Lawachara National Park

Lawachara covers about twelve hundred hectares of semi-evergreen forest in the hills near Srimangal, a remnant of the forest that once covered much of this region, and its significance is the western hoolock gibbon: a small number of family groups live here, one of the last populations in the country, and hearing them call in the early morning is the reason serious visitors come. The forest also holds capped langur, phayre's langur, barking deer, a long bird list including trogons and hornbills, and a great many snakes. Khasi villages live inside the park and grow betel on the trees. Three marked trails of different lengths run from the gate and guides are hired there, which is worth doing.

What you actually see

• Hoolock gibbons calling - one of the last populations, heard at dawn.
• Semi-evergreen forest - the remnant woodland of the region.
• Khasi betel villages - communities growing betel inside the park.
• Three marked trails - routes of different lengths from the gate.

When to go

November to March. Half a day, starting at dawn, which is when the gibbons call and the birds are active. Take a guide from the gate. A railway line runs through the park and trains pass.

Honest expectations

Gibbon sightings are not guaranteed and the population is small; hearing them is more likely than seeing them. The park is fragmented and a railway and road cut through it. Leeches are a problem in the wet season. Litter along the main trail is heavy.

Nearby

Srimangal is west; Madhabpur lake lies south.