Top 10 National Park
The Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh state is a popular destination
because of Bandhavgarh National Park. Tigers dominate the 437 km²
reserve in numbers rarely seen on the subcontinent. As with so many
other national parks in India, Bandhavgarh also has a fair share of cultural
attractions as well.
Another vital tiger preservation area, Bandipur National Park is within
the state of Karnataka and links with Mudumalai National Park in the
state of Tamil Nadu. A potential new UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the park features leopards, elephants, sloth bears, wild boars and wild dogs.
A short drive south of Bangalore in Karnataka, Bannerghatta National Park is
popular as a place to admire the singular beauty of white tigers and white lions.
The park also features a butterfly sanctuary.
Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar
Within the Bhavnagar District of Gujarat state, Blackbuck National Park
at Velavadar is relatively close to the Arabian Sea coast. Once the private
reserve of a Maharaja, the park is famous for herds of blackbuck antelope.
The eponymous park of British hunter conservationist Jim Corbett is
a wonderful gem. The first national park in India lies within the Nainital
district of the Greater Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. A pioneer in
ecotourism, Corbett National Park has 25 reptile species, 580 bird species,
50 species of mammals and 110 tree species. It was also the first park to
launch a Project Tiger conservation initiative.
The Idukki district of Kerala is the perfect place to admire the Western
Ghats mountain range, preferably from the confines of Eravikulam National
Park. Another potential UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park has some
impressive animal residents, from golden jackals to gaurs, porcupines to jungle cats.
At over 4,000 km², Hemis National Park has the most land mass in all
of India. The park is also the only one north of the Himalayas. As such,
it offers incredibly exclusive peeks at some of the most spectacular
natural scenery in the world. From cultural landmarks like the 17th
century Hemis Monastery to Tibetan wolves, snow leopards and Asiatic
Ibex, the park is extraordinary.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in the remote, northeastern state of Assam,
Kaziranga National Park has many significant claims to fame. For one, the
park is home to two-thirds of the planet’s Great One-horned Rhinoceros
population. Another feather in the park’s proverbial cap is that it contains
the highest density of tigers of any conservation area in the world. Just
two supreme reasons to visit the scenic and culturally vibrant state of Assam.
Though conservationists worry about the potential harmful effects of
iron ore mines in the Kudremukh mountain range of Karnataka state,
the national park still has a bevy of impressive attractions. Sloth bears,
wild dogs, Malabar civets and the Hanumana Gundi waterfall lure scores
of visitors every year.
Also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarhole is less than 100 km
from Mysore in Karnataka. The tropical conservation area teems with
elephants, macaques, leopards, wild dogs, bison and has a notable tiger
population as well.
