To Africa - on a safari: elephants, lions, giraffes from the car window. Real Africa Ethnic Boma Dinner

- I take insect repellent for the body and for clothes, ointment after being bitten by someone, antibacterial wipes - several packs, a yellow fever vaccination certificate, malaria tablets, first aid medical care, binoculars, flashlight, hand sanitizing gel,” I reported to my husband when I was packing my suitcase for the trip. This unusual filling of the bag explained the essence of the trip - we are going to Africa!

My modest knowledge about this country was limited only to the equator, Somalia, Chukovsky’s poem about Aibolit and the cartoon “The Lion King”. Therefore, I wanted to be prepared for any surprises.

Kenya. Start of the safari

Kenya greeted us with cool weather and lush vegetation. Bright warm sun and juicy green color out of habit it hurt my eyes. Forced squinting completely removed the signs of the Caucasian race from my face and made me a real Asian.

The air smelled of our Ural spring. We were driving through the Great African Rift - one of the most interesting places on the planet. It was formed as a result of tectonic movement earth plates another million years ago. On the way, we looked at the animals in surprise: zebras, as if nothing had happened, were grazing in a common herd with goats, cows, and donkeys.

After checking into the hotel and leaving our things there, we went on an evening safari. Our driver Solomon, with red sclera eyes and speaking broken English with a Swahili accent, promised to show us something interesting on our first evening.

The entire territory of the national park is dissected by roads from which it is strictly forbidden to leave. All this is controlled by territory rangers and in case of violation of the rules, they are punished. Therefore, we drove along a predetermined route and the permitted speed.

By the way, on such safaris the driver must be obeyed and respected. How the trip will go depends only on him. Our jeep was equipped with a walkie-talkie, and thanks to this we were aware of when and where animals appeared.

Giraffes and pelicans

The raised roof of the jeep opened up ample opportunities for observation. A giraffe appeared behind the acacia tree. Glancing at us with disgust, he began to chew the leaves. Our presence did not bother him at all - tourists with their heads sticking out of cars have been a constant phenomenon for the fauna of Africa for the past 40 years.

All movements of the giraffe are leisurely, dignified, majestic, the gait is slow and smooth. With each step, he alternately raises both legs of each side, and rests on the legs of the opposite side. This type of movement is called an amble, and he uses it very well.

Finally we arrived at Lake Nakuru, where the largest nesting site is located pink flamingos on the ground. They say that when they land on the water in thousands, the entire body of water is painted in the colors of the sunset. But since the lake was full at that time, and flamingos like to be smaller, these birds, without waiting for us, migrated to another place.

But we were lucky enough to see pink pelicans. The whole horizon was on fire pink, and the lake literally boiled under their movements. Some took off, others dived and splashed loudly into the water, while others started “squabbles” among themselves. This process seemed endless to us, and we went to the hotel.

It got dark quickly. During the day, we noticed that the hotel area was not fenced in anything, and this fact was not conducive to long evening walks. Having closed all the windows (baboons were walking under the balcony), plugging all the cracks under the door (because the neighbors saw a small snake!), checking the house for mosquitoes, we climbed under the mosquito net (what if they were malarial?) and fell into sleep.

It was not possible to get enough sleep: mosquitoes were squealing somewhere nearby, and the African night was noisy outside the window. The incessant howl of buffaloes (who would have thought) rent the air, the voices of birds unknown to us echoed with them. It was creepy.

At 6 am, having quickly eaten what the included breakfast sent us, we headed to another national park, taking safari along the way. At the exit from the reserve there were gloomy rangers (as the aborigines call the caretakers) with machine guns at the ready. After examining our car and looking into everyone’s eyes, they finally allowed us to drive through.

The driver later explained that Kenya was on this moment is in a state of war with Somalia, so a special regime has been introduced in the country. Noting that this news did not reassure us at all, he added that this happens very often and there is no need to worry. If anything happens, my only hope is in Shoigu with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, I thought.

We've been driving for six hours now, fortunately on asphalt. Outside the window flash zebras, buffaloes... Africans in worn-out clothes. They are always on the move: constantly going somewhere. Many, not being able to use public transport, not to mention a personal car, are forced to move on their own. But I didn’t see a single fat person among them.

A village of the Maasai appeared ahead - an indigenous people who still live by their customs. But he respects dollars, preferably those issued after 2006. After some negotiations, they agreed to show us their way of life.

The entire adult population poured out of the outskirts, wrapped in red cloth. We, representatives of two worlds, stood and looked at each other. I think our thoughts were the same: how can one dress, look, live, etc. like that? Suddenly the women began to sing... in their throats. And the men, encouraged by these songs, began the “warrior dance” - jumping. Gradually they entered a trance: the jumps became higher, the voices became more hysterical. The “concert” ended after 20 minutes, and we were invited to enter the village itself.

The Maasai settlement is most often representatives of one family, and it can be very large, because each man is free to have several wives (up to 15). How many cows are enough? The standard price is 15 cows for a wife, but they can charge 25 for a beautiful one. Each lives in a separate dwelling, which she builds (sculpts) herself. In the village, women do everything except hunting: they carry water and firewood, get food, do laundry, and raise children. Men herd cattle and talk with each other.

The settlement itself consists of two circles: in the first there are houses adjacent to each other, in the second there is the most expensive thing - their cow and goat herds. The houses are low, squalid dwellings made of straw and cow dung. They consist of several tiny rooms: goats live at the entrance, the largest compartment is the kitchen, where 5-6 people can fit on a log, and there is a separate bedroom for the parents with something like a trestle bed covered with cow skin. They heat the house the black way: they light a fire inside, the smoke fills the entire room and comes out through a tiny slit window.

Everything is very simple: no frills and no Italian furniture! And it is not clear which of us is truly happy? Our high-speed life is alien to them, they don’t need the Internet, they don’t worry about cholesterol, they probably haven’t even heard about the end of the world. Happy...

