Kolkata / Day 1 - 2
Arrive in the eastern gateway of the country. After breakfast, we have an opportunity to enjoy a first taste of India’s remarkable birdlife in the city’s parks and wetlands. Situated within ten kilometers of the bustling city centre, the Satragachi Jheel is a noted wetland site, which plays host to thousands of migratory wildfowl in winter. Lesser known Whistling-ducks are generally abundant, along with good numbers of other waterfowl - some familiar, others less so - including Little Cormorant, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Gadwall, Ferruginous Duck, Fulvous and Cotton Pygmy- goose. Bronze-winged Jacanas stalk across the choking Water Hyacinths. Spend the day sightseeing at various places like the Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Kali Ghat Temple, Botanical Gardens, flower market, St. Paul’s Cathedral Church and Mother Teresa’s House. The day is spent getting oriented to the culturally rich city of Kolkata.
Manas / Day 3 - 4
Morning transfer to airport to board flight for Guwahati. On arrival continue drive to Manas. Manas National Park is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas and a part of it extends to Bhutan. It was declared a sanctuary on October 01, 1928 and was designated a World Heritage site in December 1985. The sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including tiger, Golden Langur, Wild Buffalo, Hispid Hare, Pigmy Hog, Capped Langur, Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, Elephant, Gaur, Hog Deer, etc. The scenic beauty and rare wealth of wild life combine with this unique world heritage site to offer one of the most enthralling experiences. Early morning go for elephant safari. Post breakfast take a Jeep safari with packed lunch. This 90-kilometer jeep safari is of especial interest to the birdwatcher. It takes in the area round the village of Koklabari, which is now being developed as a bird-watching area, then through jungle to Alabari and Namlang. There are a number of watchtowers built by the forest department on both these routes. Return to the lodge in the evening.
Nameri National Park / Day 5 - 6
After breakfast drive to Nameri National Park located on the banks of the river Bhorelli on the northern side of the Brahmaputra. Situated on the foothills of the great Himalayas, it is another tiger and bison country. Deciduous forests with the river Jia Bhorelli flowing by its side, have added a unique charm to it. Nameri is famous for its sizeable population of the very rare White-winged Wood Duck. Other interesting birds to be found here includes White-cheeked Partridge, Great, Wreathed, and Rufous-necked Hornbills, Ruddy, Blue-eared, and Oriental Dwarf Kingfishers, Oriental Hobby, Amur Falcon and more. Enjoy full day birding at Nameri National Park.
Nameri National Park / Kaziranga National Park / Day 7
Post breakfast go for river rafting on the Jia Bhorali river. Later drive to Kaziranga National Park (110 kms / 02 ½ hrs) and check in at hotel. Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site, where more than 75% of the world’s total population of the great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros can be found. About 400 species of birds are found in Kaziranga National Park including Swamp Francolin, Kalij Pheasant, Greylag, Goose, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Streak Throated Woodpecker, Bay Woodpecker, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Osprey, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Pied Falconets, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Greater Adjutant Stork, Black necked Stork, Grey-headed Lapwing, Indian White Backed Vulture, Long Billed Vulture, along with a large number of Spotted Billed Pelican. Sighting is excellent and is always a great experience. The specialties here is the blue naped pitta among a host of eagles and waterfowls.
Kaziranga National Park / Day 8 - 9
Morning and afternoon we take jeep safaris in the National park to different ranges. The Central Range passes through the entire habitat spectrum from ox-bow lakes, savannah woodland to Dillenia Swamp Forest. It is very good for mammal sightings as well as birds (Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Great Hornbill, Rufous Woodpecker). The Eastern Range is good for water birds such as Bar-headed Geese, Falcated Duck, Grey-headed Lapwing and Spot-billed Pelican. The Western Range has the highest density of Rhinos, as this part is swampier with extensive Haemarthia compressa stands. It is also good for grassland birds and raptors (Swamp Francolin, Pallass Fish-Eagle). Smooth Indian Otters Lutrogale perspicillata is sometimes seen fishing in the ox-bow lakes.
Kaziranga National Park – Jorhat / Day 10
After breakfast go for another jeep safari in the National Park. Later in the afternoon drive to Jorhat (80 kms / 02 hrs) and check in at hotel.
Jorhat – Tinsukia / Day 11
Early morning visit Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (22 kms/ 40 mins), famed for its hillock gibbon population, it an isolated wildlife forest surrounded by tea plantations. Later drive to Tinsukia (190 kms / 04 ½ hrs) and check in at hotel.
Tinsukia – Dibru – Saikhowa National Park – Tinsukia / Day 12
Early morning we visit Dibru- Saikhowa National Park and Magori Bheel. We take several boat rides on the Dibru River, go for jungle walk, bird and Gangetic Dolphin sighting. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park has the most distinct and vibrant wilderness on earth and is known for its pristine scenic beauty. The forest in this park ranges from semi-evergreen to deciduous to littoral to swampy marshes with patches of wet evergreen jungles. About 36 species of mammals have so far been recorded in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park – Royal Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Jungle Cat, Sloth Bear, Malayan Giant Squirrel, Slow Loris, to name a few.
Tinsukia – Digboi – Dibrugarh / Day 13
Today after early breakfast we drive to the oil-producing town of Digboi (35 kms / 45 mins) in eastern Assam, India’s first active oil field is now primarily a refining centre. There is a nature park surrounding the complex of old derricks and drilling platforms including the lowland forests and pools inside the park. This is the home of some birds like the White-winged Duck. 100’s of other species are found here. Later in the afternoon drive to Dibrugarh (60 kms / 01 ½ hrs) and check in at Heritage Chang Bungalow for overnight. Evening enjoy the local Bihu dance performance by an ethnic dance group on the bungalow lawns.
Dibrugarh – Kolkata / Day 14
Today early morning we drive to Jokai Reserve Forest (15 mins). Here one can see Small Niltava, Little Pied Flycatcher, Black-winged and Large Cuckoo-shrikes, flock of Pompadour Green Pigeons, jay-walking Emerald Dove, Red headed Trogon, Abbott’s Babbler, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, Ruby Checked Sunbird, Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker, Black breasted Thrush etc. Later, transfer to Dibrugarh airport to board flight to Kolkata and then onward connection.
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