Tourism Products of India III: National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves, Hill Stations and the Tourist Potential of the Himalaya, and the Beach Resorts of the Coastal States and Islands, Each by Location, Accessibility, Facilities, Amenities and Uniqueness
1. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries: the north, west and centre
| Protected area | Location and access | Uniqueness, facilities and season |
|---|---|---|
| Dachigam National Park | Jammu and Kashmir, about 20 km from Srinagar | The last stronghold of the hangul (Kashmir stag); Himalayan black bear; day visits from Srinagar |
| Corbett National Park | Uttarakhand, in the Shiwalik foothills on the Ramganga; railhead Ramnagar | India's first national park, created in 1936 as Hailey National Park, where Project Tiger was launched in 1973; tigers, elephants, gharial; forest rest houses at Dhikala; open roughly mid-November to mid-June |
| Ranthambore National Park | Rajasthan, at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hills; railhead Sawai Madhopur | Tigers seen in the open around lakes and the ruins of Ranthambore fort; jeep and canter safaris; October to June |
| Gir National Park and Sanctuary | Gujarat, Junagadh district; entry at Sasan Gir | The only wild home of the Asiatic lion; the Devalia safari park inside; mid-October to mid-June |
| Kanha National Park | Madhya Pradesh, in the Maikal hills; nearest airport Jabalpur | Sal forest and meadows; saved the hard-ground barasingha (swamp deer) from extinction; tigers; October to June |
| Bandhavgarh National Park | Madhya Pradesh, Umaria district; railheads Umaria and Katni | Among the highest densities of tigers in India; the old fort on its hill; the region of the Rewa white tigers; October to June |
| Valley of Flowers National Park | Uttarakhand, Chamoli district; a trek of about 16 km from Govindghat via Ghangaria | An alpine valley of hundreds of flowering species; with Nanda Devi a World Heritage site; open from June to October, best in July to September |
2. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries: the east, north-east and south; biosphere reserves
| Protected area | Location and access | Uniqueness, facilities and season |
|---|---|---|
| Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary | Jharkhand, near Hazaribagh town, north of Ranchi by road | Hilly dry deciduous forest with sambar, nilgai and watch-towers along a road network; a weekend destination for Ranchi and the region |
| Similipal National Park and Tiger Reserve | Odisha, Mayurbhanj district; gateway Baripada | Sal forest, the Barehipani and Joranda waterfalls, tigers including rare dark (pseudo-melanistic) tigers; also a biosphere reserve; November to June |
| Bhitarkanika National Park | Odisha, in the Brahmani-Baitarani delta; boats from Khola and Chandbali | Mangrove forest and the largest population of saltwater crocodiles in India; near the Gahirmatha coast where olive ridley turtles nest en masse; winter birds |
| Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal, in the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra; by road to Godkhali or Sonakhali, then by boat | The largest mangrove forest in the world, shared with Bangladesh; tigers adapted to swimming; World Heritage site; boat-based tourism only; September to March |
| Manas National Park | Assam, on the Bhutan border; railhead Barpeta Road | Tiger, elephant, wild water buffalo, golden langur, pygmy hog and Bengal florican; World Heritage site; October to April |
| Mudumalai National Park and Tiger Reserve | Tamil Nadu, in the Nilgiris, adjoining Bandipur (Karnataka) and Wayanad (Kerala); on the Ooty–Mysuru road, reception at Theppakadu | Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; elephants and the Theppakadu elephant camp |
| Periyar Tiger Reserve | Kerala, at Thekkady in the Cardamom Hills; airports Kochi and Madurai | Boat cruises on the Periyar lake to watch elephants and bison; community-run nature walks and bamboo rafting; spice plantations nearby |
A biosphere reserve is a different kind of designation from a national park. Under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme it is a large landscape divided into a strictly protected core, a buffer where research, education and ecotourism are allowed, and an outer transition area where people live and work, and its purpose is to reconcile conservation with sustainable use. India notified its first, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, in 1986; others include Nanda Devi, the Sundarbans, the Gulf of Mannar, Similipal, Manas, Pachmarhi, Khangchendzonga and the Great Rann of Kutch, and several are part of UNESCO's World Network. National parks and sanctuaries are created under the Wild Life (Protection) Act; biosphere reserves are a programme designation that usually contains them.
