Royal Manas National Park

Royal Manas is the oldest protected area in Bhutan and lies along the Indian border in the southern lowlands, contiguous with Manas National Park on the Indian side, which together form one of the more significant conservation blocks in the eastern Himalayan foothills. The habitat is tropical and subtropical: sal forest, riverine grassland and floodplain, holding Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos, gaur, wild water buffalo, tigers and golden langurs, with the Manas river running through. Access has historically been difficult and the park saw very few visitors; a road to Panbang and river trips have opened it somewhat, and community-based tourism operates in villages on the edge. Facilities remain minimal and everything is arranged through an operator.

History

Royal Manas, Bhutan's oldest national park, was one of the first projects of the Bhutan Trust Fund in the early 1990s, which paid for its infrastructure and for baseline biological and socio-economic surveys. Bhutan's first park management plan was drawn up for it and then guided the management of the other parks (Wikipedia, Royal Manas National Park).

What you'll find

• Lowland tropical forest - sal woodland and riverine grassland.
• Large mammals - elephants, rhinos, gaur and buffalo in the floodplain.
• The Manas river - the waterway running through the park.
• Community tourism - village-based arrangements on the park edge.

When to go

November to March, the dry season, when access is possible and the heat is bearable. Monsoon floods the rivers, closes roads and makes the lowlands impassable. Summer heat and humidity are severe.

Before you go

Getting here is a long journey to the southern border and access is limited. Facilities are very basic. Wildlife sightings are far from guaranteed in dense forest, and there is nothing like the safari infrastructure of parks across the border. Malaria precautions are relevant in the lowlands.

Nearby

Jigme Singye Wangchuck park lies north; Gelephu is the western gateway.

Key facts