Experiences in Manas
- 01
Bansbari Range and Gate
The main entry point to Manas National Park, near Barpeta Road, and the base for most jeep safaris. Entry fees are paid at the range office, where a ranger joins your vehicle.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to April, early morning
- Tickets
- Fees are paid at the Bansbari range office, about a kilometre before the gate, and an armed ranger joins the vehicle. Fees, slots and rules change, so check current details with the forest department before travelling.
- 02
Bhuyanpara Range
The eastern range of Manas, reached from the Pathsala side, with jeep safaris in morning and evening slots. It is quieter and less developed than Bansbari.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February
- Tickets
- Safaris are listed by Bodoland tourism for the Bhuyanpara range. Check fees, booking points and slots with the forest department, as arrangements here are less standardised than at Bansbari.
- 03
Birdwatching in Manas
Manas is better known for birds than most visitors expect, with hornbills, grassland species and the Bengal florican among the draws.
- Time needed
- 2-4 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February, dawn
- Tickets
- No separate ticket is needed beyond park entry and a ranger. Bring binoculars and a field guide, and ask your ranger about recent sightings.
- 04
Jeep Safari in Manas
The standard way to see Manas: a ranger-escorted open-jeep drive through grassland and forest, with morning and evening slots in the Bansbari and Bhuyanpara ranges.
- Time needed
- 3-4 hours per drive
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February, early morning
- Tickets
- Entry fees are paid at the range office and a ranger rides along. Forest department jeeps are not normally available, so hire a private jeep near Bansbari or at Barpeta Road. Check current fees and slots.
- 05
Rafting on the Manas River
A gentle float on the Manas river through forest and grassland, offered between the park's riverside points when water and operators allow.
- Time needed
- 2-3 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February, when water is low and clear
- Tickets
- Trips are run by the forest department and private operators, with fees that change. Book through the Bansbari range office or your lodge, and confirm current availability.
Temples in Manas
- 06
Barpeta Satra
A Vaishnavite monastery founded in 1583 by Madhavdeva, with the largest prayer hall in Assam. It is best added as a stop on the road between Guwahati and Manas.
- Time needed
- 1-1.5 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- October to March
- Tickets
- Entry is free as far as one travel guide indicates, but check local custom. Dress modestly, remove footwear, and ask before photographing inside the Kirtanghar. Rules around festivals can differ.
Day trips in Manas
- 07
Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary
A small wildlife sanctuary of about 26 sq km in the Himalayan foothills, set up in 1980 to protect the hispid hare and the pygmy hog.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- November to February
- Tickets
- Check access, permissions and any fees with the forest department or Bodoland tourism before you plan. Rules are less standardised than at Manas.
Culture in Manas
- 08
Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society
A community conservation society formed by local youth in 2003, which employs former poachers as volunteers and runs ecotourism and livelihood programmes around Manas.
- Time needed
- 1-2 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February
- Tickets
- Visiting arrangements are not fixed. Programmes and camps have changed over time, so check directly with the society or your lodge before you plan around them.
Landmarks in Manas
- 09
Mathanguri and the Manas River
A remote riverside spot inside Manas where the river leaves Bhutan for India. The government forest lodge here looks over the water and the Bhutan hills.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- November to February, early morning
- Tickets
- Day visitors enter through Bansbari; staying at the forest lodge needs a permit from the Field Director's office at Barpeta Road. Access and rules have varied, so confirm before you go.