Elephants and lions

We keep driving and driving, but there is still no end and no edge to this savannah. Ahead, behind the clouds, the outlines of Mount Kilimanjaro began to be discerned. Oh, I wish I could see her famous snowy top! But as luck would have it, not a single breeze... And, apparently, to compensate for our disappointment, a family of elephants appeared in front of us. At the head of the herd, an old elephant walked slowly, younger individuals minced nearby, mothers walked behind, pushing and pulling the babies stuck in the ditch with their trunks. It was such an exciting and touching sight that tears involuntarily came to my eyes.

While we were touched and amazed at these tender relationships among animals, a real fight began nearby - two seasoned elephants were sorting things out. They pressed against each other with all their might, while shouting something loudly (probably their complaints), heavy tusks sparks erupted under the blows. They then retreated, then converged again with all their strength, no one gave up. And finally, one of them weakened and retreated... The victorious rival loudly announced his victory to the savannah and, with his head held high, left to catch up with his family.

As the sun rose, we again began to plow the endless savannahs of Kenya. Our guide peered intensely into the distance. We were no longer interested in secretary birds wandering in the grass, striding ostriches, wildebeests, zebras - we longed for a more global spectacle. Finally, the two-hour wandering was rewarded: five meters from the road a lion and a lioness lay down - after a satisfying night, they dozed under the rays of the warming sun. Leaning against each other, they merged into a single whole and did not react to us in any way.

But the sharp sounds of cameras interrupted their morning sleep. The lioness woke up first and looked around our car. Finding no danger, she slowly and playfully walked around her male, who was already forced to wake up. What followed was a relationship that is usually prohibited for those under age to observe.

Tanzania: Volcano Crater National Park

At the Kenya-Tanzania border, we paid the customs fee and were handed over to another guide-driver. His name was Isaac. We were driving along a perfectly flat and straight road, without prohibitory signs, without oncoming traffic, without traffic police officers. The soul was eager to fly at the speed of the wind, but Isaac was driving only the permitted 80 km/h.

But the landscape outside the windows changed very quickly. Sun-dried fields gave way to thick grass, desert plains turned into cascading plots of land where the Maasai worked. Gradually we climbed the mountain. Rare trees turned into dense thickets, with strange plants hanging from them. The real jungle began, just like in the fairy tale about Mowgli. We climbed to Ngorongoro National Park at an altitude of 2380 km above sea level, which is located in the crater of an extinct volcano.

There was a short rain and Mountain air, already clean, refreshed. I wanted to stretch my lungs and breathe for the year ahead.

We drove along the serpentine road for about twenty minutes. We came across a lion family that was slowly heading into the shady forest. The wildebeest, sensing a predator, stood in a defensive position and nervously waited. The family apparently had a good hunt at night, so they walked imposingly past the food. The only inconvenience for them was our cars, of which there were more than a dozen by that moment. Later we had to watch how the lioness deftly dispatched her prey (unfortunately, we missed the moment of the hunt). At a distance of several meters, hyenas were already “on duty”...

In general, in the Ngorongoro crater on an area of ​​246 square meters. m, almost all representatives of the African fauna are collected. It has formed its own habitat for many species of animals that do not have the opportunity to get out of the caldera. There they are born, live, reproduce and die. According to scientists, about 30 thousand of them live in the crater.

Last day of safari

We meet the dawn again in the car. Oh, how I want to get some sleep! We drive through a sparse forest, roe deer graze among the tall grass. Seeing our car, they jump off the road and run away. The head of the family, a handsome man with branchy horns, is watching us closely and, if we don’t scare him, with feeling self-esteem slowly turns around and leaves.

Gradually our car is filled with some flying and painfully biting insects. Afraid to hear the answer, I ask Isaac, what is it? - Tsetse. We quickly take out all the insect repellents and douse ourselves from head to toe. The chemical is enough for literally half an hour. I don’t really respect our Ural mosquitoes either, but here are flies with such a “bad reputation.”

We had three days ahead of us by the sea on the island of Zanzibar, so that evening we simply enjoyed the views of Africa: tall grass swaying in the wind, savannah black with millions of migrating zebras and wildebeest, a leopard reclining on a tree.

P.S. During the entire trip we changed 10 planes. The flora and fauna of Africa were not harmed. They arrived unharmed and happy. We want more.

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Kok Chang Safari is not only interesting, but also educational. The guides took good care of the leisure time of tourists and developed several interesting routes. Only here you will be able to ride an elephant through a real jungle, while in other similar places you can ride on ordinary grounds.

In Kok Chang, one of the most popular routes is the “Lake”, when at the end of the walk you can bathe an elephant in the lake, watch how it makes fountains with its trunk, and some naughty elephants can easily pour water on you too. After the trip, you can feed the elephant fruit. Believe me, this is a funny sight - it is interesting to see how a huge animal manages to peel the fruit before eating it.

By the way, each elephant has its own driver, whom it obeys and understands at a glance. They say that these cuties have the mind of a five-year-old child, so training them is a very difficult task. There are farms where animals are punished and beaten quite severely, their ears are torn out, but no such abuse was observed here, so you can safely take children for a walk.

For a fee, any of the drivers will film your walk with your camera or video camera, the usual cost of the service is about 100 baht.

My feelings from a walk in Kok Chang

My friends and I bought an excursion package at the hotel, since this option involves accident insurance, which is especially important in a foreign country. Naturally, the cost was more expensive than if we had come to the farm ourselves, but I, as an experienced traveler, am very familiar with many of the nuances of life without insurance and persuaded my comrades not to save money.

In the morning, a Kok Chang representative arrived straight to the hotel in a well-worn jeep and took our group on a trip.