3. Hill stations: location, accessibility, facilities and uniqueness
| Hill station | State and access | Uniqueness |
|---|---|---|
| Gulmarg | Jammu and Kashmir, about 50 km from Srinagar | India's premier ski resort; the Gulmarg Gondola, one of the highest cable cars in the world; golf in summer |
| Kullu and Manali | Himachal Pradesh, in the Beas valley; airport at Bhuntar | Adventure base for Solang and Rohtang; the Atal Tunnel (opened 2020) to Lahaul; Kullu Dussehra |
| Shimla | Himachal Pradesh; the Kalka–Shimla railway | The summer capital of British India; the Mall and the Ridge; colonial buildings |
| Mussoorie and Nainital | Uttarakhand; railheads Dehradun and Kathgodam | Mussoorie, the "Queen of the Hills" above Dehradun; Nainital, built round its lake in the Kumaon hills |
| Pachmarhi | Madhya Pradesh, in the Satpura range; railhead Pipariya | The only hill station of Madhya Pradesh, "Satpura ki Rani"; caves with rock paintings; Satpura Tiger Reserve and the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve |
| Mahabaleshwar | Maharashtra, in the Western Ghats near Pune | Strawberries, viewpoints over the Konkan, the source of the Krishna |
| Chikkamagaluru and Coorg (Kodagu) | Karnataka, in the Western Ghats | Coffee country: Baba Budangiri, where coffee was first grown in India, and Mullayanagiri, Karnataka's highest peak; Coorg's homestays, Abbey Falls and Kodava culture |
| Munnar | Kerala, in the Western Ghats; from Kochi | Tea estates; Eravikulam National Park with the Nilgiri tahr; the neelakurinji, which flowers about once in twelve years |
| Ooty (Udhagamandalam) and Kodaikanal | Tamil Nadu; the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Ooty; Kodaikanal from Madurai | Ooty, the "Queen of Hill Stations" in the Nilgiris, with its botanical garden and lake; Kodaikanal in the Palani hills, around a star-shaped lake |
| Araku Valley | Andhra Pradesh, in the Eastern Ghats; the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul railway | Coffee grown by tribal communities, the Borra caves, the tribal museum; a scenic train with many tunnels |
| Darjeeling | West Bengal; the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from New Jalpaiguri; airport Bagdogra | Tea; the toy train; sunrise over Kangchenjunga from Tiger Hill |
| Gangtok and Shillong | Sikkim; Meghalaya | Gangtok: Rumtek monastery, Tsomgo lake and Nathu La; Shillong: the "Scotland of the East", with Sohra (Cherrapunji) and the living root bridges nearby |
The Himalaya carry more tourism potential than any other region of India: pilgrimage (the Char Dham, Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, Hemkund Sahib and Buddhist monasteries), adventure (trekking, mountaineering, skiing, white-water rafting at Rishikesh, paragliding at Bir Billing), wildlife and flowers, hill stations and a distinctive mountain culture. The constraints are as real: a fragile, earthquake- and landslide-prone environment, heavy seasonality, limited road and air access, waste and water shortages in crowded towns, and the dangers of unplanned pilgrim numbers, which the Kedarnath floods of 2013 made plain. Parts of the Himalaya and the north-east also require permits: Protected or Restricted Area Permits for foreigners, and in some states an Inner Line Permit for Indian visitors. Sustainable Himalayan tourism therefore depends on carrying-capacity limits, registration of pilgrims and trekkers, homestays that keep income local, and waste management.
