Simlipal National Park

Simlipal covers around two and a half thousand square kilometres of sal forest, grassland and hill in northern Odisha, part of a biosphere reserve, with the Barehipani and Joranda waterfalls dropping around four hundred and fifty and one hundred and fifty metres respectively. Its tigers are its distinguishing feature: a proportion of the population is melanistic, with broadened and merged stripes producing a near-black coat, a condition caused by a single gene variant and found in a breeding population nowhere else in the world. Elephants, gaur, and around three hundred bird species are also present, and Adivasi communities live within the reserve.

What you actually see

• The sal forest - dense broadleaf woodland across hills and valleys.
• Barehipani falls - a two-tiered drop of around four hundred and fifty metres.
• The melanistic tigers - the world's only breeding population of black tigers.
• The elephants - a significant herd through the reserve.

When to go

November to mid-June; the park closes for the monsoon from mid-June to October. Permits must be booked in advance and daily vehicle numbers are capped.

Honest expectations

Tiger sightings, melanistic or otherwise, are very rare here; the forest is dense and the population thinly spread. Permits and accommodation inside book out. Roads within the park are rough.

Nearby

Baripada lies east; Kolkata is northeast.