Nameri National Park Travel Guide: Popular Tourist Place in Assam (2024)
Are you a wildlife lover? Does your idea of dream vacation resemble roaming in lush green surroundings and exploring wildlife species? If your answer is yes, then the North East India region is the perfect vacation destination for you. With abundant natural greenery and vast collection of wildlife species, the North Eastern state of Assam boasts of housing a plethora of well – maintained national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. One such national park in Assam is Nameri National Park.
Being a home to many wildlife species including tigers, sambars, leopards, elephants, wild pigs and bird species, Nameri National Park also proves to be one of the most popular tourist places to visit in Assam. Located in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur district of Assam, India Nameri National Park provides a variety of exciting activities and facilities for its visitors. Sprawling over a vast area of 200 square km, though the national park is mainly famous for its vast population of elephants, but you can easily spot a plenty of other wildlife species here too. 
If you are still wondering where to go for a vacation, then this should be one of the top options in your list. In this article, we have gathered a lot of useful and important information about the Nameri National Park which will help you in making up your mind easily. Continue reading to know more!
History of Nameri National Park
Located at a distance of about 35 km from Tezpur, Nameri National Park is one of the most popular tourist places to visit in Assam. It was in the year 1978 that the park was first declared as a reserve forest and then with an area of about 137 square km as a part of Naduar Forest reserve, in the year 1985, it was set up as Nameri Sanctuary. Then after adding another area of about 75 square km, the area was finally declared as a National park in the year 1998. You may not be aware but Nameri National Park was also declared as a Tiger Reserve in the year 1999-2000 which makes it the second tiger reserve of the state of Assam after the popular Manas Tiger Reserve. There are mainly 2 core areas of the place including the Nameri National Park and the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. The river Jia Bhoroli is considered as the highlight as well as the lifeline of the Nameri National Park. It flows along the Southern boundary of the National park from the North Western to the South Eastern side. Famous for its vast elephant population, Nameri National Park is nothing short of a paradise for all the nature and wildlife lovers.
Popular Things to do in Nameri National Park
When thinking about a wildlife sanctuary or national park, people usually feel that the trip will only be about natural beauty and animals, but that’s not the case with at least for Nameri National Park. This national park not only serves as a home for vast wildlife species, but also offers plethora of exciting activities for its visitors.
1. Safari Facility:
Interested visitors of national park can use their safari facility. These safaris will make your overall trip even better. Taking you on a tour in the national park, these safaris give you a chance to explore the rich fauna and flora of the place.
2. Explore Wildlife Species:
Some of the animals that you can spot in the national park include elephants, leopards, wild pigs, sambars, tigers, gaurs and many more.
3. Spot Different Bird Species
If you are an avid bird watcher, then you will also be pleased to know that the Nameri National Park acts as a home for a vast variety of bird species too.
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4. Admire Natural Surroundings
Other than the rich fauna of the place, Nameri National Park also boasts of rich greenery. You can find the place flooded with lush and evergreen flora too, which never fail to impress its visitors.
5. Thrilling Activities
Some of the other amazing facilities which visitors get to enjoy on visiting the Nameri National Park include thrilling activities such as water rafting, swimming as well as fishing.
- Fishing: The river in the national park boasts of being full of a vast variety of fishes. One of the most popular fish of the region is the Golden Masheer Fish which measures about 3 to 9 feet, and is commonly known by the name of “Tiger of the Himalayan rivers”. The Forest Department here organises a plethora of fishing related activities for its visitors. However, if you wish to be a part of fishing, then you have to first take the permission from the forest department.
Image Source - Water Rafting: The Nameri National Park organises river rafting facility as well on its south – east side, on the river Jai Bharali. The rafting route is about 13 km long and the whole rafting experience lasts for about 3 hours. Though it gets a bit tiring but the adventure and thrill you get to experience here is just amazing.
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6. Other Things
As if there still was any scope left for some more activities, the Nameri National Park also proves to be a perfect place for spending some quality moments, enjoy peace in natural serenity and sunbathe.
What Is The Best Time To Visit The Nameri National Park?
The Nameri National Park in Assam receives travellers from all over the country throughout the year owing to its natural serenity and unique charm. However, if you are looking forward for only the best experience and don’t want any kind of thing to spoil your experience, then it is highly recommended for you to plan your trip in between the months of November and April. This is the period when the climate here is most pleasant and ideal for sightseeing. As far as summer season is concerned, the area gets quite warm and humid during the season. On the other side, winter season is a bit on the cooler and harsher side. Monsoons are also characterised by a plenty of heavy showers which also create difficulty in travelling. Therefore, most of the travellers prefer visiting the place in the months from November and April.
Who All Should Visit The Nameri National Park in Assam?
Since it is a national park, it is a popular tourist place in Assam and can be visited by almost anyone and everyone. However, if you are a nature lover or a wildlife enthusiast, then Nameri National Park will prove to be an ideal spot for you to visit. The place with its breath-taking natural beauty as well as diverse flora and fauna even attracts a lot of photographers too. Other than these, the place also serves to be perfect for adventure enthusiasts as it provides facilities such as river rafting and trekking. So, all in all, it is a great experience.
How To Reach Nameri National Park?
As far as reaching Nameri National Park is concerned, you don’t have to worry much. The area is well – connected with almost all means of transports, so you can reach it pretty easily. Some of the ways you can reach the national park is:
- By Air: Though there is no direct flight connectivity to Nameri National Park but still the nearest airport to reach the Nameri National Park is located Tezpur. The Tezpur Airport is located at a distance of about 30 km away from the national park. Once you reach the airport, you can easily hire a taxi or take a cab from the airport to reach the national park. If you are looking for the nearest international airport, then it is the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport which is at a distance of about 91 km away from the national park. Plenty of tentative flights are easily available from these airports to almost all major cities of India.
- By Rail: As far as rail connectivity to Nameri National Park is concerned, there is no direct connectivity as of now. However, the nearest railway station to the national park is located in Rangapara which is just about 29 km away. Once you reach the railway station, you can easily hire a taxi or take a bus to travel from Rangapara to Nameri.
- By Road: Nameri National Park is well – connected via road as well. A plenty of buses run from many nearby major cities to Nameri National Park on a regular basis. No matter whether day or night, you can easily catch a bus from places such as Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tawang and so on. Other than buses, you can also go for shared taxes or take a cab too.
Filled with abundant wildlife species and surrounded with lush greenery all around, there is no question as to why Nameri National Park is considered as the top tourist place to visit in Assam. If you are also a true nature and wildlife lover, then you should definitely not miss visiting it!
FAQ’s For Tourist Planning to Visit Nameri National Park
Q1. Is Nameri National Park A Tiger Reserve Too?
Ans. Yes, Nameri was declared as a tiger reserve in the years 1999 – 2000.
Q2. Is Food Facility Available In Nameri National Park?
Ans. There are a handful of restaurants available in Nameri which offer a variety of dishes of different cuisines such as Continental and Indian. Some of the staple Assamese rice dishes available here include Tenga, Khar and Laksa.
Q3. Which Is The Largest National Park In Assam?
Ans. Kaziranga National Park is the largest national park of the state.