4. Beach resorts of the coastal states and the islands
| State or territory | Important beaches | Uniqueness |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarat | Shivrajpur (near Dwarka), Mandvi, and Ghoghla in the neighbouring union territory of Diu | Shivrajpur was among India's first Blue Flag beaches |
| Maharashtra | Juhu (Mumbai), Alibaug, Ganpatipule, Tarkarli | Tarkarli's clear water for snorkelling and scuba diving in the Malvan area |
| Goa | Calangute, Baga, Anjuna (north); Colva, Benaulim, Palolem (south) | India's best-known beach destination: shacks, water sports, nightlife, Portuguese heritage; the season runs from October to March |
| Karnataka | Gokarna (Om beach), Murudeshwar, Malpe, Kasarkod and Padubidri | Temple towns by the sea; Kasarkod and Padubidri among the first Blue Flag beaches |
| Kerala | Kovalam, Varkala, Marari, Bekal, Kappad, and Muzhappilangad | Varkala's cliffs; Kovalam's crescent bays and Ayurveda resorts; Muzhappilangad, a beach you can drive on |
| Tamil Nadu and Puducherry | Marina (Chennai), Mahabalipuram, Kovalam (Covelong), Kanyakumari; Puducherry's Promenade, Paradise and Auroville beaches | The Marina, one of the longest urban beaches in the world; sunrise and sunset over the sea at Kanyakumari; French quarter of Puducherry |
| Andhra Pradesh | Ramakrishna beach and Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam) | Rushikonda among the first Blue Flag beaches; water sports |
| Odisha | Puri (Golden Beach), Chandrabhaga at Konark, Gopalpur | Pilgrimage and beach combined at Puri; sand art; Golden Beach among the first Blue Flag beaches |
| West Bengal | Digha, Mandarmani, Bakkhali | Weekend beaches for Kolkata |
| Lakshadweep | Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat, Minicoy | Coral atolls and lagoons; diving; entry permits required |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Radhanagar on Swaraj Dweep (formerly Havelock), Elephant beach, Corbyn's Cove, and beaches of Shaheed Dweep (formerly Neil) | Radhanagar among the first Blue Flag beaches; coral reefs, scuba diving and sea walks |
The Blue Flag is an international eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education, Denmark, to beaches that meet criteria for water quality, environmental management, safety and environmental education. India's first eight Blue Flag beaches were certified in October 2020: Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Beach (Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman and Nicobar). More have been certified since, and the certificate is renewed each year, so a current list must be checked. Beach tourism must also comply with the Coastal Regulation Zone rules, which keep permanent construction back from the high-tide line.
5. Reading a destination: the five-point checklist
The syllabus asks for "Locations, Accessibility, Facilities, Amenities, Uniqueness" for every park, hill station and beach, and the distinction between the middle three is examined. Location is where the destination is, in state and physical setting. Accessibility is how visitors reach it: the nearest airport, railhead and road, and the time the journey takes. Facilities are the tourism-specific services on which the visit depends: accommodation, safari vehicles and guides, boats, ropeways, interpretation centres. Amenities are the general comforts that make the stay pleasant and safe: water, power, sanitation, food, shopping, banking and medical care. Uniqueness is the unique selling proposition, the one thing that the destination offers and its competitors do not, such as the Asiatic lion at Gir or the neelakurinji at Munnar.
Key takeaways
- Corbett (1936, as Hailey; Project Tiger launched 1973) is the first national park; Gir the only Asiatic lion forest; Dachigam the hangul's; Kanha the hard-ground barasingha's; Bandhavgarh has among the densest tiger populations; Ranthambore's tigers roam a fort.
- Bhitarkanika has mangroves and saltwater crocodiles near Gahirmatha; the Sundarbans are the largest mangrove forest; Manas has the golden langur and pygmy hog; Similipal has waterfalls and dark tigers; Mudumalai and Periyar are Nilgiri and Cardamom Hill reserves; the Valley of Flowers blooms from July to September.
- A biosphere reserve (UNESCO MAB; India's first, the Nilgiri, 1986) has a core, a buffer and a transition zone and usually contains parks and sanctuaries created under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
- Hill stations: Gulmarg for skiing, Shimla and Darjeeling with toy trains, Ooty with the Nilgiri railway, Pachmarhi as Madhya Pradesh's only hill station, Chikkamagaluru and Coorg for coffee, Munnar for tea and the neelakurinji, Araku in the Eastern Ghats; the Himalaya offer pilgrimage and adventure but need carrying-capacity limits.