At the farm we were shown all the elephants and even the babies that we could pet. By the way, for a treat, the kids funny “kiss” the benefactor with their trunk. Everyone chose an elephant and sat on these giants. There is something like a saddle with a gazebo attached to the animal's back, where you can sit. This option was offered to girls, but boys could ride right on the elephant’s neck.

Everyone was immediately warned that along the way they should not ask the driver to stop for a photo shoot, since photos would be taken during the walk so as not to delay the entire group. Personally, what confused me most was the considerable height at which you are located, which is no less than 2.5 meters. Sitting in a makeshift chair is terribly uncomfortable; the rocking motion when walking is such that you feel like you’re about to fall off. In my opinion, it can only be compared to standing on the deck of a ship during a good storm.

The route took place in the jungle along a narrow path, the beauty around was incredible. During a walk, the elephant periodically reaches out with its trunk for a banana and snorts funny if you don’t give a treat, and even becomes mischievous - it begins to rock its rider. I tried to simply give the fruit to his every call, so this action reminded me of the fairy tale “The Hero and the Bird Simurg”, where main character, flying across the ocean on a bird, he fed it meat, and when it ran out, he had to cut off pieces from his leg so that the bird would not throw it off. I don’t know why such an association arose, probably because of fear.

Some mahouts amused our group - they made the elephant slap its trunk on the back of the riders riding in front of you. The girls squealed and the elephants snorted happily. It seemed to me that these animals really do not lack a sense of humor and they like to make fun of tourists.

Finally, we safely reached the lake, where the elephants were having fun in the water, as if children were trying to join us in the action with their trunks. I was so touched by this picture that all my fears disappeared somewhere and I was imbued with great sympathy for these giant children. How sweet and kind they are!

The way back was more relaxed, I really enjoyed the safari and didn’t regret this excursion for a second. At the farm there are stands with photographs and descriptions of elephants. You can learn a lot of interesting things about animals, in particular how African animals differ from Asian ones, what points on their body can be used for communication, and much more. The only drawback for me was that the drivers did not speak English at all and categorically did not understand the questions.

Where is Kok Chang and how to get there?

The farm is located between Kata and Rawai beaches in the southern part of Phuket. If you get by car from any of the named beaches, the trip will take no more than 10 minutes.

There is a small parking lot in front of the entrance where you can leave your own vehicle. It is better to get to KokChang Safari Elephant Trekking by excursion bus or with a guide, as large quantity I didn’t notice any signs on the way to the attraction. So it's easy to get lost.

Prices and opening hours Kok Chang

The first group leaves for the jungle at 9 am, that is, it is better to arrive half an hour before the excursion, and the last arrival is at 17:30.

Guests are offered 3 routes to choose from, each of which differs in length and cost. Prices range from 600 to 1000 baht, children are half the price. Additionally, bananas are sold from 60 to 100 baht - it depends on the quantity.

Where to eat in Kok Chang

There is a modest cafe on site where you can buy light snacks or chilled drinks. Makashniks come from time to time and have good food for a nominal price. But across the road there is a nice restaurant with a good menu and an excellent view of the sea.

Safari means “we are going” in Swahili. Initially, this was the name for trips around East Africa with a very specific purpose - hunting. Gradually, this type of entertainment became popular throughout the African continent and spread to other countries. Those who want to get the carcass of an antelope or even a lion as a trophy are still alive today and are willing to pay a lot of money for such a trip. We stand for the conservation of wildlife. If hunting, then hunting for impressions. Fortunately, there are also peaceful safari, during which not a single animal is harmed. Where and when to go – in our review.

1. Tanzania

#1 destination for safari trips. It is on a safari in Tanzania that you can get to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, unique places on our planet. The Serengeti is famous for being home to about five hundred species of birds and three million large animals. Here you can see the “Big Five” - five animals that are the most honorable trophies of hunting safaris: elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion and leopard.

When to go to Tanzania: Best time for a trip to Tanzania - the period of animal migration. During the dry months (October-November), millions of wildebeest and zebra move from the northern hills to the southern plains, which receive tropical rains during this time. In April-June, with the onset of the rainy season, animals migrate to the west and north.

Bonus: A must see in Tanzania is Mount Kilimanjaro. highest point Africa above sea level. Although the snows of Kilimanjaro, made famous by Hemingway's story, are rapidly shrinking, the peak is still majestic and beautiful.

2. Kenya

Trips to Kenya are often combined with safaris in Tanzania, but the country deserves special attention. The Masai Mara Reserve is the northern extension of the Serengeti National Park and is home to many savannah inhabitants: lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and the Mara and Talek rivers are favored by hippos.

Here you can see not only wild animals in their natural environment habitat, but also get to know the life and way of life of the indigenous population of Kenya - the Maasai, and also climb Mount Kenya, second in height in Africa only to Kilimanjaro.

Of course, not everyone can climb to the top - the height is 5199 m and includes 8 different natural areas, but at the foot where the listed national heritage UNESCO National Park “Mount Kenya” is worth a visit.

When to go to Kenya: From August to November, when wildebeest migrate to the Masai Mara. During this time, more than 1.3 million individuals move, so it makes sense to climb hot-air balloon, in order to assess the scale of what is happening from a bird's eye view.

Bonus: Located on coral island in the Indian Ocean, the city of Mombasa is suitable for a beach holiday.

3. Botswana

Not the most popular country, but you can be sure that you won’t meet crowds of tourists on your way, and nature will show itself in its own way. in its original form. 70% of Botswana's territory is occupied by the Kalahari Desert, one of the hottest regions South Africa. Zebras, antelopes, hyenas, jackals, lions and other animals live here.

Chobe National Park is known for its large elephant population, while Moremi National Park is home to about 30% of the world's wild dog population.

