Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary

Season & Hours: Open mid-September to mid-June. Closed Thursdays. Safari hours: 6am-6pm. Monsoon closure: 15 June-15 September.
Entry Fees: Person: Rs 70. Vehicle: Rs 100. Guide (mandatory): Rs 180. Video camera: Rs 200. All subject to revision; check with the forest department before visiting.
Entering Chapramari for the first time, via a bumpy forest track in an open-topped jeep, is one of those experiences that recalibrates your sense of the world. The forest closes around you almost immediately, with tall sal trees (Shorea robusta) interspersed with shisham, teak and siris, and within minutes the sounds of the highway are entirely gone, replaced by birdsong, the creak of bamboo and, if you are lucky, the distant rumble of an elephant herd.