Rides at Manas National Park

The ideal way to explore a majority of the park is in a 4-wheel drive petrol vehicle. This will get you to all the nooks and corners of the park without being too noisy. Some of the animals that comes out on the banks of the river Manas can be seen from the safety and serenity of a boat which commences its ride from Mathanguri and ends around 35km away, from where one is picked up by pre-arranged transport. These boats rides are best for viewing animals like the wild buffaloes. The third option, which are a favourite with most visitors, are the elephant rides organized by the park authorities from Mathanguri. These take you deep in to the densest areas of the forest and often right in between some of the wildlife there, including elephants, rhinos and wild buffaloes. A good area to cover if exploring by vehicle is the road along the foothills where many animals are sighted including the occasional tiger.

If you are staying outside the park, the drive to and from the park to Barpeta road, specially in the dark, is an excellent time to keep a sharp lookout for the rare Hispid Hare. It is not uncommon to sight many other animals too during this night drive, including panthers, elephants and tigers.