Most people visiting the North-East rely on travel agents to get permits made. Information is hard to come by, if you want to apply for it yourself. ‘Travel On The Dollar’ has a compilation of contact details of offices in Kolkata, Guwahati and other places in the North East where one can apply for permits. The page has info on getting permits for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Guwahati
Indian citizens can pick up Inner Line Permits at the relevant state offices. However, foreigners shouldn’t expect the slightest morsel of permit assistance at these offices.
Arunachal House (Tel: +91 361 2452859) Head south from the GNB flyover, take the first left off RG Baruah Rd, then turn right up an unmarked dead-end lane.
Read Permits for travel to Northeast India
Here is a summary of all posts on North East India series I had been writing till now.
IMAGES FROM NORTH EAST
* Arunach Pradesh(Eaglenest National Park, Tawang)
* Assam and Meghalaya(Guwahati, Nameri, Kaziranga, Shillong, Cherrapunjee)
ENTERING THE NORTH EAST
* Beginning of the series
* From Bangalore to Guwahati
* Impressions of Guwahati
* Umananda temple and Peacock Island
Brahmaputra flows at Guwahati
EAGLENEST NATIONAL PARK
* Travelling to Eaglenest
* About Vacation For Conservation
* First Day at Eaglenest
* The days at Eaglenest
* Haathi Trail
* About Eaglenest National Park
Rhododendrons at Eaglenest
TAWANG
* From Eaglenest to Tawang – I
* From Eaglenest to Tawang – II
* Tawang Monastery
* Snow and Lakes beyond Tawang
* Around Tawang
* Returning from Tawang
Inside Tawang Monastery
WILDERNESS OF ASSAM
* Nameri National Park
* Arriving at Kaziranga National Park
* At Kaziranga National Park
* About Kaziranga National Park
A One Horned Rhino at Kaziranga
MEGHALAYA
* Lazing in Shillong
* Cherrapunjee
Nohkalikai falls, Cherrapunjee
MORE
* On travelling in the North East India
* Assam’s degrading environment
Travelling in the North-East in the summer of 2006
Guwahati >> Eaglenest >> Tawang >> Nameri >> Kaziranga >> Shillong >> Cherrapunjee
+Previous: At Kaziranga National Park
+Next: Lazing in Shillong
+Go to the beginning of the series
Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is well known for One Horned Rhino which have now become endemic to the region.
Previous posts on Kaziranga
* Arriving at Kaziranga
* Two days at Kaziranga
Although Kaziranga is not the only place where you see the Rhinos, it is the place where you see them in plenty, and a sighting is almost guaranteed. You can find Rhinos in a few more parks in Assam. Rhinos, though are the prime attraction of the park, there are other animals in plenty, such as the elephants, wild buffaloes, deer(swamp deer, chitals, barking deer). The park even has tigers, though sightings are not common. When it comes to birds, Kaziranga is the habitat of Bengal Florican, a rare, critically endangered species.
A few decades ago, the numbers of the Rhinos were rapidly declining due to rampant poaching, and the future looked bleak for them in Kaziranga. But good park management and a ‘shoot to kill’ approach against the poachers in the later years has brought life back to the park, and the Rhinos have thrived, with plenty of food and water available in the grasslands on the banks of Brahmaputra.
THINGS TO DO, AND PLACES TO STAY
Elephant rides in the park are one of the biggest attraction, since it lets you get very close to the Rhinos. Although the safari elephants are in good numbers, you may not be guaranteed a ride due to rush in the peak season. You can also go on a jeep safari in the park. Accommodation around the park is also limited. There are very few hotels or resorts, and a few government run lodges are the main places to stay. Book ahead during weekends and seasons. Wild Grass Lodge, a mid-range accommodation has earned itself a good name.
HOW TO REACH
Kohora is the village just outside the National Park where all tourist amenities and the park office are located. Kaziranga is a six hour journey from Guwahati. Buses from Guwahati to Jorhat and Dibrugarh go via Kohora.