World Wildlife Day: 10 best national parks and forests in India

Adventure tip: Take a hot-air balloon ride over the park for some amazing views.

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Spread over 429.69 sq. km, the Kaziranga National Park is your best bet to see the one-horned rhinoceros in the wild. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this park is an abundance of several wildlife species like elephants, bears, swamp deer, wild buffalo, panthers, and many avian species, too. With the largest population of one-horned rhinos in the world, the conservation projects undertaken here are worth emulating. A five-hour drive from Guwahati, you can see a bird’s-eye view of the park from the watchtowers there.

Best time to visit: November to April is the ideal time to visit. Game drives happen in the morning from 7.30 am to 9.30 am and in the afternoon between 2 pm to 3.30 pm.

Adventure tip: Take an elephant ride and explore the forest or take a boat ride on the river Brahmaputra and explore the wildlife on the banks.

The mutually beneficial coexistence of species, an egret atop the one-horned rhinoceros of Kaziranga, Assam. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

Hemis National Park, Ladakh

Spread over 4,400 sq. km, the Hemis National Park is home to 16 species of mammals and 73 of birds and is the best place to see one of the most elusive cats: the snow leopard, which is already on the endangered list. In eastern Ladakh in Jammu Kashmir, you can also spot the Tibetan argali sheep, snow cocks, golden eagles, Asiatic Ibex, Himalayan marmot, the red fox, Tibetan wolf, Ibex, and blue sheep. This high-altitude national park is set amid meadows and pine forests and is 5 km from Leh district.

Best time to visit: May to September is ideal as the park closes in winter when snowing is common in the area. The park is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Adventure tip: Take a guided trek at Hemis and see the natural sights up close and personal.

Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand

Spotted deer. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

Named after hunter-turned-conservator Jim Corbett, it is, perhaps, one of India’s best-known wildlife parks, being Asia’s very first National Park. Frequented for spotting the elusive tiger which you see here in good numbers, the park is part of the larger Corbett Tiger reserve. Besides tigers, there are serow, goral, Himalayan tahr, among other fascinating wild species such as the golden jackal, spotted deer, elephant, and sambar deer. Located in the mountainous part of Nainital which is around five hours drive from Delhi, the park is also known for being a bird lover’s paradise with hornbills being sighted very easily.

Best time to visit: Mid-November to June end. Tigers are spotted March to May. The Park is open from 6.00 am to 10.00 am and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

Adventure tip: You can enjoy a spot of river rafting with Grade I and Grade II rapids on the river Kosi.

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

The coexistence of species, deer and langurs. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

Spread over a core area of 105 sq. km and a buffer area of 400 sq. km, the Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the best places to spot the elusive tiger in the wild. I saw my first tiger here and can say from experience that the Bandhavgarh National Park is easily among the best parks for a wildlife safari in the country. Apart from the Bengal tigers, you can spot deer, bears and many birds across its varied topography. Once the hunting ground of the maharaja of Rewa, you can take elephant and jeep safaris there.

Best time to visit: Open from October 15 to June 30, the tiger is best spotted in the summer months. The park is open for two safaris in the morning and afternoon and timings vary depending on what time of the year you come for a visit, so check with the forest department accordingly.

Adventure Tip: Take a safari on an elephant and explore the jungle with uninterrupted views of the jungle.

Sasan-Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat

The king of the jungle, the Asiatic Lion can only be seen in the wild at the Gir National Forest in Gujarat that is spread over 1,412 sq. km with a core area of 258 sq. km. The park has a rugged topography and other sightings include leopards, striped hyenas, jackals and fox, sloth bears, jungle cats, blackbucks, crocodiles, monitor lizards and more. Do visit the Devaliya Interpretation Zone where the animals can be spotted in a fenced area and is located 12 km from the park.

Best time to visit: December to April. The Park is open from October 16 to  June 15. The morning safari timings are between 6:00 am and 12:00 pm. and then evening timings are from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

Adventure tip: Take a guided birdwatching tour and the season species you can spot include vultures, Sarus crane, Rock bush-quail, Pygmy woodpecker, Crested treeswift and Indian pitta, among others.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Located in the lap of the Western Ghats in Kerala, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over 925 sq. km with a core area of 357 sq. km. Surrounded by hilly cardamom hills the park has a lush tropical landscape that lends itself to varied flora and fauna. A three hours’ drive from Kochi this park is home to leopards, deer, and elephants apart from birds and reptiles.

Best time to visit: This park is open through the year and September to December is the best time to see the park. The park is open between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm and timings of boat cruises and jeep safaris happen at designated slots.

Adventure tip: Take the wildlife trail and take a boat ride on the Periyar Lake that will get you up close to elephants on the bank.

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam

Tiger. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

Located on the border of Assam and Bhutan, the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a four-hour drive from Kaziranga. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Project Tiger Reserve that offers jeep tours, elephant rides and raft excursions. Spread over 360 sq. km the park is home to animals like the rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, slow loris, pygmy hog, great hornbill, Malayan giant squirrel, and capped langur among many others.

Best time to visit: Between October and April.

Adventure tip: River rafting on the 35 km long Manas River is an adrenalin thumping activity that is a must do when you are here.

Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal

Indian pond terrapin, found in the Sunderbands. The terrapin is one of five freshwater turtles among the world's 50 most-threatened turtles. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

One of the largest mangroves in the country, the Sunderbans National Park is spread over 4,624 sq. km. The dense mangroves are home to many man-eating tigers and while spotting them is hard, locals believe they would have certainly spotted you! The Royal Bengal Tiger after all is as elusive as it is exclusive. Also spot the salt-water crocodile, terrapin turtles, bull sharks, primates, fishing cats, leopards, macaques, and mongoose. Located 95 km from Kolkata, the park has several watch towers and a crocodile park as well.

Best time to visit: Between September and May and boat timings are between 8.30 am and 4.00 pm.

Adventure tip: Take a walk on the 20-foot canopy walk at the Dobanki watchtower.

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

Ashy Drongo at Bandipur National Park, Karnataka. (Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao)

Located five hours from Bengaluru, the Bandipur National Park is spread over 874 sq. km and is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere. The deciduous forest here is a favourite with elephants and this forest is also part of Project Tiger courtesy its density of the big cat. You can also spot sloth bears, muggers, four-horned antelopes, dholes (wild dog) jackals, and several bird species.

Best time to visit: Between October and May is a good time to visit. Winters have migratory birds visiting as well. The park is open between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm with designated times for the morning and afternoon safaris.

Adventure tip: Trek to a nearby tribal village to see how life can be simple yet enjoyable.