Manas National Park - Photographing The Hidden Gems

Manas National Park is an UNESCO world heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an Elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve, located in the foothills of the Indo-Bhutan Himalayan border region Manas National Park is one of the favorite places for all photographers. On 25 February 2008, the area was increased to 950 km2. On 21 June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation. The park is divided into three ranges. The western range is based at Panbari, the central at Bansbari near Barpeta Road, and the eastern at Bhuiyapara near Pathsala. Manas is also one of the very few National Parks where you can take a full day safari from sunrise till sunset.

About our skipper

Our skipper and photography mentor for this trip have over 12 years of experience of photographing various rare species in this park. He is also the first person in India to have photographed wild clouded leopard through his lens in Manas, and also among the first to have documented and photographed some really rare actions and stories in this park.

Join us on Manas National Park Wildlife Photography Tour for a magical experience in one of the most beautiful National Parks in India and the world. Our skipper will guide you through the safari to understand different techniques and methods of photographing wildlife, the behavior of different animals and the right way to approach them to get better perspective images and the ethics of wildlife photography.

The park has recorded 55 species of mammals, 380 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles and 3 species of amphibians that any tourist can appreciate through our Manas National Park Photography Tour. Out of these wildlife, 21 mammals are India’s Schedule I mammals and 31 of them are threatened. The fauna of the park includes Indian elephants, Indian rhinoceros, gaurs, Asian water buffaloes, barasingha, Indian tigers, Indian leopards, clouded leopards, Asian golden cats, wild dogs (dholes), capped langurs, golden langurs, Assamese macaques, slow loris, hoolock gibbons, smooth-coated otters, sloth bears, barking deers, hog deers, black panthers, sambardeers and chitals. Around 150 species of birds have also been recorded in this park. The major species includes great hornbill, wreathed hornbill, rufous necked hornbill, pied hornbills, grey hornbills, red headed trogon, silver breasted broadbill, long tailed broadbill, sultan tit, jungle fowls, bulbuls, brahminy ducks, kalij pheasants, egrets, pelicans, fishing eagles, crested serpent-eagles, falcons, scarlet minivets, bee-eaters, magpie robins, mergansers, harriers, Indian Peafowl, ospreys and off course bengal florican for which the park is famous for.

 Day 1 : Arrive at Guwahati Airport in Assam. Flight would reach around noon. You will be received and picked up from the Airport. Almost 3-3.5 hours drive will take you to Manas National Park in Baksa district. Lunch on the way. Check in at the Resort. Since it will be evening by the time you reach you can relax in the evening or go around the property which is located at the boundary of the park. Occassinally you might get to see rhinos close to the fence.  Early dinner. (L/D)

 Day 2: Wake up call at 5 AM. Tea/coffee will be served by 5:30 AM and start for our first safari at 6 AM in Bansbari range along with packed breakfast tea/coffee. We will stay full day inside the park and in the after noon we will visit Panbang in Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan. It is arpund 20 kms across the border throught the dense forest and also a great place to capture few rare bird species. You should carry your voter id card or passport which needs to be produced at the border. Have lunch in Panbang. After spending a few hours exploring the area we will start your return journey. Its a long route through the forest and on the way we will come across a variety of species. By 6pm we will be at the gate. Have tea/coffee and snacks and relax in the evening. Early dinner at 8/8:30pm. (B/L/D)

 Day 3: Today we will get up early aeound 4:30 am. Have morning tea/coffee and leave early to visit a different range called Bhuiyapara. Its around 45 mins drive from the resort and you reach by 6am when the gates are open. This range is known more for big cat species and if we are lucky we can come across tigers here. You will also get variety of grassland birds as almost 90% of this range is grassland area. By noon you will be back to your resort for lunch. Evening safari would be in Bansbari again. You can explore the woodlands and grasslands for elephants, rhinos, Indian gaurs, and sometimes leopard on trees. Evening tea/coffee followed by early dinner. (B/L/D)

 Day 4 & 5: The next two days we explore the Bansbari range but we will be flexible to change our plan depending on the sightings. We will do two safaris each day at two different areas of Bansbari range. From 6:00 to 10:30am and from 2:30 to 6:00pm. While in the first half we will be more in the woodlands, after lunch we will be exploring the grassland areas. The most commonly sighted species of the park like rhinos, elephants, Indian gaurs, water buffaloes, leopards, hornbills and occasionally tigers are what you can expect to see. By 6pm we will be at the gate again. Evening tea/coffee followed by early dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 6: We wake up in the morning to enjoy around the camp. Have a luscious breakfast at around 7 AM and then drive back to Guwahati Airport. You will reach Guwahati Airport around noon.

Please note: Please book your flights keeping in mind the trip start time on Day 1 and end time on Day 6. In case you have to stay an extra day at Guwahati before or after the trip, the hotel booking has to be made by you.

To register for this photography tour you may send us your query/information through the ‘Contact Us’ tab or directly write to us at info@wildwondersexpeditions.com. We will revert soon with further details and the mode of payment. You may also give us a call at the below numbers.

+91 9874847774 / +91 7439705797