Manas National Park
A World Heritage tiger reserve on the Bhutan frontier
Where the Himalaya of Bhutan meet the plains of Assam, Manas is a rare double distinction: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve all at once. Quieter and wilder than Kaziranga, it is set against a backdrop of blue Bhutanese hills, with the Manas river running clear through the forest.
Manas is the last refuge of several species found almost nowhere else, including the golden langur, the pygmy hog and the hispid hare, alongside tigers, elephants, wild buffalo and clouded leopard. Its recovery from years of unrest into a thriving, community-protected reserve is one of Indian conservation's great success stories.
What to see & do
- Golden langur, pygmy hog and other rare endemics
- Tigers, elephants and wild buffalo in a quieter setting than Kaziranga
- The Manas river and the Bhutan hills as a backdrop
- Community-run eco-camps on the fringe of the park
Getting to Manas National Park
| How to reach | About 4 hours from Guwahati via Barpeta Road, the gateway town. No airport nearby; drive from Guwahati. |
| Best time | November to April; closed in the monsoon. |
| Permit | No permit for Assam; safaris arranged through the forest department or eco-camps. |
| Good to know | Pair a Manas trip with the Bodoland cultural circuit, and consider a community homestay for the fuller experience. |
More to explore
Kaziranga National Park
Golaghat & Nagaon districts
The last stronghold of the one-horned rhinoceros.
Tea Gardens & River Cruises
Upper Assam & the Brahmaputra
Colonial bungalows, endless green, and life on the great river.
Namdapha National Park
Changlang, the far east
India's wildest rainforest, home to four big cats.