Magical Assam - Manas National Park, April 2021

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Magical Assam - Manas National Park, April 2021

General Information

Located at the foothills of the Bhutan-Himalayas, Manas National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site and is the crown jewel of the state of Assam. It has an extremely unique biodiversity and landscape, and is one of the first reserves to be included in the network of tiger reserves under Project tiger in 1973. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan on one side and Buxa tiger reserve on the other. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. Manas is famous for its population of the wild water buffaloes and Asiatic Elephants. The park is divided into three ranges. The western range is based at Panbari, the central at Bansbari near Barpeta Road, and the eastern at Bhuiyapara near Pathsala. The sanctuary has recorded 55 plus species of mammals, 380 plus species of birds, 50 plus of reptiles, and 3 species of amphibians. Out of these, 21 mammals are categorized under Schedule I and 31 of them are threatened.

Some Target Species

Considered one of the the world's rarest simian species, the Golden Langur was first spotted in Manas in the mid-20th century. Other mammals commonly found here are Rhino, large number of Asiatic elephants, Bengal Tiger, Melanistic Leopards, Pygmy hog, Hispid hare, Malayan giant squirrels, capped langur, Assamese Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Leopard, Golden Cat, Clouded leopard, Fishing cat, Leopard cat, Jungle Cat, Dhole, Large Indian civet, Small Indian civet, Common palm civet, Himalaya palm civet, Binturong, Common mongoose, Himalayan black bear, Sloth bear, Gaur, Large herds of water buffaloes, Sambar, Hog deer, Barking deer, Swamp deer, Wild pigs etc.

Manas is also well known for its spectacular bird diversity. Some target species are Bengal Florican, Great Indian Hornbill, Silver breasted and long-tailed broadbills, large number of collared falconets, Emerald doves, Parrotbills, Crested kingfishers, Khaleej pheasant, Brahminy Ducks, Pelicans, Pied Hornbills, Grey Hornbills, Mergansers, Serpent Eagles, various species of falcons, Red-headed Trogon, large number of Jungle owlets, Sultan tit, Swamp Francolin, Wreathed and Rufous-necked Hornbill, Marsh and Jerdon’s Babblers, Pied Harrier, Ibisbill, Scarlet Minivets, Fishing Eagles, Blue-bearded and green bee-Eaters, Marsh harriers, Comb ducks, Asian fairy bluebirds, Indian silverbill and many more rare and highly sought after species.

Itinerary

Scheduled dates: 5th to 11th April 2021 (6 Nights 7 days)

Itinerary

Day 1

For all outstation participants, we recommend reaching Guwahati on Day 1 before 2 p.m. It will take around 4 hours to reach Manas National Park which is about 147 kms from Guwahati. We will be travelling by road and will have lunch on the way. After reaching our camp we will have tea and snacks followed by discussion with our mentor. We will have an early dinner and get ready for the next day safari.

Day 2

Wake up call at 5 a.m. Have your tea/coffee by 5.30 a.m. and then we will start our safari at 6 a.m. You will be having your breakfast and lunch inside the jungle during the safari. We will get back to the resort by 5.30 p.m. Unlike most other reserves Manas National park allows you to stay and experience the beauty of jungle and its resident species for the whole day. This gives us plenty of time to make images to our hearts’ content. After safari take some rest, empty the memory cards, charge camera batteries. We will return to the resort by late evening; have tea and refreshments. Spend the evening by joining the group for the discussing your experience and you can consult our mentor for any guidance on photography.

Day 3

Wake up call at 5 a.m. Have your tea/coffee by 5.30 a.m. and then we will start our safari at 6 a.m. You will be having your breakfast and lunch inside the jungle during the safari. We will get back to the resort by 5.30 p.m. After safari take some rest, empty the memory cards, charge camera batteries. We come back to the resort by evening, have tea and refreshments. Spend the evening by joining the group for the discussing your experience and you can consult our mentor for any guidance in photography.

Day 4

Wake up call at 5 a.m. Have your tea/coffee by 5.30 a.m. and then we will start our safari at 6 a.m. You will be having your breakfast and lunch inside the jungle during the safari. We will get back to the resort by 5.30 p.m. After safari take some rest, empty the memory cards, charge camera batteries. We come back to the resort by evening, have tea and refreshments. Spend the evening by joining the group for the discussing your experience and you can consult our mentor for any guidance in photography.

Day 5

Wake up call at 5 a.m. Have your tea/coffee by 5.30 a.m. and then we will start our safari at 6 a.m. You will be having your breakfast and lunch inside the jungle during the safari. We will get back to the resort by 5.30 p.m. After safari take some rest, empty the memory cards, charge camera batteries. We come back to the resort by evening, have tea and refreshments. Spend the evening by joining the group for the discussing your experience and you can consult our mentor for any guidance in photography.

