Jaldapara National Park is a national park situated at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar District of northern West Bengal and on the banks of the Torsa River. Jaldapara is situated at an altitude of 61 m and is spread across 216.51 km² of vast grassland with patches of riverine forests. Jaldapara, the vast grassland with patches of riverine forests was declared a sanctuary in 1941 for protection of the great variety flora and fauna, particularly the one-horned rhinoceros, an animal threatened with extinction. The Jaldapara Sanctuary covers 216 sq Km, is a mosaic of woods, grasslands, perennial streams, sandy river banks and extensive belts of tall grass. It contains a great diversity of flora and fauna of mixed deciduous forest, grasslands and river banks. The Malangi River also flows nearby from east to west. Drained by rivers Torsa, Malangi, Hollong, Chirakhawa, Kalijhora, Sissamara, Bhaluka and Buri Torsa, the Sanctuary provides extensive grassland which is the last refuge to a wide variety of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds.
We arrived at 1 BR Cottage in Jaldapara, by GuestHouser is located in Mādāri Hāt, 1.7 km from Jaldapara National Park. First, we tried to book the Hollong Tourist Lodge inside Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, but it was not available that time even we tried to book it 2 months in advance. You can go through WBTDC site to book the Hollong Bungalow. However, we ended up staying one night at 1 BR Cottage in Jaldapara. We booked a car from the hotel. You need to book safari one day before from the booking counter at Jaldapara National Park.
One suggestion in this regard, always try to book the first slot in the early morning between 5:30am to 7am. Though we booked car safari, but I thing if you go for elephant ride then you have better chance to see the wildlife as you can go through the dense forest. In car safari, it makes too much noise what I felt.
You can get to see the greater Asian one-horned rhino (Rhinocerus unicornis). In Jaldapara National park, there were 204 rhinos in 2015 and the current population is between 231 and 237. The census was conducted in the beginning of this year. During the census, the foresters have also found out that the extent of rhino habitat increased in Jaldapara.
During the safari, the car stops at different places near watch tower. You can get down from the car here and check a view from the watch tower. Otherwise, you can not roam freely inside the park.
How to reach Jaldapara National Park:
By Bus:
The Nearest Bus station is Siliguri. It takes 3 hours by car to reach there.
By Train:
The Nearest Railway station is Madarihat which is 7 km away.
By Air:
The Nearest Airport is Bagdogra which is 143.2 km away by road.