Area : 688 sq. km.

Established : The park was first established in 1908 as a reserve forest, 1940 as a wild life sanctuary, 1974 as a national park.

Description :
Kaziranga National park lies on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and its boundary for the most part follows the Mora Diphlu river and runs parallel to National highway No.37. The predominant vegetation is a mixture of tall grasslands and riverine forests. There are many marshes, interconnecting streams and ox-bow lakes, known locally as 'bheels' or 'bils'. To the south of the park lie the Mikir Hills which rise to over 1,000 metres elevation. Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary is famous for great one-horned Rhions. Other attractions of this National Park include the wild Buffalo, Swamp Deer and Gangetic Dolphin. The park may be explored by riding elephant or 4-wheel drive motor vehicles. There are several watch towers. The nearby Panbari Reserve Forest is the best place to see the Hoolock Gibbon. Kaziranga national park has a rich birdlife. There is a colony of Spot-billed pelicans and the rare Bengal Floricans inhabit the grasslands. This area is also known for the famous Assam tea and during the winter and spring it is worthwhile visiting the nearby tea plantations to see tea leaves being picked and processed. A wide variety of snakes including the rock python and the monitor lizard are also found here. Among the birds, the crested serpent eagle is common while Palla's fishing eagle and grey headed fishing eagle are fequently seen.

CITY SIGHTS:
Kakochang waterfall: This is 13 kms from Bokakhat. Not far from the park are the ruins of the ancient Numaligarh. These ruins are of great archaeological importance. The tea gardens of Hathkhuli, Methoni, Difalu, Behora Borchapori are also other local attractions. Also visit the coffee and rubber plantations behind the tourist lodge.

Season :
November-March.

Access : Drive to the park from Guwahati (219 km, 6 hours) or Jorhat (96 km, 2 hours) airport accessible by flights from Delhi and Calcutta respectively. The nearest railway station is Jakhalabandha ( 43 km).

Park visits: The park can be visited on an Elephant back or in a Jeep. There are trips covering Mihimukh, Baguri, Hole path, Arimarah, Kohora Central path-Baguri all areas teeming with wildlife-all authentically wild.

Climate: The climate of Kaziranga national park is tropical. Summers are hot and winters cold. Take cotton clothes for summers and do not forget to pack woollens during winters. The average rainfall is 160 cms. But the monsoon months bring heavy downpours which often flood the park

General Information

Best time to visit : November-April
Nearest Town : Bokakhat (23 km)
How to get there : Air-Jorhat (84 km) Rail-Guwahati
Where to stay: Government Tourist Lodge, Miao and Rest house at Namchik.