Manas Tiger Reserve (Timings, Entry Fee, Safari Online Booking & How to Reach)
Located in the state of Assam at the foothills of the Bhutan hills, Manas Tiger Reserve has been created in the year of 1973. This was done with the launch of Project Tiger in India. It has Manas Sanctuary as its core which was established in the year of 1928. Earlier, the area used to be called as Manas Reserve Forest. It was also a hunting preserve for the Raja of Gauripur and the Cooch-Behar Royal Family. Spread across an area of 391 sq. km, the sanctuary now covers six districts which are Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang.
Manas Tiger Reserve has been one of the popular tiger reserves of India and presents tourists with not just a rich fauna but exotic flora as well to look at.
Flora @ Manas Tiger Reserve
In Manas Sanctuary, one can spot wide range of species which constitute 374 species of dicots and 139 species of monocots. Some of the species of the plant that you can find here are Reinwardia indica, Bischofia javanica, Callicarpa arboarea, Dendrocalamus bamiltonii, Duabanga grandiflora, Biden pilore, Exacum teres, Pygmaeoprema herbacea, Chiloschhiosta junifera, Oplismenus megaphyllus, Magnifera sylvetica, grasses Imperata Cylindrica, Narenga porphyrocoma, etc.
Fauna @ Manas Tiger Reserve
The Manas reserve boasts of around 21 recorded endangered species of mammals. Some of the prominent species, apart from the Tiger, which are found here are Capped Langur, golden Langur, Slow Loris, Tiger, Black Panther, Leopard Cat, Clouded Leopard, Golden Cat, Fishing Cat, Bear cat, Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant, Indian Pangolin, one-horned rhinoceros, Asiatic Water Buffalo, Swamp Deer, Particoloured Flying Squirrel, Hispid Hare and Gangetic Dolphin.
Best time to visit Manas Tiger Reserve
The best time to visit Manas Tiger Reserve is during the months of November and April. As during monsoon season, the places sees heavy rainfall and in summers it gets humid and hot, it is better to visit from the months of November to March or April.
Reaching the Manas Tiger Reserve
- By Rail: The nearest railway station to the reserve is at Barpeta Road which is located at a distance of 44 kilometres. There are trains running regularly between Guwahati railway station, which is a major railway station and Barpeta Road.
- By Air: The nearest airport is at Guwahati. It is connected to the rest of country via various flight services. Along with important cities such as Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, there are flights from smaller airports as well like Itanagar, Shillong and Tawang. One can hire taxi from the city to the reserve.
- By Road: There are many private and public buses running to the reserve from nearby towns and cities. One can also hire a private vehicle and travel at his/her own pace and in comfort.
Accommodation @ Manas Tiger Reserve
For accommodation of tourists, there are tourist Lodge and Forest Rest Houses available. A forest bungalow at Mothanguri with dormitory style facilities providing accommodation for 48 persons is located within the park. There are many other camps available as well for the tourists.