These days, the term unicorn is liberally (and may even exclusively) used for a business with a billion dollar plus valuation. But the unicorn we were seeking was an animal which no amount of money on the planet could replace if it ceased to exist. I'm referring to the talismanic Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, which may (as some legends suggest) have been the inspiration for the mythical Unicorn. Brought back from the brink of extinction, these majestic armour-plated creatures are the piece de resistance of Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a perfect segue to a wonderful Manas trip. Kaziranga, apart from being the beautiful place it is, was also one of my brother's favourite places so being there always makes us feel more connected with him.
We arrived from Guwahati as a large family/friends group into the super comfortable Iora (and its sister property Niltava) after a lovely 3-day Brahmaputra cruise. The expectation was Rhino, hope was Tiger! And for me, a few more lovely birds to add to my collection. Being reunited with Kushal Boruah, Iora's wonderful naturalist was a pleasure and he was going to be with us all through, starting with a bit of pre-safari birding the next morning. I woke up with anticipation, which was quickly dashed by the weather - it was raining! Kushal being the optimistic soul he is, still took us to the nearby tea estates. But there was to be no birding. Luckily the rain cleared up quickly and we were able to do our jeep safari in the Western (Baghori) Zone. We enter the park, head to a waterbody and the first thing our jeep's naturalist Papu Chowdhury points out is a duck a distance away and says "Take photo, I've seen Greater Scaup here last week". And that's like a crazy thought - these ducks are incredibly rare. I took a few distant photos, which Papu later confirmed were those of said Scaup. My trip was already made.
Then we saw the Rhinos, in a sequence. First we saw a mother and calf a little away from the road. They were then joined in the frame by another rhino and then one more joined them in the background making it four in one frame! And for an otherwise solitary animal, this was quite extraordinary. A testament to the wonderful work being done in Kaziranga for the conservation of this special animal. From a few hundred maybe three decades ago, there are now well over 2000 Rhinos in the park. Sightings are plentiful and the guides and drivers are usually respectful for an angry rhino is very dangerous. Driving to our hotel and I saw a bird land on a stalk of bamboo, a Blue-bearded Bee-eater; I'd seen it many times but never managed to photograph This time too, the light was not great but I managed a couple of shots before it flew off.
The afternoon was in the much celebrated Central Zone - Kohora. Not only are Rhino sightings good here, it also has the best tiger sightings in Kaziranga. As an aside, Kaziranga has the highest density of tigers across India's National Parks but sightings are uncommon because of the vegetation; tall thick grass or dense woodland. But Kushal mentioned that a tiger was regularly sighted near one of the watchtowers and we drove straight there and climbed the tower. And waited. While we awaited Lord (or Lady) Stripes, we practised some framing, first of a water buffalo swimming and then a Rhino crossing the water. All that stopped when we heard Hog Deer sound their alarm call. A tiger was on the move somewhere close! The calls kept coming with increased regularity and it seemed like the tiger would emerge any moment. A movement in the grass made us all hold our breath, as a shadowy figure stepped into the path. But alas, it was another Hog Deer! On the way out we heard from another jeep that a tiger had been spotted earlier a couple of kilometres down the road. Maybe it was the same tiger headed our way... we will never know.
The next morning, the others headed for a village walk hosted by the local Karbi tribe while my daughter and I went looking for Hoolock Gibbons, India's only ape species. The original plan was to head to the Gibbon Sanctuary near Jorhat ( 2 1/2 hours away) but the threat of rain made us reluctant to go that far in an open jeep. Kushal said that there are a couple of troupes near Burapahar, one of Kaziranga's westernmost ranges and so we decided to head there. Almost as soon as we got there, we saw a male Gibbon on a tree, right on the main road. And then we saw three more in the same tree. The light and foliage meant that photography wasn't an option, but it gave my daughter a wonderful sighting of an enigmatic and critically endangered species. A handsome Capped Langur posed for some decent photos though.
The Gibbons, their quota of humans done, proceeded to retire into the inner canopy, leaving us with time on our hands. Turns out that we could still make a quick dash into the Kohora Range. And we sallied forth, trying to look for some late morning activity. While we certainly weren't averse to a tiger or two, or a rhino or seven(teen), the goal was also to do some birding, maybe a Ruby-cheeked Sunbird or Blue-eared Barbet perhaps. But the first guest was a lovely Swamp Francolin. Usually the first to disappear into the grass, this kindly soul stood for a couple of minutes to give us some reasonably good frames.
Then we got off the traditional Kohora stomping grounds and headed into paths more quiet and suited for some birdin'. Or so we thought. Even as we waited for a pair of White-tailed Robins to show themselves, we had to deal with convoy-level vehicular traffic. And all of them, curious to figure out what we were stationed for, would stop and ask, only to be disappointed by our response of 'Sorai' (bird in Assamese) For a short while, the convoy took a break, and that was enough for the Robins to come out and sing. The female was far more effusive as she perched on an open twig, while the male was more shy. We got good shots of the female and quickly moved on.
