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Manas National Park: How This Little Patch of Wilderness Stole My Heart
We spent a day at Manas National Park last year and it is safe to say that this little piece of Heaven in Assam lived up to the billing.
TRAVEL
The Thinking Me
8/23/20265 min read
The fading sun painted the river Beki in a glorious golden colour. Messi picked up a pebble from the sandy bank and threw it in the water.
A small ripple erupted, bathed in golden hues and languidly proceeded towards the horizon. Little boys and their obsession with throwing stones in the water!
Dusk soon engulfed Manas National Park, filling the air with calls of wilderness.
We arrived at this UNESCO World Heritage site on a lazy Sunday afternoon. After a sumptuous lunch at the Manas Resort, we drove past Barpeta Road and towards
The final 22 kilometres of the journey is every driver’s nightmare and will take you about an hour, thanks the deplorable condition of the road.
However, your mood will instantly improve once you arrive in the vicinity of this charming forest.
Our stay was on the end of the path that runs from river Beki past the Manas National Park gate, separating the wild from a string of resorts.
Beyond the gates and across the road, only a wired fence, which warned of high voltage electricity, separated the civilisation from the Wild.
After settling down in our cottage, which had an attached bath but no geyser, was air conditioned but sans a television, we proceeded to catch the Sunset over the river Beki.
As promised, the view was spectacular! A kind forest guard, however, told us to head further down the banks to a ghat where we could enjoy a boat ride.
We arrived just in time to take our seats and for the next half an hour, glided around idly as the sky changed from blues to golden.
As the evening descended on Manas and the buzzing of insects took over the air, we headed back. A quick tea break in front of the main gate of the National Park enabled us to witness a heartwarming tribute to the late Zubeen Garg, a man loved as much for his music as for his soul.
After an early and delicious dinner, the family hit the bed, while I focused on my mobile screen to watch Manchester United dismantle Liverpool at Anfield.
Sleep was hard to come by for a die hard United fan after such a historic win, but we were up at the break of dawn ready for an eventful day.
Our bottle-green Gypsy arrived for the Jeep Safari well before six am and we were one of the first vehicles to enter the park that morning.
We started the trip with a sighting of a majestic Serpent Eagles perched on a dry tree, before the forests took took over.
The jungle can be a breathtaking place in the early October morning. As the warmth of the winter sun dissipates the fog from the bushes, our jeep slowed down, with our guide pointing us to the right. Three huge Indian Gaurs stood among the foliage, keep a watchful eye on the human intruders.
“We are a little late,” Akibul lamented “The entire herd had passed and only the sentries remain.”
As we held our collective breaths, the beasts crossed the road few meters away from us and join the herd hidden in the forest on the other side.
“We missed them by a whisker,” Akibul repeated.
Despite his regrets, we were a happy bunch, having witness the wild at such close quarters. As the journey continued, Manas unfolded itself and captivated us by her beauty.
We came across riverbeds showcasing distant blue mountains of Bhutan, reminding us that a part of this stunning National Park exits in the Himalayan Kingdom as well.
We saw elephants moving in a herd at a watch tower, a Wild Buffalo made a brief appearance, with its massive horns, while peacocks were in abundance.
A pair of elephants stood just by the side of the road, allowing us to film them as they munched on their morning meal. Winding past the grasslands and trees we reached the Mothanguri Camp for a break.
The Charming Mothanguri Camp
The view from the Mothanguri Camp is spectacular! Down below, a serene blue river reflects the mighty hills in its waves. If you are especially quiet, you can hear the water murmur stories of the jungle, while songs of the wild birds will certainly brighten your day.
It was a glorious morning and we took a moment to breathe in the mountain air. This is a place you can sit for ages at, especially if you are a nature lover like me.
However, we were pressed for time, as we had plans to tread into the Land of the Thunder Dragon, with a view to check out Royal Manas National Park as well. That, however, is a different story that I shall cover in a different blog.
On the way back from the mountain kingdom, the ever-enthusiastic Akibul got wind of some interesting developments and went out of his way to take us back to a watch tower we had visited before.
“You cannot miss this” was all he said.
And sure enough, the place was bustling with wildlife. An group of Elephants preparing for a bath in the distance, a mother and her calf walking around in plain sight, a gang of water buffaloes loitering around and Gaurs resting in the shade.
We stood in appreciation of life and nature’s wonders. There is so much going on in this world behind our eyes, safe from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungles. We know so little of nature’s way and never appreciate it near enough.
While we stood rooted, deep in thoughts atop the watch tower, in walked a Rhinocerous from the cluster of trees to our left. And in that one frame, one moment, we had Manas National Park’s unity in diversity summed up.
Manas did not disappoint
Of the big six of Manas, we had spotted four that morning. Only the Leopard and the ever elusive Royal Bengal Tiger remained hidden from our sights.
Lady Luck, of course, hasn’t been on our side on this matter for a while. We had visited Ranthambore National Park and Orang National Park in a space for months in 2024, but failed to spot the majestic beast at both forests.
Our struggles refused to end at Manas. However, we breathed in the same air they breathe, and traveled through the same road they walk on. The same dust that brush through their skin also touched us as well.
And that, perhaps is enough for now. For Now.