North East November 2025 - Kaziranga
19th November 2025
Departed Manas by 0600. Forgot to pick up the breakfast pack I had asked for. More because there was no one visible when I walked the 100 meters from room to car.
No traffic for the first part of the drive. Reached Guwahati comfortably in a couple of hours. Hunger had started calling.
Unlike the south where you can get idlis as early as 0600, most places here were still asleep at 0830.
Saw a board for a pure vegetarian place called N1e. No clue what it meant. But, the toilets were clean. Food was decent.
Tool a bit to maneuver my car out as a biker had parked at my nose. Buggers can buy fancy kits, but do not have basic parking courtesy.
Drove very easy. No hurry. Near Nagaon, passed a RTO vehicle with a speed gun. Called my daughter who was about an hour behind me. Was positive they would be trying to catch up.
Got to my daughter's place in Kaziranga by 1230. They came in half an hour later.
Went and had an Assamese Thali, with mutton curry. Fantastic food.
Then got into my do nothing mode.
Basically meant I ate, slept, bathed, and repeated that cycle, with some good alcohol consumed in between.
21st November 2025
Post lunch went for my first safari to Kohora, the Central range.
The word was that Tiger spotting was happening every day.
A word about my guide cum driver, Ranjit Saikia. Hates traffic. Like to stop and create gaps with other jeeps. Looks up into trees rather than into bushes and thru grassland. Makes him an excellent bird spotter. And, a not so great tiger chaser. Knows the name and sound of almost every bird. Great fun to be with. Unless you want tiger. And, he is on a normal day, looking into trees.
Let me just let you see as I did.
There are hundreds of these. No was the carnivores will go hungry !!
Monitor Lizard
Road Blocked
Those last few were the best for the day.
Wildlife wise, saw all the herbivores. But, the hunger for the big cat is always there. Leaves a slightly hungry feeling of they are not seen.
Problem was that the range had not yet opened fully. It was down by almost 60 percent.
25th November 2025
The earlier safari kept me quiet for a few days. Then decided a morning at Agoratolli - the Eastern zone.
The buggers open the gates only at 0730, when all the self respecting animals have gone from the open grassland into the forest.
Obelix would have relished this.
Otter with fish in mouth
The driver had the engine switched off. There was a guard with a shotgun in the front seat. And, a anti poacher patrol staff with an automatic at the rear.
The guard in front started screaming in terron. The guard at the back started laughing. The driver was banging the gypsy side, yelling "Hoot Hoot".
I was filming the charge.
The rhino turned away a meter from the vehicle, still full clip.
Then went on to hassle another rhino
We decided it was a domestic squabble. We were at the wrong place. The big guy did not like to be seen tossed out by his woman.
Great experience. Again a first. Liked that my hand stayed steady filming.
Lovely morning. No cat yet. So decided, one more safari. Luck HAD to change.
26th November 2025
The decision was Kohora, Central Zone, morning. The routes had been opened the previous day.
The Osprey.
And, that was it. No cat.
But, am back February/March 2026 when the tall grass is burnt.
27th November 2025
28th November 2025
Drove into Guwahati in the Thar. Dropped it off. Transferred to a taxi.
Caught a flight at 1550 to Chennai
Had a toss of words with a co-passenger who started using his phone while the aircraft was coming in to land.
His logic. The announcement made was only for Take Off. What does one do ?? Called me crazy !!!
Had a great drive home with a very talkative taxi driver, who shook my hand when he dropped me off. Another first.
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