You can't leave Botswana without seeing the Okavango Delta. The name translates as “the river that never finds the sea,” and this is true. It disappears into the sands, forming 15 thousand square meters. km of a continuous labyrinth of lagoons, canals and islands. The Okavango Delta is home to thousands of species of birds, and is also home to zebras, wild buffalos, hippopotamuses and kudu. The best way to travel around the delta is by mokoro canoe.

When to go to Botswana: The elephant population is best observed during the dry season (April to November), when all individuals congregate around water sources, especially the Kwando and Chobe rivers.

Bonus: From Chobe it is only about 60 kilometers to the Victoria Falls, located on the Zambezi River on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the only one in the world that is more than 100 meters high and more than a kilometer wide.

4. Namibia

There is also no influx of tourists here, but there are stunning views and the atmosphere of real Africa. Nature reserve Etosha, whose name translates from the Ovambo language as “great white space,” is located on the northwestern edge of the Kalahari Desert.

In the vast expanses of Etosha you can see almost all the animals of the continent, as well as unique trees - African moringas, similar to baobabs. It is also interesting to visit South Luangwa National Park, famous for its large population of hippos.

When to go to Namibia: The best time to visit Etosha is from May to September. You can't get to South Luangwa during the rainy season, so you need to go there during the dry season winter months(May-August).

Bonus: Rare desert elephants can be seen in the Kunene region.

5. South Africa

Most economically developed country Africa is becoming a popular safari destination, and there is a lot to see here too. South Africa's most famous Kruger National Park is a savannah with high densities of elephants, hippos, giraffes, lions, leopards and antelope. It is also worth visiting Hluhluwe-Umfolozi, the oldest national park in South Africa: it was here that the white rhinoceros from extinction as a species.

When to go to South Africa: The best time to observe wildlife is the dry season from March to October, when the trees shed their leaves.

Bonus: A trip to South Africa wouldn't be complete without a visit to Cape Town, located on the coast. Atlantic Ocean the most famous city on the African continent.

The modern metropolis, combining the achievements of Western civilization, the colonial past and African flavor, is surrounded by vineyards. Tasting local wines is a must.

The African continent has always attracted us with its uncertainty, color and danger. We listened to songs, read books, watched movies and TV shows about Africa to learn as much as possible about it.

The heart of Africa is all the countries located below the Sahara, and this territory fully corresponds to our stereotypes and ideas about this continent. The main decoration of the so-called “black” Africa are its national parks - real islands of unity with nature, its breathtaking flora and fauna.

Quantity national parks huge, they exist in almost every country, but not all can boast of having representatives of the Big Five (i.e. What are the names of the five main animals in Africa?being the most honorable trophies African hunting safaris: elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, leopard), a strange landscape, colorful tribes living in those places.

Where should a traveler go first to enjoy a real safari and see as many animals as possible?

Top 5 African Safari Countries:

1. Botswana
2. South Africa
3. Namibia

Rules of conduct in national parks:

The speed limit in the national park is 40 km/h;

Off-road driving is strictly prohibited;

You must take all your garbage with you;

It is prohibited to feed wild animals;

Traveling through the parks at night is prohibited.

Masai Mara National Park (Kenya)

Area - 1810 km 2

The Masai Mara Reserve is considered the best national park And Africa's most popular safari destination.

The Masai Mara is home to large populations of predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, as well as a variety of other wildlife, including more than 450 species of birds.

One of the most mind-blowing sights in this park is the Great Migration from July to October, when millions of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles migrate to more favorable habitats.

In the park you can visit the villages of the Maasai tribe, which preserves ancient traditions, walks in red robes, drinks blood with milk and performs ritual dances with jumping. Perhaps now this is more of a ploy to lure tourists, but from the outside it looks very colorful.

Estimated cost - from €500.

Estimated cost for a 3 day safari - from €270 (includes accommodation and meals) .

Kruger National Park A(SOUTH AFRICA)

Square - 19,485 km²

Kruger National Park a (or just Kruger) - a true flagship of South Africa, which is famous for its wide variety of climatic zones (about 16 macro-eco-zones), which are located within a radius of 300 kilometers between the Limpopo and Crocodile rivers.

Kruger is the most accessible and most modern of Africa's large parks, almost ideal for a self-drive safari, as the area is well marked and even boasts restaurants and petrol stations.

You can enjoy watching buffalo, rhinoceroses, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, leopards, elephants, impalas, lions, wild dogs, eland, kudu, wildebeest and a huge variety of wild animals.

In addition to the opportunity to watch wildlife, the Kruger Park offers excellent multi-day hiking options tourist routes and mountain bike tours.

Estimated cost - from €650.

The cost of the safari depends on the selected local tour operator, the number of days and the program.

The estimated cost of a 3-day safari is from €430 (including accommodation and meals).

Etosha National Park (Namibia)

Area - 22270 km²

Etosha Park, located in northern Namibia, is home to more than 150 species of mammals, including lions, zebras, jackals, gazelles, hyenas, elephants, and cheetahs. There is also a wide variety of birds, especially flamingos, which descend to the salt lakes after infrequent rains. You can also meet endangered rare animals - black rhinoceros, oryx, black-faced impala.

The best time to visit the park is the dry season from June to November, when animals gather near small lakes and rivers in search of sources of water.

Etosha is a great option for a self-guided safari with excellent tourism infrastructure. The strange landscapes and nature will appeal to many nature photographers, who will then be able to send their pictures to the best magazines.

Estimated cost - from €860.

The cost of the safari depends on the selected local tour operator, the number of days and the program.

The estimated cost of a 3-day safari is from €330 (including accommodation and meals).

Ngorongoro National Park (Tanzania)

Area - 2650 km²

Ngorongoro is one of the smallest national parks, but it amazes with the wealth of wild, untamed nature, which makes it very popular among tourists. It is also adjacent to other famous national parks - Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Tarangire.

On its territory there are three volcanic craters (Ngorongoro is the most famous).

