Manas National Park, the only tiger project in
Assam, is situated in
Kokrajhar and
Barpeta districts. It lies south-east of River Manas, on the foothills of the
Himalayas, along the Assam-Bhutan border.
Manas National Park spreads over an area of 391 sq km and extends over the national boundary to Bhutan. This sanctuary is home rare golden langur,
hispid hare,
pygmy hog, red pandas, giant hornbill, elephants, tiger, panther, leopard, clouded leopard, gaur, wild-buffalo, great one horned rhinoceros, capped-langur, civet cat, squirrel, sloth beat, sambar deer, swamp deer,
hog deer, otter, monitor lizard, gharial, python, great hornbill, florican cormorants, egrets and various species of migratory and predatory birds. Elephant ride, boating facilities and camping sites are the other points of interest.
The best time to visit is November to April. Rest houses are available for accommodation.
The park is around 176 km from Guwahati, which has the nearest airport. The nearest railway station is
Barpeta Road Railway Station, about 40 km from the park.
All visitors to Manas National Park need an entry permit, which is issued by the Field Director at Barpeta Road. Elephant rides are the way for seeing wildlife. Boats are also available for wildlife-watching trips down the Manas and Hakua rivers.
