All my travel plans seem to be going haywire from the start of this year and I was dying for a getaway. After a bit of research, Bhitarkanika National Park seemed like the best option for a quick getaway.

Bhitarkanika National Park, situated in Kendrapara district in Odisha, is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India, after the Sundarbans. It is home to saltwater crocodile, Indian python, king cobra, chital deer, wild boar, rhesus monkey, monitor lizard, jungle cat, fishing cat and numerous bird species, with saltwater crocodile being the primary attraction.

Khola and Gupti are the two main entry points to Bhitarkanika. A day tour usually comprises of a boat ride to Bhitarkanika Forest Block/Bird Sanctuary and Dangmal.

We had booked a private boat for us from Chandbali which will take us to Bhitarkanika via Khola. We started off early morning and sailed atop the glistening water of the Baitarani river during sunrise.

I had been a wildlife enthusiast all my life (read about my wildlife adventures in Tadoba, Sundarban, Dooars) and the mere thought of getting upclose with the wild brought a smile on my face.

Our guide quickly pointed out to something in the distance, which looked like a floating piece of log to the naked eye, but when we looked through the telephoto lens, well it was a crocodile!! Yaay, our first wildlife sighting for the day!

The crocodile sighting was followed by many variants of birds.

We soon reached the Khola check-point where our guide submitted our papers and a forest official checked our boat and asked to see our camera gear. A couple of other tourist boats were also parked there.

The stretch from Khola to Dangmal is your best bet for spotting crocodiles. Since we went in mid March and it was fairly hot, we didn’t see too many large crocodiles, but we saw lots of baby crocs. Infact there was a point where we saw a baby crocodile every few seconds!

We passed by a herd of deer grazing in the mangroves.

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Bhitarkanika Forest Block/Bird Sanctuary

We got down at Bhitarkanika Forest Block, also called the Bird Sanctuary or Old Sanctuary area. Unlike other national parks, you can go for a nature walk inside the forest as there are no carnivores present. The stretch of land runs for around 9 kms and gives you an amazing opportunity of experiencing the mangrove forest.

Tourists usually manage to cover the first 3-3.5 kms only, since it’s quite difficult to complete the full 9 kms stretch and return, although we saw people returning from less than a km! If you are a wildlife enthusiast, I’ll highly recommend you to cover atleast the 3km stretch, with your guide, ofcourse.

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We were lucky to have a knowledgeable guide with a keen eye. He knew which way to go and where there were high chances of wildlife sighting.

There weren’t any fellow travellers in sight and the chirping of birds felt like a relief to our ears. We walked in silence, paying attention to every little sound around us and trying to locate any occasional rustling of leaves for a sign of deer.

Our guide pointed out to a small herd of deer at a distance who quickly disappeared into the dense forest.

As we ventured into the depths of the forest, we saw more deer, monitor lizards, rhesus monkeys and many bird species, some of which were new to us. We also missed a snake by a few seconds!

We came across a huge field which sees thousands of migratory birds in the winter. The field was flocked by a few egrets, herons and ibis.

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Our guide told us that herds of deer and sometimes wild boars can be seen grazing in the field during the evening. So if your accomodation is in or around Dangmal, you should definitely try coming here in the evening.

Dangmal Forest Block

Located just opposite the Bhitarkanika Forest Block is the Dangmal Forest Block. There is a 1km stretch which leads to a museum and a crocodile breeding project with white crocodiles being the attraction. There are a few autos plying here and you can skip the walk if you like. We skipped Dangmal altogether because it was quite crowded when we got down and there wasn’t an auto in sight. We were already too tired after walking more than 7kms! Also we had a great time in the Bhitarkanika Block spotting wildlife on foot and hence weren’t so keen on seeing crocodiles in captivity.

Overall we had a great time wildlife sighting in Bhitarkanika. But I would love to stay for a few more days, including a day in Habalikhati, which is a beach inside the forest. Hopefully we will be back next year with a week-long plan for admiring the Wildlife In Odisha.

Camera Gear Used For Photography:

• Canon EOS 77D 24.2MP Digital SLR Camera
• Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Camera
• Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] Lens for Canon DSLR Camera

Planning Guide

How To Reach Bhitarkanika National Park:

By Air: Biju Patnaik International Airport situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha’s capital city, is the nearest airport to Bhitarkanika National Park and is easily accessible from other parts of the country and the world. Khola and Gupti, both the entry points to the forest, can be reached by road from Bhubaneswar in 4 hours by car. You can also hop on a bus.