It is also home to the Maasai tribes, which are less commercialized than the Maasai in Kenya. In addition to the vibrant volcanic landscapes and verdant African bush, the park is home to one of the largest populations of lions in Africa, as well as black rhinoceroses, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, elephants and more than 500 species of birds.

From December to June, here you can also witness the “Great Migration” of more than one and a half million ungulates.

The estimated cost in both directions is from €570.

The cost of the safari depends on the selected local tour operator, the number of days and the program.

The estimated cost of a 3-day safari is from €480 (including accommodation and meals).

Central Kalahari National Park (Botswana)

Area - 52,800 km²

This national park is the most large nature reserve Botswana and the second largest in Africa.

Despite the vast territory, many places in the park are still unexplored and difficult to access. Therefore, visiting it is a unique opportunity to visit a region that has not yet been spoiled by tourists, get to know its fauna better, and visit the Bushmen, perhaps the most ancient tribe on our planet (who lived here for 30,000 years!).

The classic time to visit the park is from January to April. After the rainy season, many herbivores come out of their shelters into pastures, where predators await them. Lions, leopards, hyenas, honey badgers, oryxes, meerkats, many birds - everyone will find something to watch.

Estimated cost (most best option get to Botswana) - from €860.

The cost of the safari depends on the selected local tour operator, the number of days and the program.

The estimated cost of a 3-day safari is from €820 (including accommodation and meals).

The most interesting and useful

Article text updated: 01/27/2019

In May 2012, we rented a car and drove 1,200 km through the cities and villages of Sri Lanka. One of the most memorable excursions during our independent travel around the island was a trip to the city of Tissamaharama. There we bought a ticket for a photo safari to the Yala National Park and in a few hours of wandering in a jeep along the dusty roads of the park we saw hundreds of different reptiles, animals and birds in natural conditions: monitor lizards and crocodiles, peacocks and marabou, mongooses, jackals, deer , buffalos, leopards and wild elephants. And so, preparing for a holiday in India, I made for myself unexpected discovery: it turns out that despite the fact that this country is home to more than a billion people, there are dozens of nature reserves with untouched nature, where you can also go on safari. There was no doubt: we must definitely include a visit to one of the national parks in our vacation plan on the Hindustan Peninsula.

Seriously . The first one used to be called the “Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary” and you can rent a bike there and ride around all day long, observing the life of the inhabitants, but it was located away from our route. The second two are reserves for Bengal tigers; according to independent tourists, the chances of seeing them are slightly less than 50%, and therefore it is better to go there for a few days.

Therefore, we chose the last option, where we are guaranteed to see those we wanted: indian rhinos. True, the Kaziranga National Park is located in the middle of nowhere: on the banks of the sacred Brahmaputra River in the northeastern state of Assam. And tourists have two options here: Elephant Safari - this is when you sit astride an elephant early in the morning and ride through a swamp overgrown with two-meter-high sedge, trying to spot the one-horned giant in the impenetrable fog, accompanied by the cries of tropical birds; or Game drives - you throw your things into a jeep and rush along the roads, along the swampy banks of the river and through the jungle, also hoping to get the cherished shots with Indian rhinoceros (that’s what the main stars of the reserve are called in English). Of course, there are plenty of other animals here: buffalos, elephants, deer, parrots, pelicans, geese and others.

How to get to Kaziranga National Park on your own

There are three sections of the reserve: Western, Central and Eastern. The ticket counter for the elephant safari is located in a small village called Kohora, located halfway from Guwahati to Jorhat in Assam. There are several ways to get here.

PHOTO 2 MAP

You can take a bus from Gauhati (the most big metropolis in Northeast India) - distance 220 kilometers (journey 5.5 hours, ticket price 500 rupees) or from Jorhat mentioned above (96 km, 70 rupees). Another city nearby is Tezpur, 75 kilometers away (50 rupees is the price of a minibus ticket).

If you get to Kaziranga National Park by plane, the easiest way is to fly to Guwahati, as there are many flights from Delhi and Kolkata (the capital of West Bengal).

The next option is to take the train. The nearest railway station is located in the city of Furkating, 80 kilometers from the village of Kohora we need. There is, however, a stop even closer (40 km) - Jakhalabandha, but the train goes there only once a week. It is clear that before railway station Guwahati Junction is the easiest to get to (since the city is large), and from there you can take a bus, as described above, to Kaziranga.

After all the pros and cons were weighed, the final itinerary for a trip to India as a savage was formed, we decided that the plan for visiting Kaziranga National Park would look like this:

The first day . We take a minibus jeep from Darjeeling to New Jalpaiguri, and then take the 15910 Avadh Assam Express train and go to Ferkating (tickets purchased in advance in Yekaterinburg via the Internet). Departure at 18:15, arrival at 10 am the next day. In Furkating we try to take a bus or, if that doesn’t work, take a taxi to the village of Kohora. We check into some guesthouse and in the evening at 19:00 we buy tickets for the elephant safari at the administration of the Kaziranga Nature Reserve. There are two shifts for elephant photography safaris: from 5:15 to 6:15 and from 6:15 to 7:15. Experienced tourists advise winter time book a trip in the second place, since the sun will not rise yet in the first place and it will be difficult to see the rhinoceroses in the continuous fog.

Second day . We get up at 5 am, drive to the entrance to Kaziranga National Park by car and go for a ride on elephants in the Central part. Upon completion, we return to the village and buy a ticket for a jeep safari in Western zone. After lunch, we are looking for a way to get to Guwahati (we were supposed to take a bus or taxi to the town of Tezpur, from which there are many flights to Guwahati), from where on the morning of the third day we fly to Delhi, and then to Moscow.

How to organize an elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park and how much tickets cost

The jeep safari tour is available from 7:30 to 9:30 and from 14:00 to 15:30. We didn't notice any shortage of jeeps there. But photo hunting for rhinoceroses from the back of an elephant is more difficult to organize.

