Dibru saikhowa National Park Assam

Location :513-km From Guwahati, Assam
Coverage area : 340-sq-kms
Main attraction : Semi-Wild Horse & White-Winged Wood Duck
Best time to visit :February to May and October and November
Nearby excursions :
Nearby cities :Tinsukia

Situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in the extreme east of Assam state in India, Dibru-Saikhowa is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve that sprawls over an area of 340 sq km. Boasting of the most vibrant wildness on earth and being distinct for its pristine scenic beauty, it is the safe haven for many extremely rare and endangered species of wildlife. It is the perfect example of tropical wet evergreen forests that is one of the nineteen biodiversity hotspots around the world.

With Lohit and Dibru rivers on its sides, this National Park is 12km north from Tinsukia town in Assam. At an altitude of 118m above sea level, it is the largest Salix swamp forest in north east India. Dibru-Saikhowa was named a wildlife

Sanctuary in 1986 when it united two Reserve forest, viz., Dibru and Saikhowa along with some other closeby areas. DibruSaikhowa was declared as a National park in the year of 1999. It has been divided into nine distinct zones and the most prominent one of which is the wetland while dense forests occupy the remaining portions. The sparkling sylvan wetlands make it a rare beauty, more so after the monsoons.

National park is an area which is strictly reserved for the growth and development of wildlife and biodiversity. It is one such place where activities like developmental, forestry, poaching, hunting and grazing on cultivation are completely prohibited. With well marked and circumscribed boundaries, it is only open for tourists and researchers.

Climatic conditions

Dibru-Saikhowa has tropical monsoon climate that is characterized by a wet and hot summer and a dry and cool winter. Best time to visit the park is during the months of February to May and October and November. Rest of the year, it is either raining incessantly or is too hot. During summer seasons like in the month of June and August the temperature remains close to 34 - 38?C but it also rains during that season. Light cotton clothes are the best to wear if you are planning a travel here.

Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Though the park was primarily meant for the conservation and development of White winged wood duck its natural habitat, it is also famous for its bright colored wild horses called the Feral Horses. about 36 species of mammals have so far been recorded in the park out of which twelve of them are listen in the Scheduled 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is the habitat of some rare and endangered animals such as are Hoolock gibbon, water buffalo, tiger, elephant, capped langur, slow loris, and gangetic river dolphin.Slow Loris, Pig Tailed Macaque, Assamese Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, Wild Boar, Sambar, and Hog Deer, barking Deer are the ther varieties you might spot while being in the Park.

Dibru-Saikhowa is a loved place for the bird watchers. as it is an abode to and welcomes several extremely rare and endangered endemic and migratory birds, interested wildlife enthusiasts can visit the park to get a lifetime of experience. Spot billed pelican, White bellied heron, Pallah?s fishing eagle, Pale capped pigeon, Swamp francolin are some of the indigenous species while Geyleg goose, Bar-headed goose, pelican, Brahmini duck, and Black stork are the migratory species which flock every year to this Park.

Flora

Grasslands, semi wet evergreen forests, and tropical moist deciduous forest dominate the topography. The vegetation here consists of various species of herbs, medicinal plants and shrubs. The forest consists of beautiful pine vegetation and some other common and rare other tropical trees. To name some of them would be:

Tetrasperma, Dalbergiasissoo, Dibru-Saikhowa, Dilleniaindica, Terminaliamyriocarpa, Mesuaferrea, Bombaxceiba, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Arundodonax, Imperatacylindrica, Phragmatieskarka, Erianthusravanea and more.

Distance of Dibru saikhowa National Park Assam from major cities:

Kolkata, 1556.2 km
Delhi, 2457 km
Mumbai , 3350.3 km
Chennai, 3191 km
Assam, 454.4 km
Dibrugarh, 91 km
Guwahati, 529 km
Manipur, 582 km
Sikkim, 1059 km

How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

Dibru-Saikhowa is well connected by airways, national highway and is also well linked by Indian Railway. The nearest town to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is Tinsukia, where the office of DFO wildlife Division is located. Dibrugarh is the nearest airport and is about 40km away from Tinsukia Town. There are buses and cars available for transfer to the town. Distance from Tinsukia to Guijan and Dhola entry point is about 10km and 50km respectively. Buses, taxies and auto rickshaws are available from Tinsukia for going to the DibruSaikhowa National Park.

Railways

One of the easiest ways to reach Tinsukia town is through the trains. There are some express train routes to Dibrugarh. The Dibrugarh railway station is located in the heart of the city and has taxis and auto rickshaws easily available for transfer.

Roadways

It is about 55 km and has buses from the town of Tinsukia. The distance between the city of Guwahati and DibruSaikhova National Park is close to 500 km but it is recommended to take other routes as there is often bad maintenance of the roads.This sanctuary is located 80 km from the Mohanbari (Dibrugarh) Airport and also close to the towns of Duliajan, Digboi, and Margherita in Upper Assam.

Accommodation facilities

There is an Inspection Bungalow at Guijan which is about 10km from Tinsukia which need prior appointment from the responsible authority. Private hotels and forest Inspection Bungalow at Tinsukia town also have some of the most comfortable accommodation provision. Dibru-Saikhowa Eco Camp offers a friendly, home-like hospitality which is often one of the best accommodation choices for travelers who want to spend some quality time amidst nature. Hotel Highway, Hotel Akanksha Palace, Hotel Mr Plaza, Babblers Inn are some of the other top choices you can look for.

Motorboat safari

Unlike most forests where it takes you go on a Jeep safari to spot the wildlife, Dibru-Saikhowa has diesel-run motor boats to do the job. They have arrangement to go on a leisurely cruise meandering across trees which grow right in the middle of the river. The scenery all around is what exactly any nature lover would crave for. The boat stops at various places including a forest guard house, where you can interact to know about their lives as the guards in this otherwise isolated National Park and how it feels to live in the wild. Apart from various birds and mammals, you can spot river dolphins while being on this river safari.