10 must-visit national parks in India for wildlife enthusiasts

We Indians are lucky to have a varied topography that inhabits a wide variety of wildlife. While the high Himalayas is home to snow leopards, marmots, Himalayan brown bear, musk deer, blue sheep, ibex and the like, the royal Bengal tiger, wild boar, cheetal, barasingha, sambar, barking deer, peacock and many bird species dwell in forests at lower altitudes. Organised jeep safaris and elephant safaris in the national parks give wildlife enthusiasts an opportunity to get acquainted with the mysterious wild world. Most of the national parks are closed during monsoons. The safaris are done in the morning or evening when there is maximum activity in the forest. Here is a list of top 10 national parks in India that I find the best in terms of natural beauty and sightings.

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Dudhwa National Park is spread across 680 sq km and is located along the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur district, Uttar Pradesh. Tall sal trees whispering to the sky give shelter to more than 450 species of residential and migratory birds. Vast marshlands are home to crocodiles, swamp deer and birds like sarus crane, Bengal florican, swamp partridge, etc. while grasslands hide in their lap tigers, rhinos and many other animal species. The park remains open from November to June. I find February to be the best month to visit the park as the temperature is not very low and sightings are good. While you are visiting Dudhwa do not forget to take elephant safari in the grasslands where you can find rhinos in plenty. Dudhwa is known for the rehabilitation of the one horned rhino from Kaziranga.

How to reach Dudhwa National Park: Reaching here is not a problem as the destination is served by three well-developed railway stations, namely Dudhwa, Palia and Mailani. Buses and taxis are easily available from outside the railway station that will take you to your destination. For those travelling by flight, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, around 191 km away, is the nearest. A lot of buses and taxis and cabs are available at the airport.

Best time to visit: The months between November and May are considered the best time to experience the beauty of Dudhwa National Park.

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is the oldest and largest national park in Maharashtra covering 625 sq km. The gypsy safari in the core area will introduce you to the wild world hidden in the womb of the forest. There’s a lot of action that you can capture on camera during the safari—cheetal basking and playing, sambar eating to its heart’s content, peacocks dancing, wild boars crossing the road, kingfisher pouncing on its prey, etc. And don’t be amazed if you spot a tiger having its meal. Tadoba is one of the favourites for tiger sighting among wildlife enthusiasts. It has the highest population of tigers in India and is open from October to June for visitors.

How to reach Tadoba National Park: The nearest railhead serving Tadoba National Park is Chandrapur Railway Station, which is around 45 km away. This station enjoys connectivity with all major Indian cities such as Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai via good network of trains. Upon reaching here, travellers can hire a cab or take a bus to reach their destination. If someone is travelling by flight, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at Nagpur is the closest, which is around 140 km away.

Best time to visit: Visit the park between the months of October and June.

The feeling that you are being watched all the time lingers on while you are taking the safari through the rocky terrains interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys. You might not be able to spot the tiger and other beasts but they surely are watching you. Located in the Vindhya Range of Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National Park along with the buffer area of Umaria and Katni covers an area of 437 sq km. There are four main zones of the national park—Tala, Magdhi, Khitauli and Panpatta. With steep ridges, open meadows and dense forests, this national park offers a beautiful experience.

How to reach Bandhavgarh National Park: Nearest railway station to Bandhavgarh National Park are located at Umaria and Katni, which are around 35 km and 100 km away, respectively. These railheads have good connectivity with rest part of country via an extensive network of trains. People travelling by flight can book their tickets till the nearest airports at Khajuraho or Jabalpur, which are around 230 km and 150 km away, respectively. From outside the airports, taxis and cabs are available easily to take you to the jungles.

Best time to visit: This national park remains open for visitors between the months of October and June.

The gorgeous Corbett National Park is one of the favourite weekend getaways for people of Delhi. Not just wildlife lovers but people looking forward to spending some time in the lap of nature love to visit this park. Hills, rivers, forests, marshlands and grasslands, the national park has it all. Spread across 520.8 sq km, the national park is located in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. It is the oldest national park and is named after Jim Corbett who played a vital role in its establishment. The park is inhabited by the royal Bengal tiger, leopard, jungle cat, barking deer, hog deer and cheetal, sloth bear, otter, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolin, langur and many other wild animals.

How to reach Corbett National Park: The nearest railway station to Jim Corbett National Park is located at Ramnagar, which is around 15 km from the park. A lot of taxis and cabs are available from outside the railway station, which take around half an hour. A number of luxury buses are also available from Delhi and Chandigarh for Ramnagar, which take around 6 to 7 hours. Owing to its closeness, Jim Corbett is also one of the prominent weekend getaways from Delhi and Chandigarh.

Best time to visit: November to June is considered the best time to visit Jim Corbett.

