10 Famous Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

When it comes to wildlife we all like to see them in their natural habitat. National Geographic, Discovery channels has made them alive in our bedrooms. Growing awareness (which is a great thing) towards saving wildlife & forests has multiplied in manifolds recently. India is always abundant with green forests & wild animals be it the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger or masculine one horned Rhino or beautiful Red Panda. There has been several projects taken up by the Forest Department, Govt of India to save several species which are endangered. Tiger population has increased in last ten years due to the enormous efforts put forward by Forest department officials. As a result tourism & wildlife photography is also in its peak here in India. Here is a list of most acclaimed wildlife destinations where sighting are very common. So what are yo waiting for? You know, you have to book well in advance to get a proper seat in the safari Gypsy.


1. Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand : This was Asia's 1st national park and an ideal place for tiger lovers. Other than tiger, chital, elephant, sambar, flying fox, hedgehog, common musk shrew, Indian Pangolin, King Cobra, nilgai, gharial, wild boar, and also nearly 600 species of birds like crested serpent eagle, pied kingfisher, fishing eagle and Himalayan grey headed fishing eagle are resident here. Apart from this animals, 7 species of fish and amphibians, around 33 species of reptiles and 37 species of dragonflies also live here.the park is open from 15th Nov to 15th June.

Corbett National Park

2. Gir National Park : This is an unique national park dedicated toward Asiatic Lions . This beautiful park hosts 532 lions and still counting. There are also 300 Leopards,2 different species of deer,Sambar,Jackal,Nilgai,the four horned Antelope,wild boar, Indian Pangolin, Indian Porcupine,Grey Musk Shrew found. Apart from this more than 200 species of birds have been found here.

Asiatic Lions at Gir

3. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan : Situated in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan state, it is named after Ranthambor fort. This is one of ideal place for wild life and nature lovers. It is mainly famous for the big cats. World famous & most photographed Tiger ever Machli & her children has made the national park so famous that its quite hard to get tickets even 3-4 months earlier. This place is also perfect places for bird lovers. Almost 275 species of birds are found here. apart from tigers and birds there are also found Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Desert Cats, Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose,  Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Sambar deer,Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats etc are found in large number.

Ranathambore - Land of Tigers

4. Bandhavgarh National Park : Around 400 sq KM of lush green forest situated in the hilly areas of Vindya range provides the highest probability of Tiger sighting in Madhya Pradesh. This age old forest has its long history originated from Ramayana to Maharaja of Rewa and is currently more than 55 tigers. Due to its high tiger concentration & elephant safaris has made this place best to see this wonderful creatures in their natual habitat. Apart from Tigers, leopards, sambhar, spotted deer, re-introduced gaurs, around 200 species of birds has made it a popular tourist destinations.

Bandhavgarh National Park

5. Kaziranga National Park, Assam : This park is a world heritage site since 1985. This is mainly famous for masculine one horned Rhinoceros. other than one horned rhinoceros many animals, including tigers,elephants, panthers, bears,wild buffaloes,pangolin, Indian gaur, sambar, barking deer, golden jackel, fishing cat are living here. A large variety of bid habitat is also watched here.This park remains open from November to April every year.

One Horned Rhinos at Kaziranga

6. Mudumalai National Park, Tamil Nadu : This park is mainly famous for elephants. It is also a good place for Gaur, Chowsingha , mouse deer and sloth bear lovers. These park also have 50 species of fishes, 21species of amphibians, 227 species of birds and 55 species of mammals.apart from this Tiger, Panther, Sambar, Blackbuck, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Wild Dog, Jackal, Mongoose, Jungle Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Leopard Cat Striped Hyena, Leopard-cat, Small Indian Civet, Striped-necked Mongoose, Ruddy Mongoose, Indian Giant Squirrel,Wild Boar, Porcupine, Striped Hyena, etc are also found here. February to June being the most favorable time to visit this park.

Chowsingha at Mudumalai

7. Pench National Park : Do you remember Ka, Baloo & Bagheera? The famous jungle boy Mowgli and his fight with Sher Khan? Yes the land of Jungle book will be real in front of you in Pench National ark. Famous for its tiger population and migratory birds this national park is situated near Pench river & Satapuda hills. Beautiful landscape & dense forest will enrich your weekend holidays.

Pench National Park

8. Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh : Famous for it Tiger and barasingha population this national park is another feather in the Madhya Pradesh tourism's hat. Beautiful sal forest with great landscape enriched with meadows & hillocks makes this a best honeymoon destination.

Kanha national Park

9. Sunderbans, West Bengal : The largest mangrove forest in India elongated upto Bangladesh is signature of most dangerous tigers found in India, the Royal Bengal Tigers. Continuous depletion of forest, rise in saline content of water has pushed several species found in this natural mangrove forest to extinction. Apart from the big yellow cats, ghariyals, crocodiles, several species of birds, spotted deer are also found. extreme poverty of the nearby inhabitants has compelled them to risk their lives and go deep inside the jungle for wood, honey and makes them prone to tiger attack. Its the only jungle where man & animal shares the same area.