- India's first eight Blue Flag beaches (October 2020) were Shivrajpur, Ghoghla, Kasarkod, Padubidri, Kappad, Rushikonda, Golden Beach and Radhanagar; accessibility is how visitors arrive, facilities the tourism services, amenities the general comforts and uniqueness the USP.
Practice questions (10)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
India's first national park, created in 1936 as Hailey National Park and the place where Project Tiger was launched in 1973, is
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Answer: B — Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Corbett was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, renamed Ramganga and then Corbett, and was the site of the launch of Project Tiger. Kanha, Gir and Periyar were declared later.The hangul, or Kashmir stag, is the flagship species of
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Answer: C — Dachigam National Park
Dachigam near Srinagar holds the last viable population of the hangul. Manas is known for the golden langur and pygmy hog, Kanha for the hard-ground barasingha and Bhitarkanika for saltwater crocodiles.A protected area in Odisha's Brahmani-Baitarani delta, reached by boat from Khola or Chandbali, known for mangroves and the largest population of saltwater crocodiles in India, is
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Answer: C — Bhitarkanika National Park
Bhitarkanika's creeks hold the saltwater crocodile, and the adjacent Gahirmatha coast is a mass-nesting beach for olive ridley turtles. Similipal is an upland sal forest in Mayurbhanj, and the Sundarbans are in West Bengal.In which year was Hailey National Park, now Corbett National Park, established? Give the year.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 1936
It was established in 1936 under the United Provinces National Parks Act and named after the governor Malcolm Hailey; it took Jim Corbett's name in 1957.Which of the following hill stations are in Tamil Nadu? Select all that apply.
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Answer: A — Kodaikanal; D — Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Ooty is in the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal in the Palani hills, both in Tamil Nadu. Munnar is in Kerala, and Araku in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.Match the hill station with its state. (a) Pachmarhi (b) Mahabaleshwar (c) Araku (d) Chikkamagaluru. States: (1) Karnataka (2) Andhra Pradesh (3) Maharashtra (4) Madhya Pradesh
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Answer: D — a-4, b-3, c-2, d-1
Pachmarhi is Madhya Pradesh's only hill station, Mahabaleshwar is in Maharashtra's Western Ghats, Araku in Andhra Pradesh's Eastern Ghats and Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka's coffee country. The syllabus spells three of them "Panchmarahi", "Mahabaleswar" and "Chikmangulaur".Radhanagar beach, one of India's first Blue Flag beaches, is on
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Answer: A — Swaraj Dweep (formerly Havelock Island), Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Radhanagar is on Swaraj Dweep, renamed from Havelock in 2018. Agatti is a Lakshadweep island, and Ghoghla in Diu was another of the first eight Blue Flag beaches.Assertion (A): The Valley of Flowers is best visited between July and September. Reason (R): The valley is under snow for much of the year and its alpine meadows flower during the monsoon months.
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Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true and R explains A: the park opens around June when the snow melts, peaks in bloom with the monsoon and closes in October. The same monsoon closes most lowland parks, which is why the valley's season is the reverse of theirs.Which of the following were among India's first eight beaches awarded the Blue Flag in October 2020? Select all that apply.
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Answer: B — Kappad, Kerala; D — Golden Beach, Puri, Odisha
The first eight were Shivrajpur, Ghoghla, Kasarkod, Padubidri, Kappad, Rushikonda, Golden Beach and Radhanagar. The Marina and Calangute, though famous, were not among them.In the syllabus's checklist for a destination, drinking water, sanitation, banking and medical care at a hill station are examples of its
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Answer: A — amenities
Amenities are the general comforts that make a stay pleasant and safe. Facilities are the tourism-specific services such as lodges, guides and ropeways; accessibility is how visitors arrive; and uniqueness is the destination's special appeal.