Northeast India’s spectacular national parks: UNESCO sites, rare wildlife, and cultural wonders

Northeast India is one of the most ecologically rich regions in the world where one can find a lot of National Parks. One can find a diverse range from the beautiful grasslands to mountains where you can easily spot some of the fascinating creatures like red pandas and snow leopards. The national parks in Northeast India are rich in biodiversity, culture and wilderness. They have also faced a lot of challenges from poaching and habitat loss but have made great progress in preserving the endangered species here.

Let’s have a look at 5 must-visit national parks in Northeast India:

This park is located in Assam and provides home to around 2900 Indian rhinos which is two-third of the global population, this species was endangered greatly before but the efforts by the park helped conserve this species. One can also find tigers, elephants, swamp deer, wild water buffalo and also about 400 bird species. This national park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landscape of this national park is diverse with grasslands, wetlands and woodlands which helps them support a variety of wildlife and also makes it a captivating spot in India. The park is also full of floral diversity, with 70 orchid species logged in recent years. These natural wonders, together with the success of the park's conservation efforts, make Kaziranga an international model of wildlife conservation.

This national park is located on the foothills of Himalayas on the border with Bhutan. This national park has also been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park is widely known for its rich biodiversity and the natural beauty around. This national park is both a tiger and an elephant reserve. What makes Manas National Park unique is its conservation efforts, once this park was threatened by human-animal conflict and poaching and after that it has made great efforts and made a remarkable recovery. One can find tigers, elephants, golden langurs, wild buffaloes and the rare pygmy hog as well. This is also a birdwatcher’s paradise with around 450 bird species like giant hornbill, swamp francolin, and Bengal florican.

This is the world’s only floating national park and is located in the Loktak Lake region of Manipur. This national park was formed from floating biomass known as phumdis. One can find a variety of flora and fauna here. The endangered Sangai deer, also known as dancing deer can also be found here. This national park is the only standing natural habitat that provides home to the Sangai which depicts Manipur’s natural heritage. The park is also home to hog deer, otters, wild boar, and numerous species of waterfowl, reptiles, and aquatic plants. All of these unique elements combine to make it a must visit national park for all nature lovers.

This national park is India's one of the largest parks and is also the most biodiverse. It has a wide range from tropical lands to snow covered peaks. It also provides shelter to 1,000 plant species and nearly 1,400 animal species. One can also find some unique species such as red panda, snow leopard, clouded leopard, Asiatic black bear, and the extremely rare Namdapha flying squirrel. This is the only park which has all four big cat species such as leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and tiger. This is a beautiful national park with evergreen forests, gushing rivers, and alpine meadows making it a paradise for nature lovers.

This is a lesser known national park with a unique blend of wildlife, birding and adventure. The park lies along the Jia Bhoroli River and shares a boundary with Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary. This national park is mainly famous for its vast variety of birds with more than 370 species like white-winged wood duck, great hornbill, and various kingfishers. The park is also home to animals like the Bengal tiger, leopard, sambar, gaur, and Himalayan black bear. This park offers a unique and immersive experience with forest treks and river rafting making it a perfect spot for adventure lovers as well as bird watchers.