Sunderban

10.Periyar Wildlife Santuary : Gorgeous scenic landscapes of western ghats with deciduous forests, Savannah grasslands and super famous Indian giant Squirrels, Malabar Hornbills makes this wild life sanctuary a must among weekend holiday dream destinations. A lot of migrant birds, giant Indian elephants, Nilgiri flycatcher can be seen in this beautiful national park.

Elephants at Periyer National Park

** Photos are taken from internet. HolidayIOU does not have copyright over them.

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They Feel like Us

Though they are not like us but trust me they have all the human qualities in them. You can easily find their different moods if you watch them for a while. Animals speaks a different language well mostly a body language to express their emotions. Some of them are quite easy to read & just like us when we feel anger, sorrow or joy. Humans are not very friendly to them, well mostly with some exceptions. That's why probably we have some of the animal species only left as stuffed art works in museums or as pictures in books. We need to understand killing animals for personal needs or for money is not a solution. Its a luxury we can't afford. If we don't culminate the habit of leaving them in their world, (obviously we need to take care of stopping deforestation as well) probably in our next generation will see them in books only. Check out some of the moods of some really known animals.

Spell bound Chipmunk

Barking Deer Kid Gulping a mouthful

Lonely Chimp

Tiger making faces

Jovial Albino

Sad & lonely Lion

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The Silken Route

Sikkim is famous for its breathtaking views of mount Kanchendzonga and Sunrises. But there are some places which are famous for its own beauty. The old Silk Route includes jaw dropping sceneries along with numerous unknown wildlife under its belt. The picturesque zig zag roads, adventurous jungles, unknown singing birds, Red Pandas, glittering lakes at Gnathang and above all the refreshing view of Kanchendzonga will be a ride of a lifetime.

If one has the nerves for high altitude adventure, and drive through this heart pounding roads this place will surely amaze you with all sort of beauty. This has been recently one of the most talked about weekend destinations and summer vacation place in Sikkim. I hope these photos will help you take your call.

Kupup Lake

Glimpses of Kanchendzonga from Zuluk

Caterpillar on Flower, Aritar 

Fabulous Landscape at Gnathang

Tree Silhouette at Sillery Gaon 

Six Legged Arachno, Reshikhola

Snow Capped Gnathang

Famous Zig Zag Silk Route

What's your call?

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10 Famous Harry Potter Shooting Locations

Who's your favorite teen wizard? This question is worthless as 99% of people will say it Harry Potter before question is finished. Yes this teen wizard rocked our worlds with his imaginary world & magic spells. Not only the book readers, movie goers also were spell bound by the beautiful scenery of the movies & obviously the acting of those young talents. Here is some of the popular places where the famous movies were shot which could be your next weekend getaways from London

1. King's Cross Station : The famous Hogwarts Express departed from Platform  9¾ and made it to history of world cinema. Special room is still left at King's Cross Station for this platform & there is huge rush everyday to see it.

Famous Platform at Kings Cross Station

2. London Zoo - Reptiles House : Remember the scene Harry talking with a giant snake? This iconic scene was shot in London Zoo reptile house. You can catch a glimpse of the place while visiting London.

London Zoo - Reptiles House

3. Glenfinnan Viaduct : After leaving from platform 9¾ Hogwarts Express steams through this beautiful landscape of Scotland  This train route has been so popular these days that many people rides this west highland railway and live their fantasies.

Glenfinnan Viaduct Scotland

4. Glencoe : The scenic landscapes of Glencoe, Scotland was used exclusively in several Harry Potter films. You'll recognise it in Tri Wizard tournament in Goblet of Fire. It's also used to film Quidditch matches in two other Harry Potter Movies. This place is also famous for the recent James Bond movie Skyfall.

Glencoe, Scotland 

5. Durham Cathedral: This beautiful example of Norman architecture was used as Hogwarts school quadrangle where Harry sets his owl flying in the very first movie. This is also used in the second movie Chamber of Secrets.

Durham Cathedral

6. Bodleian Library : Oxford University's Bodleian Library was the place where Harry, Hermione & Ron were seen multiple times. This Duke Humphrey's library was used as Hogwarts Library in multiple movies.

Bodleian Library - interior

Bodleian Library - Exterior

7. Cathedral of Gloucester : A place having a history of long 1300 years was used to depict the place where headless Nick or Moaning Myrtle roams freely. Harry & Ron was seen in some movies in this cathedral hall hiding from the troll.

Cathedral of Gloucester

8. Millennium Bridge : In the sixth installment of the franchise, the movie shows this famous bridge collapsing into Thames when attacked by death eaters. The is a very famous bridge which connects London with Bankside. This architectural beauty was also seen in another popular movie Guardian of Galaxy.