A couple of ellies gave us an audience before Papu asked, "Do you want to see a King Cobra?" And we were like "What? Of course!" - and lo! we round a bend and he points to something in a bush less than 15 feet away. It was a King - An enormous lifer! We got some photos of it basking, and while it was impressive as a whole, the eyes were just mesmerising. Filled with a kind of regal malevolence if that's a real thing. We left it to its sunbathing and headed back to the gate, but not without a sighting of a lovelyPallas' Fish Eagle. A lovely dhaba lunch later, we returned to the hotel, to find the others having had a stellar morning with the Karbis on a trek-cum-village visit-cum-lunch.
That afternoon was slated for an Agoratoli visit, one of the park's most beautiful zones, and my favourite. It's a mix of open grassland and waterbodies on one side of the track, thick forest on the other and the mighty Brahmaputra at the end. Safaris here are always pleasant and very enjoyable, and so it would prove this time around too, for the five of us who made it. A Falcated Duck at a distance and a couple of Swamp Deers opened proceedings, followed by a couple of Rhinos followed by a lovely White-rumped Shama and an Eastern Spot-billed Duck. We then were witness to a face-off between a Steppe and Greater Spotted Eagle over a kill made by the former. The Steppe wasn't in any mood to share his late-ish lunch even when the latter bristled and strutted with no disguised aggression. Eventually, he decided to try his luck at a more receptive eating-joint.
To finish with with the food theme, we then saw a Smooth-coated otter running into the water with a fish head in its mouth. The Brahmaputra arrived and we got off to marvel at this giant river, all of 5kms wide here, and still less than half the width of its widest point! A mother elephant mock-charged us on our way back and a couple of Rhino photos in twilight closed off proceedings.
The final morning saw me missing safaris in favour of some birding. Kushal and I went over to some thickets near our hotel to search for Shortwings. Before that, in a dried up field, arrived a lifer in the form of a Bengal Bushlark. I got a sighter of a Lesser Shortwing as it flitted about in the bush but not enough to be able to say I saw it well. We then headed to the fringes of the Panbari Sanctuary to look for a couple of the other targets. A Ruby-cheeked Sunbird appeared unannounced even as I was shooting a Dark-necked Tailorbird. I just about managed a glance at the sunbird before, evidently displeased at the neglect, it hoofed off and never appeared again.
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| Dark-necked Tailorbird |
And that completed another magical trip to one of my favourite parts of the world. Here's to a repeat visit soon.
Kaziranga Trip Guide
Kaziranga National Park is about 230kms east of Guwahati, Assam's main city and nerve centre. The closest big town (and airport) is Jorhat, about 110 kms away. It's a park that's surprisingly easy to access and has a number of well appointed places to stay, across a range of prices.
How to get there
Jorhat's Rowriah Airport (110 kms - 2 hours) is the closest airport. It's not as well served by airlines as it used to be a few years ago, so Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport (230kms) is a more reliable option.
Where to stay
Kaziranga has a number of places to stay, across budget ranges. Since we were traveling as families, with kids and an elder with us, we chose the comfortable Iora Kaziranga. It's a lovely place with wonderful rooms and an excellent Assamese restaurant. The rest of the F&B act can do with some tightening though. Iora also has Kushal, so it was the perfect choice for us in more ways than one.
Iora also has a smaller sister property Niltava nearby, which is really pretty and as comfortable, if not as expansive as Iora.
Wild Grass is the oldest hotel in Kaziranga, though not as luxurious as Iora. Hardocre wildlifers not chasing luxury usually head here. Their naturalist Palash Barua is also a local legend. I've stayed there on a previous visit.
There are other newer properties as well, but none that I've personally stayed in.
Safaris
Zones: Kaziranga has 3 tourist zones - Kohora (Central), Baghori (Western) and Agaratoli (Eastern) One should aim to cover off all these zones at least once, so please plan a trip with at least 4-5 safaris.
Timings: The timings in Kaziranga are a bit strange. The park opens at 7:30 in winter, which is probably the latest of any park in the country. Given its location in the far east of India, it is bright at 6:00 am even in peak winter, so the 7:30 time is a bit difficult to fathom.
The afternoon safari is more in line with other parks, entering around 2 pm, till around sunset.
Guides
All hotels have their own naturalists, so do ask for them in advance. The park has forest guards (with guns) who accompany some of the vehicles and these guys are very well informed as well. Unlike other parks, mandatory, rostered Forest Guides do not exist in the Kaziranga system,
And if you're staying in Iora, please do ask for the superb Kushal Boruah. If possible, he will team up with the super-sharp Papu Choudhury and together they will make your trip a memorable one.
Food
Assamese food is absolutely delicious, with a combination of delicate flavours and some serious chilli. The local food that we had in Iora's Assamese restaurant was superb!
Other tips
Kaziranga can get cold in winter, so do pack some woolies or jackets.
Check for rain forecasts, and pack some basic rain wear and protection for your cameras.
