Namdhapa National Park, situated in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, stands as the easternmost forest in India. As the fourth largest national park in the country, following Hemis, Desert, and Gangotri National Parks, Namdhapa boasts an unparalleled density of vegetation, making it a unique and pristine destination for nature enthusiasts.
Namdhapa was the thickest forest I had ever seen. The Western Ghats might have looked like that a hundred years ago, but because of thoughtless development and destruction, they’ve lost their original beauty. Only a few parts are left untouched. Take the highways cutting through the Western Ghats in Karnataka, for instance. When I was a kid, it was scary to travel on those roads through the mountains because there was nothing but forests around. Now, there are villages and shops lining the roads.
I really wanted to visit Namdhapa for a while. Because it’s far away and doesn’t have typical tourist stuff, it was tough to plan a trip there alone or with family. I waited patiently, and then Sankara planned a birding trip to Namdhapa National Park. I quickly joined in.
Reaching Namdhapa national Park
Reaching Namdhapa may seem challenging due to its remoteness, but it’s accessible with Dibrugarh in Assam being the nearest airport. A four-hour drive from Dibrugarh takes you to the entrance of Namdhapa National Park.
It is best to have a private vehicle or hire a taxi, as public transport is limited. A high-clearance vehicle is advisable due to the unpaved, uneven roads within the National Park.
Inner Line Permit
Outsiders must get an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to go to Arunachal Pradesh. You can get it online using this link. Print a copy of the permit; you only need to show it when entering Arunachal Pradesh.
Some people criticize the concept of ILP. The idea of needing a permit to enter a state might not feel good for Indians. I was feeling the same earlier. However, I now have a different perspective. The ILP could be helping to protect their culture, prevent illegal immigration, and keep the environment clean. After seeing environmental mess created in Himachal and Uttarakhand, and demographic changes in a few states, it is not a bad idea to have some restriction.
Our experience
We arrived at Dibrugarh airport in Assam and spent a few days at Magori Beel in Tinsukia. Then, we travelled to Arunachal Pradesh. Miao is the main town in Arunachal Pradesh before Namdhapa National Park. It took us about 4 hours to reach Miao from Tinsukia. On the way, we passed through Digboi, where the first oil well in Asia was drilled (before oil was found in the Middle East). Margherita was another interesting town known for its name, but it has coal mines and tea gardens.
So, getting to Namdhapa is not hard. You could have breakfast in Bengaluru, lunch in Tinsukia, and dinner in Namdhapa!
We spent a night at the Dapha Valley Tourist Lodge in Miao. We thought it might not be a nice place, but we were happy to find clean rooms, tasty food, and a beautiful atmosphere.
The next day, we went to Namdhapa National Park and spent the next five days birdwatching and hiking.
Birding
Birding was the main focus of our trip to Namdhapa, and we spent a lot of time on it. Namdhapa has an impressive list of over 450 bird species, and some of them are only found in that area. However, capturing photos of birds in Namdhapa is tough. The forests are thick, which means there’s not much light, and it involves a lot of trekking. Plus, the birds are small, shy, and always on the move, making bird photography challenging. But we really enjoyed these sessions. Our guide made sure we spent the entire day in the forest and even searched for nocturnal birds after sunset. One moonless night, I looked up at the sky and saw the Andromeda Galaxy (NGC224)!
We saw various bird species, including the Brown Hornbill, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Blyth’s Kingfisher, Silver-eared Mesia, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Streaked Spiderhunter, Sultan Tit, Oriental Hobby, Hill Prinia, Long-tailed Sibia, Snowy-throated Babbler, Mountain Scops Owl, Common Crane, and more.
Mammals
Namdhapa is a tiger santuary, but we didn’t spot any of them. This wasn’t surprising since the jungles were thick, and we could only explore a small area on foot. However, we did find paw prints of a tiger, common leopard, and clouded leopard. On a positive note, we did see other animals like the Malayan giant squirrel, Black civet cat, and orange-bellied squirrel.
On one of the days, we took a break from bird watching and went on a short hike to Zero Point, which is on the way to the Hornbill Camp and Haldibari Camp. We also spent some time relaxing at our camp, enjoying the beauty of the Noa Dihing River and the mountains.
Our stay in Namdhapa
We stayed at the Forest Department rest house in Deban. It’s in a beautiful spot by the Noa Dihing River. The rooms are simple but clean, and the food is good. The electricity comes from solar panels, so it depends on sunlight. They cook with wood fire, and you can get hot water when you need it. It’s not a fancy place, but remember, it’s right in the middle of the forest!
There are fancier bungalows, but they’re usually for officials and well-connected people. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the Deban forest house has Airtel 4G connectivity!
If you’re up for it, there are tents at Haldibhari and Hornbill Camp. You have to walk 5 km and 12 km, respectively, to get to those places!
Dark clouds on the horizon
While we were enjoying the natural beauty of the area, our guide mentioned that a lot of changes have occurred in the last five years. After taking a closer look, I agree. Now, there’s a road that connects Miao to Vijaynagar on the Myanmar border, cutting through Namdhapa National Park. Just two years ago, it took a 7-day trek to reach that place, but now we regularly see pickup trucks on the road. It has also attracted bikers and off-road vehicle enthusiasts. I even spotted a truck carrying large pipes for a hydroelectric plant. None of these seem like good signs. These changes could be the beginning of something significant. I hope I’m wrong in this case.
Information and tips
- You can’t book the lodges in Deban and Miao online. You need to call and arrange it yourself. Our birding guide, Binanda, handled everything for us.
- There are no restaurants that serve only vegetarian food, but it’s not hard to find vegetarian options. There are tasty local dishes made from vegetables.
- People here speak Hindi and Assamese.
- If you want to enjoy Namdhapa, be ready to walk. It’s not a place for those who want lots of comfort.
- Don’t solely depend on Google Maps, as not all roads are accurately mapped.
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