By Train: Bhadrak Railway Station is the closest railway station to Bhitarkanika National Park. You can take a cab or bus from Bhadrak to Chandbali, a river port from where you can get a boat for your Bhitarkanika safari. Bhadrak to Chandbali takes around 1-1.5 hours by car and 2.5 hours by bus. The car fare from Bhadrak to Chandbali is Rs. 1400 (for a 8-seater). The alternative option is Cuttack Railway station incase you don’t have trains from your city to Bhadrak. Both Khola and Gupti are at a 3 hours driving distance from Cuttack. You can also take a bus from Cuttack.

By Road: There is a direct bus from Kolkata to Chandbali from Babughat Bus Stand and it takes around 8-9 hours to reach. Khola and Gupti can both be reached by road from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other nearby cities.

Accommodation:

Chandbali: Accommodation options are limited in Chandbali and very basic. You can book a room in OTDC Aranya Nivas Chandbali which is the government option and probably the only decent place to stay in Chandbali. If you have to spend just a few hours in Chandbali, you can book a room in Hotel Swagat but I wouldn’t recommend it for longer duration.

You can book rooms in any OTDC through this link: http://www.panthanivas.com/Search-Hotel-List.php

Dangmal: Dangmal is in the main part of the forest and the best place to stay in. All three private (and expensive) hotels – Estuarine Village Resort, Nature Camp Bhitarkanika Retreat and Sand Pebbles Jungle Resorts are located around this area, along with an OFDC Forest Guest House.

Gupti: Accommodation options are very limited in Gupti and OFDC Researchers Hostel is probably the only option.

Habalikhati: Habalikhati is a beach inside the forest and is quite far from the entry points. Also, you have to walk for more than 2.5 kms from the jetty to reach the Habalikhati Beach. So include Habalikhati in your itinerary if you have atleast two days to spare. OFDC Habalikathi Forest Rest House is the only accomodation here. Habalikhati is popular for dolphins and olive ridley turtles.

The OFDC room tariffs include complimentary breakfast lunch and dinner.

You can book rooms in any of the OFDCs from this link: https://www.ecotourodisha.com/menubooking.php

Note: We stayed a night in Swagat Hotel/Lodge and although we wouldn’t recommend staying here for long, the service of the owner is commendable. He had arranged our car to and from Bhadrak, our boat and our guide for Bhitarkanika. Infact our train was supposed to reach Bhadrak after midnight and we were sceptical about the car. But the car was waiting for us outside the station on-time and dropped us safely to Chandbali. So next time we will arrange for the hotel ourselves and book the other services from him.

Visiting other parts of Odisha as well? Check out Booking.com for great hotel deals or rent an Airbnb for longer stays (and get ₹3025 off on your first trip – for new sign-ups only) .

Forest Permit, Entry Fees & Other Details

Prior permission is required to enter the national park, which can be obtained from the entry gates of Khola or Gupti. You need to carry a xerox copy of your identity proof for that. Our lodge owner had arranged for our boat and guide and we filled the form at the lodge itself, which the guide submitted in Khola.

Entry fee is Rs. 40 per head and still camera charge is Rs. 50 per camera.

Note: Professional photography and videography charges are Rs. 1,000 and 5,000 respectively.

There is a separate parking charge for boats and other vehicles for night-stay inside the forest (Dangmal and Habalikhati). Charges are as follows: Rs. 100 per boat per day, Rs. 25 per two-wheeler per day and Rs. 100 per four-wheeler per day. Vehicle parking charge is also applicable for Gupti.

Boat Charges

Cost of hiring a boat for the full day from Chandbali is usually Rs. 4,000 during peak season and for large groups. But we were charged Rs. 3,000 since we were just two people. The maximum capacity of a boat is 18-20 people.

Cost of the same from Gupti is Rs. 3,000 or lesser.

Note: You can also share a boat with other groups to reduce costs, though I wouldn’t recommend it if you are genuinely interested in birding and wildlife. If you still want to share your boat, talk to your hotel manager/tour operator beforehand because getting somebody to share your boat on-spot is impossible.

Best Time To Visit Bhitarkanika

• Winter months from November to February is the best time to visit Bhitarkanika. This time is also ideal for birding, due to the arrival of the migratory birds from Europe and Central Asia.
• Sighting is possible during the summer months from March to May but mostly during early mornings and evenings.
• Check the tide timings before your visit and make sure you are in the core area during low tide as the lower water level makes sighting much easier.
• The forest is usually closed during the breeding season from May to July.

I really hope you enjoyed reading this article and you’ll find the information useful whenever you plan to visit Bhitarkanika National Park.

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Happy Travelling! 🙂

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