1. You come at 19:00 to the administration of the Kaziranga National Park (the owner of our guesthouse advised us to come early to be guaranteed to buy tickets at 18:30) and pay for the tickets. Your data is recorded in a thick barn book. Have your passport with you.
2. These ticket offices are located 1 km from the highway. But 1.5 km in the other direction is the entrance to the park or, more correctly, a parking lot for elephants. You need to come here at your reserved time the next morning: by 5:15 or 6:15. The cashier and the hotel owner advised us to take a walk. We would have done this if we had more time to visit Kaziranga. And I didn’t want to be nervous and look in the morning darkness for where the entrance to the reserve was - in case we were late, and there wouldn’t be another chance to see rhinoceroses. Therefore, we agreed with the owner of the guesthouse that for 400 rupees he would take us by car in the morning, wait for us and take us back.

The price of tickets for a photo safari is calculated according to some cunning scheme. We paid for the elephant ride - 2000 rupees per person, for the jeep ride - 2100 per car.

How we got to the Kaziranga Nature Reserve

From the previous part of the report on an independent trip to India, you know that Katya and I successfully traveled by jeep minibus from the tea capital of Darjeeling to New Jalpaiguri (NJP, New Jalpaiguri) and in the evening boarded a train to Ferkating, where we were supposed to get there the next morning . Our fellow travelers in our compartment were two young Indians: brothers traveling home to Guwahati after the Diwali weekend.

The eldest turned out to be very talkative, and we chatted until late at night. He admired that we were not afraid to travel around the country alone and was surprised that I had no idea how I would get from Fercatig to the reserve. To this I replied that the language will take me to Kyiv, and if not, money for a taxi will help. The Indian said that he works at a state bank; in order to get a job there, he had to go through a multi-stage selection process. And at the beginning of the interview, the competition was 60,000 people per place.

He earns a little more than me, however, prices for housing and cars are also a little more expensive than in Yekaterinburg. The bank pays for transport to nearby countries such as Sri Lanka or Singapore, and once every 4 years you can fly to anywhere on the planet. But he doesn’t travel abroad, since it’s simply not accepted in India: “I can’t imagine how you can take a night train somewhere in Russia, like you and your wife are doing now.”

I also asked him about security in Assam, as I read that this region is one of the seven North-Eastern states (“Seven Sisters”: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura), which can be compared with our Caucasus: many years of guerrilla warfare, terrorist attacks, tourists almost never visit these places. The interlocutor said that 10 years ago it was completely turbulent, but in the last 5 years the government has managed to suppress the rebels and now it is peaceful here. And the confrontation was mainly with government troops or it was pogroms by the local population of guest workers from neighboring Bangladesh. However, he did not recommend walking around at night: “Sir, you know that darkness is the friend of all evil spirits. About eight years ago, I arrived at 3 am in Guwahati. Although I was advised not to leave the station until dawn, I decided to go to the hotel. Immediately on station square The fellows jumped up with pistols and took all the money. We're lucky to be left alive! Follow your route, don’t deviate anywhere and everything will be fine..."

In the morning, when we woke up, there were no more fellow travelers - we left for Guwahati. The carriage was half empty, and not a single soul spoke English, so we had a hard time figuring out whether our train was on schedule and when we should get off. An alarm bell in the soul... It’s good that they bought an Indian SIM card in Darjeeling and now had the opportunity to go to the website (http://railenquiry.in), where by train number you can see the current status and list of stops (in the first part of the report I wrote, that Indian carriages do not have such a list).

Furkating Junction Station is a small stop on the outskirts of the city. We got off the train. We look around hesitantly. The passengers, of whom there were not so many, quietly disappeared somewhere. We are surrounded by a small gaggle of taxi drivers, none of whom speak English. It’s no good to bargain directly on the platform; you need to go out into the city.

But there is nothing like a stop within sight, only some bicycle workshops and slums. We are trying to discuss with the most persistent taxi driver how much he wants for taking us to Kokhora. It seems that he is asking for 1500 rupees, but we are not sure that he understood that we need Kohora and even reacts inappropriately to the phrase “Kaziranga National Park”.

And so, at the moment when we were almost ready to agree, providence happened: a young guy comes up and stammers, almost syllable by syllable, asks:

- Sir, hello! Do you want to drive to Kohora, where is the entrance to Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary?

- Yes, sir. Let's go there.

- Then come with me to that minibus, 10 rupees.

- And where will we end up? Are you sure you understand that we need to get to Kaziranga National Park? We want to see rhinos there...

— You will come to the center. There you can take the bus.

We look at the saddened taxi driver and agree to follow our new guide. The minibus is very small - our huge suitcase can barely fit, the conductor shows with signs that he will take two more tickets for the luggage.

After 25 minutes (ten of which we were stuck in traffic jams) we find ourselves at the final stop of minibuses, from where our new “friend” takes us to the big station. Judging by the navigator, this is the city of Golaghat. Here, of course, not a single soul speaks English, stern men chew betel and the entire territory is covered with red spittle. The guy buys tickets for us (65 rupees per person), explains that the village of Kokhora is 90 km away, which we will travel for about 2 hours (from 12:20 to 14:20) and advises us not to worry, since he warned the conductor and driver . Our luggage was taken into the cargo compartment under the bus.

I offer him 200 rupees for his help, but he doesn’t take it: “I just do it from the bottom of my heart!” Bon Voyage! Enjoy Assam!”

In general, my wife and I decided that this was a savior angel, and the situation was very reminiscent of that episode in the film “The Diamond Arm,” when Andrei Mironov’s hero found himself on the island, asked for help, and a boy came collecting fry: “Uncle, what are you doing?” are you screaming?