Tall sal trees and dense bamboo forests, ravines, meadows and grasslands create wild magic at Kanha National Park! It is one of the most beautiful parks known to me. The forest is inhabited by the royal Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, barasingha, cheetal, barking deer, wild dog, gaur and various other species. It is this national park where I got lucky to witness the royal Bengal tiger pouncing on its prey, a tigress roaming around in her territory, an old limp tiger lazing around and a tigress taking care of her cubs, obviously during different safaris! Kanha National Park covers an area of 940 sq km in the Satpuras in Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is open from October to June for visitors, who can choose to stay at the forest rest houses that are well maintained.

How to reach Kanha National Park: Railway stations at Jabalpur, Nagpur and Gondia are the nearest to Kanha National Park, which are about 160 km, 250 km and 123 km away, respectively. These are all well linked with prime Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, among others. For those planning on flying to this place, Jabalpur, Nagpur and Raipur airports are the closest.

Best time to visit: October to June is considered the best time to visit Kanha National Park.

An endless expanse of sand, broken rock formations and an interesting array of unique flora and fauna make the Desert National Park a must visit. Spanning over an area of 3162 sq km, it is one of the largest national parks in the country. The main attraction is the Indian bustard, which is an endangered species. This tall and graceful ground-dwelling bird can be spotted near the Sudashri waterhole. Despite a fragile ecosystem, the region is home to a number of migratory and resident birds like harriers, falcons, buzzards, vultures and eagles. The best time to visit the Desert National Park is between the months of November and January.

How to reach Desert National Park: Jaisalmer railway station is the closest to Desert National Park, which is barely 3 km away. The railway station is well connected with all major Indian destinations including Delhi, Chandigarh and Lucknow, to name a few. There’s no airport in close to the region though.

Best time to visit: To experience the best of Desert National Park, visit here between the months of October to February.

Hearing some rustling of leaves of the high branches, you would look up expecting a bird, but I was amazed to see a giant squirrel jumping from one branch to another during my visit to the Simlipal National Park. Other than these squirrels, the park is said to be inhabited by wild elephant, barking deer, gaur, tiger, leopard, jungle cat, wild boar, chausinga and many others. More than 200 bird species can be spotted here, such as grey hornbill, Indian pied hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Indian trogon, hill mynah, parakeet and serpent eagle. Located in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, Simlipal National Park spreads across an area of 2750 sq km and remains open from October to June.

How to reach Simlipal National Park: Balasore Railway Station is the closest to Simlipal National Park, which is around 75 km away. All prime cities in India such as Rourkela, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Midnapore are linked with good network of trains from here. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Kolkata (250 km) and Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneshwar (300 km) are the closest airports to the park.

Best time to visit: The months between October and June are considered the best time to visit Simlipal National Park.

Waking up to bird songs in the beautiful landscape of the Great Himalayan National Park is an experience in itself. You can trek and camp in the lap of nature, admiring spectacular views of the snow-covered Himalayas. The national park, located in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, spreads across 1171 sq km area. The park was established in 1984 and was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in June 2014. It is home to high altitude flora and fauna, including many endangered species. You can spot animals such as blue sheep, marmot, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear and musk deer. The best time to visit the park is between September and November as during this time animals begin their seasonal migration to areas at lower altitudes.

How to reach Great Himalayan National Park: Because it’s a high altitude park, you need to drive till here. From Delhi, a good number of Volvo buses are available till Manali. From Manali, one can drive or hire cabs or taxis till Great Himalayan National Park.

Best time to visit: The months between September and November are considered the best time to visit Great Himalayan National Park.

Situated in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, Ranthambore covers an area of 392 sq km of dry deciduous forests and open grassy meadows. Ranthambore National Park lies on the edge of a plateau, on the north is the Banas River and to the south is the Chambal River. Within the park lies the historic Ranthambore fortress, after which the park has been named. Do climb up to the fort while visiting the park as you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the river and the forest. Also do take a walk in the buffer area, especially if you like birding. The park remains open from October to June, but November and May are considered the best months to visit the park.

How to reach Ranthambore National Park: The nearest railhead to Ranthambore is Sawai Madhopur Railway Station, which is around 10 km away from the park. This railway station is well-connected with rest part of the country with a good network of trains. Those planning on an air journey can get their tickets booked till Sanganer Airport or Jaipur International Airport, which is around 160 km away. From outside the airport, one can hire taxis or cabs to reach the destination.

Best time to visit: Visit the park between the months of October and April.

Spread across an area of 9700 sq km, Pin Valley in Spiti was declared a national park in 1987. The park is a natural habitat for rare birds such as Himalayan snowcock, chukar partridge and snow partridge as well as a number of endangered animals including the woolly hare, Tibetan gazelle, snow leopard and Siberian ibex. Some rare endangered medicinal plants have also been found in and around the Pin Valley National Park. The park is accessible between the months of July and October. It's best to visit this place in the month of August when the temperature is pleasant at least during the day.

How to reach Pin Valley National Park: Pin Valley has only motorable road so one can either hire cab or drive on their own to reach here.

Best time to visit: Visit the park between the months of July and October, as this is the only time when Pin Valley is accessible.