Namdapha: Been there and back! Part II

This post is the continuation of previous post on Namdapha National Park.

Halting at Rani Jheel

This is 4 km ahead of Bulbulia, a small pond located 800 m high on plateau and skirted by canopy of forests all over. Crossing the forest is like making your way into the thickets of tall trees perched upon by white-winged wood ducks. And between the walks, if only luck is fat, you can spot the yellow-throated marten ambling along the forest floors. The walk from Bulbulia to Rani Jheel is truly enchanting, which also lets you spot some pug marks and extinct creatures.

My treading Namdapha is not all about those not-found-in-city-creatures but also about the local tribes men who have had thorough the jungles and have also set a record of slaying men and animals. Namdapha’s mainly is inhabited by Shingpos, Khamtis and Tangsas tribesmen. Besides, the tribal population in Namdapha constitutes Chakma refugees and Lius tribes too.

Some other important sites …

Walking around the park and the rendezvous with wilds are just 3/4^th of Namdapha Tiger Reserve and the rest lays in its tribes and areas near Miao.

>> Forest Department Museum

The Forest Department Museum is located at Miao, near the park area. Inside, there is preserved skulls of newly discovered leaf deer.

>>Chophelling Tibetian Refugee Camp

This Tibetian refugee camp has a beautiful collection of woven carpets and rug. The camp is located 4 km from Miao.

Permits

To enter Namdapha one will have to seek permissions with the authority.

Inner Line Per: ILP is required by every Indian entering Namdapha National Park. This can be obtained from within the district and often the tour operators take care by the tour operators. The ILP is also obtained from The Secretary (Tourism), Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar.

Restricted Area Permit: This permit is only required by the foreign nationals. RAP can be obtained at the Indian embassy/ consulates abroad, the Home Ministry or the Home Commissioner, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Entry and Lodging

M`pen Checkpost is the most common entry, almost 11 km away into the Namdapha Tiger Reserve. For tourist’s accommodation and lodgings, Deban, 28 km from Miao, is the right place to head to. There are ample of stay facilities at Forest Rest Houses and Camps at Haldibari, Hornbill, Bulbulia and rani Jheel. Although there aren’t too many options for stay at Namdapha, one will have to check out for bookings in advance, as we did in our case. In Miao, there is only one place to stay is the Inspection Bungalow or Circuit House.