Namdapha National Park
India's wildest rainforest, home to four big cats
In the remote far east of Arunachal, where India narrows towards Myanmar, Namdapha is the country's third-largest national park and one of its last great wildernesses. Rising from tropical rainforest at 200 metres to snow at over 4,500 metres, it packs an extraordinary range of habitats into one protected area — and is the only place in the world known to hold four big cats: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard.
This is not a manicured safari park but a serious wilderness for the adventurous, birder or naturalist: dense forest, river crossings, basic camps and the chance of hoolock gibbons, red panda, rare hornbills and hundreds of bird species. Reaching and exploring it takes effort and a good local operator, and that difficulty is exactly why it remains so pristine.
What to see & do
- Pristine rainforest and the Noa-Dihing river
- Hoolock gibbons, red panda and rare hornbills
- Exceptional birdlife for serious birdwatchers
- The remote Miao–Deban forest trails and camps
Getting to Namdapha National Park
| How to reach | From Miao in Changlang district, reached via Dibrugarh/Tinsukia (Assam); the nearest airport is Dibrugarh. |
| Best time | October to April. |
| Permit | Inner Line Permit (Indians) or Protected Area Permit (foreigners), plus forest entry; arrange through a specialist operator. |
| Good to know | This is for committed naturalists and trekkers — go with an experienced local guide and allow several days. |
More to explore
Kaziranga National Park
Golaghat & Nagaon districts
The last stronghold of the one-horned rhinoceros.
Manas National Park
Bodoland, Bhutan foothills
A World Heritage tiger reserve on the Bhutan frontier.
Ziro Valley
Apatani plateau, Lower Subansiri
The Apatani rice-and-fish valley, and India's finest music festival.