India 2019 - Assam

​Rhinos, rivers, Birds, tea, and more

In February and March 2019, I traveled to India, mainly to try to see and photograph snow leopards in Ladakh, in far-northwestern India.  After that adventure, I flew east to Guwahati, the largest city in Assam State and the largest metropolitan area in northeastern India.  Much of Assam is remote and hilly, but I was mostly in the warm and flat Brahmaputra River Valley.  It was quite a change from the high Himalayas of Ladakh!  The focus of the trip to Assam was birding, but wildlife was also a goal, especially the Indian (one-horned) Rhinoceros.  I did a tour with Rockjumper Birding Tours to Kaziranga and Nameri National Parks, preceded by a few days in and around Dibru Saikhowa and Manas National Parks, and neighboring bird-rich areas.  Kaziranga has the highest density of Indian Rhinos in the world, and we had many great views of those amazing animals.  We also saw, Asian Elephants, Asian Buffalo, Indian Bison (Gaur), Wild Boar, otters, monkeys, and four kinds of deer.  We had fun safaris on land and elephant-back, river trips in traditional boats and rafts, visits to rural households, and chances to see Assamese cities and tea plantations.  And as expected, the birding was amazing!  This was a very different kind of adventure than my time in Ladakh, though equally rich and interesting.  To see photos from the Ladakh portion of the trip, click here.