You are not currently logged in.

Travel Guides

Dudhwa NP Travel Guide

Travel to Dudhwa NP - Tiger Safari in Little-Visited Reserve

Ratings:: 3.71 out of 5 (7 votes)

Reviews:: Be the first to write a review

In the north of Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal and fed by Himalayan meltwaters Dudhwa National Park is home to rare and endangered species which includes the royal Bengal tiger. A visit to this little-visited park may just allow a sighting of this increasingly threatened animal.

The grasslands of the reserve are the habitat of the largest kind of Indian deer - the barasingha swamp deer, so called because of their magnificent antlers (bara-twelve; singha-antler). A decline in their habitats led to a drastic decline in numbers and a small area named Sonaripur Sanctuary was set aside in 1958 for the conservation of this rare species. Later, it was upgraded to cover an area of 212 sq. km and was renamed the Dudhwa Sanctuary. In 1977, the area was further extended to include over 614 sq. km and was declared a National Park. Eleven years later, in 1988, when Dudhwa became a part of Project Tiger, the area of the Kishanpur Sanctuary was added to create the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

The park is one of the finest of the few remaining examples of exceedingly diverse and productive terai eco-system. The northern edge of the reserve lies along the Indo-Nepal border and the river Suheli marks the southern boundary. Access is difficult making it little-visited by Western visitors, but with falling numbers of tigers a visit is well worth considering.

Attractions in Dudhwa NP

Dudhwa is home to a large number of rare and endangered species which includes tiger, leopard, barasingha, hispid hare and Bengal florican. About 1800 barasingha are to be found in the reserve and majestic herds are especially seen in the grassy wetlands of the Sathania and Kakraha blocks.

The Reserve has a range of fascinating wildlife highlights include sloth bear, ratel, civet, jackal, leopard cat, fishing cat and jungle cats, chital, hog deer and barking deer. The hispid hare - a dark brown animal with bristly fur – was last seen in the area in 1951 and believed to have become extinct, was rediscovered in 1984. The short nosed crocodile - the mugger - and otters can be seen along the river banks as well as pythons and monitor lizards.

There are thought to be some 76 tigers in the reserve and a safari into the interior by jeep or better on elephant-back can be arranged with the park authorities. This is best done through a recognised Indian travel expert who knows the conditions of entry etc.

A bird watchers' paradise, Dudhwa is also noted for its 400 species. Its swamps and several lakes attract varieties of waters fowl. Being close to the Himalayan foothills, Dudhwa also gets its regular winter visitors in the form of migratory water birds; the Banke Tal is perhaps the most popular spot for birdwatchers. There are egrets, cormorants, heron and several species of duck, geese and teal. Colourful birds - varieties of woodpeckers, barbets, bulbuls, kingfishers, bee eaters, orioles, drongos and hornbills are all part of its rich bird life as are raptors such as the grey headed fishing eagle, Pallas fishing eagle and marsh harrier.

Dudhwa has also the ideal kind of terrain for the Indian rhino. Once found here in large numbers, they had been hunted down and had completely disappeared from this area by 1878. More lately, it was feared that epidemics and disease would wipe out the existing populations of rhino on Assam, West Bengal and Nepal and a decision was taken to distribute some in other suitable areas. In an exciting experiment, one male and five female rhinos were relocated here from Assam and Nepal, in 1985. Now well-settled in Dudhwa, their numbers have increased to 16. At present, tourists are not allowed in the rhino area.

Activities in Dudhwa NP

An elephant-back safari is a must-do activity when visiting and these can be arranged by your local travel expert via the park authorities. For a variety of reasons elephants are not always available so a jeep safari is second option.

Relaxing

After a day on safari there is no better way to relax than by sipping a cold drink from the comfort of one of the lodges outside the perimeter of Dudhwa in the buffer zone, enjoying the sounds of the Indian jungle.

Getting Around

Getting to Dudhwa can be time consuming if travelling there by public transport. Bareilly is the nearest major railhead. Dudhwa is on the North-Eastern Railway's metre-guage track and is connected via Mailani to Lucknow. The nearest stations are Dudhwa (4 km), Palia (10 km), Mailani (37 kms). Far more convenient is to make the journey their in a privately hired car.