The nature in Assam is very beautiful. I was reminded of the landscapes of the flat part of Sri Lanka: palm trees, swamps, rice fields... A couple of hours later, with one rest stop in the middle, we arrived at the village of Kohora we needed. We were dropped off at a huge gate with the inscription “Kaziranga National Park” and two life-size rhino monuments. There is a mini market and a couple of cafes where we later came for dinner and lunch. In general, there were many hotels along the route at the entrance to the reserve. But we decided that we would stay right opposite the park administration, so that in the evening it would be convenient to buy tickets for the elephant safari.

A kilometer-long path paved with paving slabs leads from the highway to the ticket offices. Jeeps drive by from time to time, but we don’t stop them: we save money and roll our huge suitcase on wheels behind us. There are tea plantations all around, monkeys are jumping in the trees, and the ubiquitous Indian cows are rummaging in the bushes.

At the central estate of Kaziranga Park we find ticket offices for jeep safari and a place where they sell tickets, but the guesthouses, judging by the signs, are located a little further. And now, another problem! In most hotels there is no one: neither guests nor owners... You just walk into open doors, you call and call (Is anybody here?), no one comes. In others there was someone, but with gestures he showed that everything was booked (although not a single tourist was visible)…

In general, the search for where to live probably took half an hour or an hour. We settled in... I forgot, my friends. It was written down in my folder good review at Rhino Guest House, but now in my hands is a business card of “Kaziranga Wildlife Society”. And I can't remember where I got it from. In short, the guesthouse where we lived was located directly opposite the Jeep Safari Booking Center, if you look at Google Maps. Only there is an expensive hotel nearby, and our mini-hotel is located at a crossroads. The owner flatly refused to bargain, as was written in my notes before my vacation in India - 800 rupees for a room without hot water, 1200 Rs – with flow-through heater. You can order vegetarian food, but we needed meat. So we headed back to the highway to look for a cafe.

Here in the state of Assam, some other tea grows: the leaves are not as dark as in Darjeeling. They are very reminiscent of the tea plantations that we saw in the mountains of Sri Lanka, in the Nuwara Eliya region.

We had dinner. On the advice of the hotel owner, we came to the ticket office early (at 18:30), where there was no one yet. But by 19:00 about 20 people had gathered, among whom were several more Europeans and the rest - it was clear that they were guides or hotel owners buying safari permits for their guests. They asked us for our passport, which shift we wanted to go on (we preferred at 6:15, because we were afraid that at 5:15 it would still be too dark and foggy) and gave us tickets with a recommendation to walk. As I already said, we didn’t want to wander around at night in a reserve infested with tigers - we agreed for 400 rupees with our guesthouse that they would pick us up from the hotel at 5:45 and take us back after the photo safari.

Elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park. How to look for rhinoceroses in swamp grass. Reviews from tourists

In the morning quite a lot of people showed up for the safari (some came on foot, others were brought, like us). We stood in front of the barrier until 6 am and waited for the guards to let us through.

Finally, we approached the “elephant station” and began to wait for the return of the first batch of “rhino hunters”. They gracefully emerged from the foggy darkness.

Boarding and disembarking from an elephant is as follows: climb onto the platform, and from it you step on the back of the animal. You see marks on the counter - these are marks showing how the sacred Brahmaputra River, on the banks of which the Kaziranga National Park reserve is located, overflowed in different years.

Those who have saddled their elephant move aside and wait for the rest of the safari participants to take their places.

Finally, smoothly swaying on the backs of our giants, we set off along a small path through the jungle into the swamp.

As soon as we got out into the swamp, our group divided into several crews, and we began to comb the tall sedge (half the height of an elephant) in search of rhinoceroses.

For the first 20 minutes we just wandered around the sedge, listened to the cries of birds and saw no one. It already seemed that it was in vain that we had taken so long to get to the middle of nowhere and that we would leave with a slurp.

Finally, luck came to us: hidden in a green thicket at dawn, a one-horned rhinoceros was peacefully nibbling grass at dawn.

He didn't stay there very long. He raised his head, trying to see the danger with myopic eyes. But these animals do not see well at all, but they hear well. He heard us and went into the swamp. We went to look for other representatives of Rhinocerotidae.

And soon they discovered a couple more rhinoceroses.

The contact lasts very quickly - literally, several tens of seconds. I suspect that our driver was trying not to anger them. After all, a rhinoceros is one of the most dangerous animals; its attack will cause harm.

So, from one giant to another, we wandered on a quiet Indian morning through the savannah in the floodplain of the sacred Brahmaputra River. By the way, its other names are Matsang and Yarlung-Tsangpo in Tibet, Siang in the Himalayas and Jamuna in Bangladesh. Translated from Sanskrit it means “Son of Brahma”.

Interspersed with rhinoceroses, we tried to see other animals. But because of the tall grass, this is not easy to do: as soon as I saw someone, he immediately ran into the bushes!

The rhinoceros looks like it is covered in armor. Although these are folds of his thick skin.

A herd of wild elephants grazes nearby. When I was already collecting information on the reserve to prepare this report, I learned that tourists periodically die here: apparently, about 10 years ago they were allowed to walk and at least two elderly Europeans approached the elephants, they became enraged, caught up and trampled to death...

Well, here are the dirty buffalo - the same symbol of India as the elephant or the tiger. Among hunters, the concept of the “big five” is common: elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion and leopard. To date, I have collected a collection of photographs of four of them, photographing them for the first time: buffaloes - in China, elephants - in Thailand, rhinoceroses - in India, I did not photograph leopards, since the lens was with a short focal length, but I saw them with my own eyes - in Sri Lanka . Once I go to Africa on a safari and photograph a lion, I can say that I have “collected the Grand Slam”.

Also, I read in the news that the Kaziranga Nature Reserve is surrounded on all sides by densely populated villages and tigers often attack livestock, which angers the peasants. I was surprised by a pig calmly walking not far from the “elephant station”...

