animals from a view point and proceeded to out Hotel.
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| with Cultural Troupe |
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| Dancing with troupe |
23 Dec
Today, woke a little early and got ready to enjoy our very first Elephant safari to Western Zone of the national park. . we reached the Western Sector Entry point at 05.00 AM. You again check your Name and follow the guide across the check point for Elephant Boarding point, across the small water canal.
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| moon in river |
It was cold and 3 persons sit on one side of Elephant, making a total of 6 passengers . The safari takes us through very narrow path of the park within the elephant grass The Elephant goes really close to animals. We saw rhinos, hog deer, sambar deer, rufous treepie, and red jungle fowl (which is a wild chicken)
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| Rhino from Elephant Safari |
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| Helping 6 months old baby |
After returning from Elephant Safari we fed an orphan elephant calf whose mother was killed by an infection. Then we had breakfast in our Hotel and rested a while.
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| Tea Garden |
At around 09.30 hours we went to Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park. It has a Entry ticket of Rs 100 and Camera fee of Rs100. Here you have various cluster of plant houses. The first one houses little more then 500 varieties of wild orchids collected from different parts of North-east Indian states.  |
| in the Park |
There are other clusters have about 132 species of medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables. You can go to other side of Park to see 12 species of cane and 46 species of bamboo.
You can also watch short 20 min cultural program which run is every hour. We returned to our Hotel around 12.00.
After early lunch , at 1.00 PM, we went to Eastern Range of the National Park on Jeep safari .
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| Going for Jeep Safari |
The entry gate is at Agaratoli(16 Km) on the National Highway. Jeep safari is organized in this zone. The eastern zone is home to numerous exotic water birds and migratory birds which be viewed using the binocular. Birds we saw bar headed goose, grey legged goose, common pintail, mallard duck, open bill stork, lesser adjutant stork, pied kingfisher, common kingfisher, white breasted kingfisher, stork billed kingfisher, rose ringed parrot, indian pond heron, spot billed pelican, great egret, cattle egret, darter, little cormorant, yellow footed green pigeon, spotted owl, grey headed fishing eagle, pallas fishing eagle, indian roller, and the most beautiful bird great indian hornbill.
Mammals we saw were rhinos, wild water buffalo, wild boar, rhesus macaques, sambar deer, hog deer, swamp deer, and the royal elephant with tusks at least 4ft in length.
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| Grey Heron |
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| Water Bodies |
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| Brahmaputra river Bank |
We also came to banks of River Brahmaputra. This was our farthest point of our Jeep safari in Eastern range.
We returned to our Hotel by 5.30PM.
24 Dec
Today early morning at 7.00 AM we went to explore the Central range. We saw tall grass lands , jungle areas, drove along the water body and river also went up the watch towers. Birds we saw were red jungle fowl, black headed oriole, wooly necked stork, pied hornbill, minivet, grey heron, crested serpent eagle, alexander parrot and all the birds that were listed on Eastern range safari. Mammals we saw were the same listed on eastern range safari. A reptile we saw was an assam roofed turtle
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| Wooley Necked Stork |
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| Alexender Parrot |
We returned to our Hotel around 1035 for Breakfast and Rest.
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| Jungle Fowl |
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| Crested Serpent Eagle |
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| Snake Bird |
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| Bar headed Goose |
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| White Breasted Kingfisher |
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| Tusker Elephant |
After Lunch we went for our second vehicle safari of the day at 1.00 AM. This time we went to explore the western range of Kaziranga. Here we will followed the route Bagori - Dongabeel - Rowmari - Rajapukhuri - Monabeel and along bank of Mori Diffalu river. Birds we saw were woodpecker, glossy ibis, black headed ibis, sandpiper, shrike, black drongo, rocket tailed drongo and all birds that were listed in Eastern and western range safaris. We saw the same mammals as before. We saw a fish jumping in the river named shitol.
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| Ruddy Shelled duck |
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| Wild Buffalow |
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| Hog Deer |
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| Sambar Deer |
One our way back to resort stopped at the Donga watch Tower. We also tried to spot the Royal Bengal Tiger as some animals gave an indication of presence of Tiger, but we were not luck to spot the Tiger.
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| Hog deer |
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| Assam Roof turtle |
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| Little & Great Comorants |
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| sunset |
We returned to our Hotel by about 5.15PM.
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25 Dec
Today we had to return back after a good visit to Kaziranga
National Park. We started after breakfast at 08.30 AM. We went for hoolock gibbon watching but we were unlucky we could not site any. We stopped enroute for a Tea break and reached airport by 2.45 PM.
We took our flight at 18.40 ( late by 2 Hours) arrived Delhi airport at 09.30PM reached back home by 10 PM.
Dep by Jet air Flt no 9W606 at 16.50 Hours and arrival Delhi at 21.05 Hr.
Superb pics
ReplyDeleteA very nice write up and beautiful account of trip to Kaziranga National Park .It felt as if the reader is oneself visiting the Great Kaziranga in real moment by moment. The in depth knowledge of the writer (Col SD Malhotra ) is worth praising about the description of flora and fauna one can see in the National Park which he encountered and saw.It is just amazing and one is astounded to note the minutest details he has covered in his writing.For a common man it is just impossible to even remember the names of so many species of birds and animals , leave apart the intellect to recognise them.Really praiseworthy .The pictures taken depicts the flare of the writer in photography which gave a picturesque tone and colour to a wonderfully comailed travel note and diary for any reader to get motivated to plan and undertake the trip oneself. It was a treat to read the article.My compliments to Col SD Malhotra. Thank u so much.
ReplyDeleteWishing yiu many more wonderful tours and travels.
Regards.
Ravi Rawat
Thanks Ravi. You can see my other journeys and it will help you plan your journeys. The names of all birds and animals is given to me by my grandson, who is Nature Lover. He has amazing knowledge and is in 7 Th Grade.
ReplyDeleteHello Saikapian ! I was in Guwahati for my first posting in a bank . After retirement wrote a book on short stories : Journey from Guwahati to Machhiwara : book is now in 19 countries , 183 libraries India , 14 in Usa . Do read . Greetings from first batch student of SSK
ReplyDeleteGreat SD! I must commend you for the vivid description of your wonderful trip as also for instilling the love for nature in your grandson!! I would definitely like to read your other blogs. You have also given this great idea of spending quality time with the grandchildren doing things which would be memorable! Only, I would need to wait for a few years as our grandson is only one plus at the moment!!
ReplyDeleteFond regards,
Ashok Sawhney