Millennium Bridge

9. Alnwick Castle : This place was seen in Chamber of Secrets movie where Harry's flying car crashes. Located at 30 miles from Newcastle this place was also the Quidditch play ground in Harry Potter movies.

Alnwick Castle

10. Piccadilly Circus : The epic scene where Harry & his team fighting the death eaters in a cafe in the Deathly Hallows movie was shot in this hugely popular area.

Piccadilly Circus

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10 off-beat Honeymoon Destinations in India

Planning a honeymoon amidst the hurriedness of a mega event like marriage is real tough. Again none wants to miss the fantasies & the charms symbolized with Honeymoon. Busy corporate schedules also have taken its toll in our daily life. Many want to avoid the hue and cry of popular destinations. So this is for them who does not have time to plan it accordingly but want to explore new places. Here is a list of best offbeat honeymoon destinations -

1. Kalimpong : This place is a real beauty in the lap of Himalayas. One can get beautiful views of Kanchendzonga from this place. Stunning natural beauty accompanied with gorgeous views of the valleys makes it a much coveted honeymoon destination in India. You can also visit Lava, Rishyap, Deolo Hill which are close.

Budhha Statue in Kalimpong

Valley View from Kalimpong

2. Coorg : Renowned as Scottland of India this place is one of the most scenic honeymoon destination in Southern India. This place offers panoramic view of the Western Ghats along with famous Abby Falls, Nagerhole WLS, Madekiri Fort. Serene valleys, cool winter adds charm to your honeymoon with your loved ones. Coorg is also known for its Coffee Plantation.

Coorg in the lap of western ghat

Coorg - Scottland of India

3. Neora Valley National Park: Far from the madding crowd Neora Valley NP provides relaxation from the hectic schedules of a big fat Indian wedding. This jungle is full of diverse flora & fauna, unknown species of birds and famous Red Panda. One can trek to most scenic spots like Rechila Danda through the forest which foods your adventure hunger.

Neora Valley National Park

Red Panda in Neora Valley

4.  Pelling : Majestic Himalayas, magnificent sunrise lush green valleys makes Pelling a very surreal honeymoon destination. The road, flowers, winding roads, lovely birds makes it attractive. Easy to reach & far from local hue & cry enchants the newly weds to know each other better.

 Kanchendzonga Waterfall Pelling

Sunrise at Kanchendzonga

5. Alleppey : Want to mesmerize your honey keeping him or her in a houseboat in a silent backwater? Alleppey will surely thrill you with its natural beauty. This is a lovely destination for the honeymoon goers who wants tranquility & more time for each other, after all you are not going to honeymoon everyday.

Houseboats at Alleppey Backwaters

Tranquil Alleppey Backwaters

6. Ranathambore : Some couples are more adventurous than the rest of us and this is only for them. Feel the thrill of seeing wildlife roaming freely nearby in this royal national park which belonged to Royal Kings as Game Trails. Right now it is the best place to view the majestic big cats within their natural habitat.

Big Cats at play- Ranathambore

Tiger Citing at Ranathambore

7. Auli : Love Skiing? This could be your ideal destination to Skii with your partner amidst the massive Himalayas. Auli is the official Skiing destination in India. Well of course you have to take some mandatory lessons prior to that. Apart from Skiing Auli offers fantastic view of the snow capped mountains & valleys. It remains covered in snow most of the time and gives enough room for your two to share a cozy warm space of togetherness.

Auli Uttarakhand

Skiing at Auli

8. Tajpur : Enough of Snow & Jungle. Lets move to pristine beaches. Who wants crowded beaches like Goa in a honeymoon. Let the romance brighten up in a virgin beach at Tajpur, West Bengal. Fish fry, Casurina beaches, long sandy beaches & lots of Red Crabs will surely make you feel engrossed.

Twin Shells at Tajpur

Golden Beach

9. Zulluk : The Old silk route has its own charm in making us addicted to its natural beauty. The zig zag roads, snow covered Gnathang Valley or the bright blue kupup lake, Zulluk in West Sikkim is full of mesmerizing places to offer. Are you two bird watchers? Well it is the place to cite maximum number of different birds. Adding icing on the cake? Red Sunrise on  Kanchendzonga.

Kupup Lake

Old Silk Route

10. Lakshadeep Islands: This smallest union territory is filled with numerous lovely uninhabited beaches. Cosy cottages on the side of a beach can relax your body on mid. You get a deep diving to view the corals, never seen before sea creatures or feel the white sand all day long. Immaculate beaches of Lakshadeep will surely make an impact on your romantic mood.

Scenic Lakshadeep

Lakshadeep Coral Reef

** some of the pictures are taken from Google/freely available images.

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