Day 6

Wake up call at 5 a.m. Have your tea/coffee by 5.30 a.m. and then we will start our safari at 6 am. Today we will be photographing Gee’s Golden Langur which is one of the most endangered primate species of India. We will reach resort by evening 5 p.m. We will have an early dinner as next day is departure so participants can wind-up comfortably.

Day 7

After breakfast we depart for Guwahati and will reach Guwahati by 2 p.m. Please book return flights after 2 p.m. Our trip ends here.

Gallery

Getting Ready

The following safety kit is provided free to all registered participants

Things to carry

1. Telephoto lenses – preferably above 400 mm.

2. Carry fully charged batteries for your camera / flash.

3. Carry battery charger. Carry extra pack of camera batteries.

4. Carry backup memory cards / HDD storage drives, Laptop.

5. Carrying a Tripod is a must for all bird photography workshops.

6. Carry a big towel / cloth to protect your gear from dust.

7. Carry a big cloth / bandanna / scarf to protect you from dust.

8. Warm clothes, gloves for the chilly early mornings.

9. Sun screens are very important.

10. It is advisable to carry basic first aid along with you.

11. Please carry suitable mosquito repellants to keep you protected from mosquito bites.

12. Carry a pair of good binoculars.

DO's & DONT's

Maintain social distancing with other participants.
Use mask and face shield all the time.
Sanitize your hand frequently.
Alcohol is not permitted.
Carry Personal medicines if any.
Be humble fellow photographers.
Do not litter the place.
Do not be late.

Do not worry if you don’t own a super-telephoto lens as we now have an equipment support division. Equipment is available on rental - please mail us at rentals@dcpexpeditions.com.

Field Learnings

On-field learning from the experts is said to be one of the best methods of improving your skill-set. Our expert will hand hold you at every possible step for a better understanding of perspectives, camera controls and how to make use of the best opportunities to get better images. The training will focus on the following

1. How to approach wildlife in the field

2. Different modes of shooting (Av / A, Tv / S, M and P)

3. Exposure control in field under difficult light conditions

4. Mastering metering techniques (Spot, partial, center weighted, evaluative)

5. Mastering auto focus, focusing points, AF locking and focus tracking for moving subjects

6. How to get sharp images of moving subjects

7. Framing and composition in the field

8. Ethics in Wildlife Photography

DCP Expert

Soumabrata Moulick is a passionate wildlife photographer and nature enthusiast. Primarily interested in behavioral and conservation photography, he believes that knowledge should be shared with no holds barred and has a flair for teaching. An engineer by profession, he left his high paying full-time job to devote all his time to the observation, study and documentation of nature and wildlife. His work has been published and acknowledged in various national and some of the most renowned international platforms. He is today a successful conservation photographer and contributes enormously towards the conservation of fast vanishing natural wonders. Som (as we call him lovingly) is a full time Masterclass Mentor with team DCP, taking Wildlife Photography to its next orbit.

Stay

Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp. Resort is well sanitized before we check-in and in between. To avoid cross contamination and to keep social distancing beds are placed accordingly. Resort staff are well-trained and keeping social distance.

Package Cost

Package Cost: Rs 66000 per head inclusive of all taxes

*To know charges for foreign nationals please write to info@dcpexpeditions.com

Cost includes

Accommodation for 6 nights and 7 days on twin sharing basis.
Pick-up and drop from Guwahati Airport.
Veg and non-veg breakfast, lunch and dinner during the stay.
5 Gypsy full day safaris to various ranges of Manas National Park
All park charges, entry fee etc.
DCP photography expert for 7 days.
Covid-19 hospitalization insurance of Rs. 50,000*.
Discount Coupon for testing Covid-19 RT-PCR
Disposable Face Shield
10 Surgical masks
2 pairs of gloves
100 ml sanitizer
All taxes and service charges

* Insurance is subject to eligibility. Insurance claim process & settlement is purely between customer and insurance company and DCP is not involved in any claim process & further disputes. Insurance is subject to rules governing the policy as specified by the insurance company.

Cost does not include:

1. Travel from Mumbai - Guwahati - Mumbai

2. Camera-fee at sanctuaries.

3. Mineral Water, Soft Drinks, Laundry Charges, Phone Calls, Tips etc.

4. Any kind of insurance, Medical or/and Emergency Charges.

5. Any extra meals not included in the above itinerary.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations before 30 days of the event date - 100% refund
All cancellations between 20 - 30 days of the event date - 50% refund
All cancellations within 20 days of the event date - No refund possible

Registration

Please click on the 'Register for Workshop' tab on the top / bottom right corner of this page to register yourself. Once you fill in your details and click submit, you will be re-directed to the online payment page. Your registration is completed and confirmed only after a successful payment process. Once you complete the online payment, you will receive an auto generated email from CC Avenue, our online payment portal. Consider the same as a confirmation of the transaction. Our team will soon revert with further details of the tour. In case of any difficulty, please connect with us through any of the following route - Land line: 022-61818464, Fax: 022-61214950 Mail: info@dcpexpeditions.com

Magical Assam - Manas National Park, April 2021

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