The safari is coming to an end. We go down to the ground to spend some more time with the elephants, waiting for those lagging behind.

We are going back to the guesthouse to buy tickets for the jeep safari: we wanted to try and compare both excursions. Along the way I photograph this scene.

Jeep safari in Kaziranga Game Reserve. Self-guided excursions while on holiday in India

We returned to the central square, where there is a booth with ticket offices selling tickets for jeeps. Since we had already seen the Central part, we decided to go to the Western part. Paid. Go.

I forgot to mention that when we rode the elephants, we were accompanied by several rangers with large-caliber guns. During a jeep safari, security is also required - at the checkpoint, a guy with a weapon sat next to the driver.

The sun had already risen high and was quite hot. There are noticeably fewer animals in the Kaziranga Nature Reserve. And now I understand the advantage of an elephant safari: you see a rhinoceros and go directly to him. And when you drive a jeep, you can only move along designated paths and admire the animals from afar. In addition, animals are almost not afraid of elephants, and they are wary of cars.

In the swamps there is an unimaginable din created by hundreds of birds of various species - here are pelicans, geese, and marabou...

If you compare safaris in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka and in Kaziranga National Park, in India it is more difficult to see animals, since in the Brahmaputra floodplain the grass grows taller than human height. Even if you manage to drive close to a deer, it immediately jumps into the thickets.

When hard daylight The jungle doesn't look so beautiful anymore. It's time to get ready to go home.

In conclusion, I would like to dwell a little on the issue of security in the reserve. I found this video on the Internet: a tiger jumps out of the thicket and attacks tourists sitting on an elephant.

The description says that this incident took place in Kaziranga in 2004. But somehow it seems to me that this is video editing. I tried to find news reports about these events - silence. There are reports that about five years ago, a tigress and her cub attacked an elephant with tourists, but the rangers drove them away with shots in the air. I have already mentioned that 2 visitors from Europe died under the feet of angry wild elephants - apparently due to safety violations and because they went to the ground.

Still, the main problem in the reserve is people. Many people believe that rhinoceros horn is a powerful aphrodisiac and pay enormous amounts of money for it. If there is demand, there are also poachers. The Indian government has authorized rangers to shoot to kill, without warning, anyone found carrying a weapon in Kaziranga Park. However, only from January to March 2016, 4 graceful animals were killed here. The bandits cut off the horn, but the carcass remains... And the world's largest rhino population is gradually decreasing.

How we traveled from Kohora to Guwahati

After the safari we returned to the guesthouse, picked up our suitcase and headed to the highway to Gauhati. U roadside cafe We had a snack and started looking for a stop. Then a guy comes up and offers to take him to Guwahati in a shared taxi for 700 rupees - i.e. by car, but with the ability to pick up passengers. It seemed to me that a bus ticket would cost about 400 rupees for two, but the ride would take 5.5 hours in the heat. I tried to discuss in detail that this money included both luggage and travel for two – everything was confirmed. Okay, let's go!

The guy called the driver, waited 15 minutes, and a brand new Suzuki arrived. Once again I’m trying to get confirmation from the driver that the fare will be 700 rupees - I was afraid of being scammed by the taxi driver upon arrival. He doesn't speak English, but he nods his head...

The road to Guwahati is of excellent quality. The views are magnificent! As we drove about 10 kilometers from Kokhora, the road went straight along the Brahmaputra, with a dozen rhinoceroses grazing on its banks. Cars parked on the side of the road, and their passengers poured out to take selfies in front of the one-horned giants.

The driver took us to the outskirts of the city and picked up a guy along the way. He charged us 700 rupees, as agreed. He wished him a good trip and went back. We stand on large area– final for auto-rickshaws and buses (of which there are dozens). We have no idea where to look for a hotel.

We decided that it would be better if we spent the night in the part of Gauhati that is closer to the airport (judging by the signs, it is 37 km away). We looked on the Internet at the center of the metropolis - Paltan Bazaar street, around which hotels and transport routes are concentrated. We walked around 10 tuk-tukers, no one agreed to go for less than 300 rupees. Hmm... We're 4.5 hours away passenger car we went for 700 Rs, but here from one end of the city to the other they ask for 300...

The conductors are shouting from the buses, excitedly inviting us. We tried to ask if the bus goes to Polton Bazaar. It seems to be going... Let's sit down. Ticket price is 15 rupees. We spend a long time in traffic jams, dragging ourselves somewhere. Judging by the navigator, we are moving in the right direction. When we almost reached Paltan Bazaar, we began to carefully look around and got off at a stop, next to which there were several hotels.

What a disaster! We went around 6 hotels, and only one had room. And no haggling - 2000 rupees. What does a big city mean...

Guwahati is another place in India where I have had incredibly delicious food. There was a Chinese restaurant in our hotel. And I have already said more than once that China is a celebration of the belly!

Our journey is coming to an end. The next morning we took a taxi for 600 rupees and got to the airport (it turned out to be quite a long drive). Here we met a girl from the USA. She works as a teacher and for the last 10 years she has been coming to India for six months, since everyone in the country speaks English and the medicine is of very high quality and at the same time cheap. She traveled all over Hindustan, but this was her first time in Darjeeling and then in the North-East. I was returning from the state of Meghalaya, where there are living bridges made from the roots of Cherrapunjee or Charrapunji trees and the incredibly beautiful, one of the highest in the country, Nohkalikai Falls. Warmly recommends this place: “The people there are very friendly, delicious food, wild, untouched beauty nature. This - the best place in India!" Another region she recommends getting to is the Parvati Valley in the foothills of the Himalayas.

I have heard and read the same rave reviews from other travelers. Therefore, if we happen to get to India again, then Parvati, Cherrapunji and Nohkalikai will definitely be on our route. And with this, I declare the report of 11 chapters on the adventures on the Hindustan Peninsula in November 2015 finished...