Attractions of India

Keoladeo National Park, a former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas, is an important wintering area and breeding ground for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of bird have been recorded in the park, including the rare Siberian crane.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Keoladeo National Park

Located high in the Himalayas, the Valley of Flowers National Parks is renowned for its beauty with meadows of endemic alpine flowers and some rare and endangered animals including Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. Nandi Devi National Park is a rugged mountain wilderness which includes India's second highest peak.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

Corbett National Park is located north of Delhi in the forest-covered slopes of the Himalayan foothills. With thick forests, open grasslands and a network of rivers and streams, Corbett has a wide variety of wildlife. These include tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, langur, wild boar and several species of antelope. Corbett is open between the months of October and June.

Ranthambore National Park is one of the premier national parks of India, covering over 400 km². The main attraction here is the Bengal tiger, a critically endangered species in India, with about 40 present in the park. Game drives in the park offer a good chance at spotting this magnificent creature, particularly between September and May when the dry season forces the animals to stay close to the lakes and rivers. Ranthambore is unusual in that amidst the wildlife lie the ruins of ancient forts and temples, making for a very picturesque setting. The 10th century Ranthambore Fort is one of the oldest in the country and offers spectacular views from its hilltop location. Other animals in the park include antelopes like the nilgai, sambar and chital, the sloth bear, cats such as the caracal, leopard and striped hyena as well as crocodiles and many bird species including crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, jacana, parakeet and white-breasted kingfishers. Ranthambore is open between the months of October and June.

Kaziranga National Park is situated in Assam and is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by human activity. Located in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, it comprises dense grasslands, open forests and numerous streams and lakes. It has the world's largest populations of one-horned rhinoceroses and Indian elephants as well as numerous other mammals including tiger, panther, leopard, capped langur, buffalo, hoolock gibbon, swamp and hog deer and Indian muntjac. Over 100 species of birds, including migratory birds, are present, including grey pelican, black-necked stork, Pallas's fish eagle, Bengal florican, swamp partridge, grey peacock-pheasant, great pied hornbill and green imperial pigeon.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Kaziranga National Park

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary contains a huge variety of wildlife including many endangered species, including tiger, Indian rhinoceros and Indian elephant. It's the most important site for the survival of pygmy hog, hispid hare and golden langur while over 450 bird species have been recorded.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

Sundarbans National Park is located in the land and waters of the Ganges delta adjacent to the Bangladesh border. Including the Sundarbans forest in Bangladesh, it covers over 10,000 km² and forms the world's largest mangrove forest. The park is home to a number of rare and endangered species, including the Bengal tiger and birds, reptiles and aquatic mammals.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sundarbans National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park lies in the hills and plains beneath the Vindhyan Mountains in central India, a former hunting ground of the Rewa kings which was donated to the state in 1968. Covering some 450 km², the park boasts the highest density of tigers of any of India's reserves, with an estimated 60-70 animals. An ancient fortress, believed to date back some 2,000 years, lies on a clifftop overlooking the park. Aside from tigers, the park boasts leopard, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, nilgai, chital, wild pig, muntjac, chinkara, barking deer and up to 150 bird species including green pigeon, crested serpent eagle, hornbills, drongoes, fly- catchers, barbets, bee-eaters and parakeets. Bandhavgarh also offers the chance to view game whilst riding an elephant. Bandhavgarh is open between the months of October and June.

Kanha National Park is one of India's greatest parks, covering almost 2,000 km² of undulating terrain including grasslands, forests, plateaus and dramatic rocky escarpments. Kanha is thought to be the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and is a haven for wildlife with some 22 mammal and 230 bird species. In addition to about 200 resident tigers, you can spot leopard, porcupine, gaur, hyena, mongoose, sloth bear, the Indian pangolin and the rare swamp deer (barasingha), an animal unique to Khana. Bird species include hoopoes, warblers, woodpeckers, kingfishers, egrets, herons, ibis, peafowl, drongo, flycatcher, rollers and the grey hornbill. Kanha is open between the months of October and June.

Pench National Park is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh and comprises undulating hilly terrain with forests over 275 km². The park is home to tiger, which inhabit the region around the Pench River, as well as leopard, jungle cat, Indian and palm civet, sambar, nilgai and chital. There are also more than 170 bird species in the park.

Periyar National Park in Kerala is one of the largest parks in India at 777 km², centred around an artificial lake created by the British in the 19th century. One of the main wildlife sanctuaries of southern India, Periyar is home to a variety of mammal and bird species including sambar, chital, langur, wild boar, otter, buffalo, gaur, elephant and the elusive leopard and tiger, of which there are about 40 in the park. The park can be explored by boat rides on the lake or guided walks through the forests.

The Western Ghats mountain chain is older than the Himalaya mountains and moderates the tropical climate of the region by influencing the Indian monsoon weather pattern. It has an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity, home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Western Ghats