India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (402 page)

EXPLORING THE WILDS OF ASSAM

To most, Assam means tea, and indeed some 20% of the world’s tea is grown here. But Assam’s remote location (best reached by plane from Kolkata or Bagdogra, flying into Guwahati, after which you need to travel by road, with the closest park approximately 4 hr. away) has meant that it remains one of India’s best-kept secrets, despite boasting two out of India’s five World Heritage environmental sites—Manas and Kaziranga. In
Manas,
apart from a small and extremely basic but superbly located
Forest Rest House
at Mothanguri (contact the Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve;
03666/233-413
), deep in the park, the only place to stay is the
Bansbari Lodge
(
www.assambengalnavigation.com
; [email protected]), right beside the park entrance. The 16 fan-cooled rooms are spacious and have small balconies. The lodge arranges performances of Bodo tribal dancing.
Be warned:
The access road to the park from the National Highway is in dire need of attention. The more popular
Kaziranga
is among the top five places to see wildlife in India. This marshy plain beside the Brahmaputra was turned into a wildlife sanctuary by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, in 1908. At that time there were only a handful of rhinos left; now around 1,800 graze the park; they constitute the vast majority of the world population of the Asian one-horned rhinoceros. Also present here are wild elephant, buffalo, swamp deer, hog deer, sambar, wild boar, as well as the densest tiger population in India. But don’t get your hopes up—tiger in Kaziranga are harder to spot than almost anywhere else, thanks to the lush vegetation. The best way to get close to the rhinos is atop an elephant: Every morning cavalcades of 20 or so elephants head out rhino tracking—and visitors are seldom disappointed. If you aren’t staying on board one of Assam Bengal Navigation’s river cruise ships (see box below), a good alternative would be their
Diphlu River Lodge
(
www.diphluriverlodge.com
) with thatched cottages on stilts looking across the water into the park itself—from the machan at night you can watch rhino graze on the far bank. The cottages are air-conditioned, and marvelously spacious. Otherwise
Wild Grass
(
03776/226-2011;
www.oldassam.com
) offers a good standard of comfort and is close to the entrance to Kaziranga’s Central Range.

Wildlife Safari by Boat

The Brahmaputra flows for some 644km (400 miles) through Assam, and a river cruise is the best way to visit this little-known region in comfort. There is hardly any traffic on the river, just the occasional country boat taking fishermen to their traps. Otherwise you’ll find total solitude, rare indeed in India. The two 12-double-cabin riverboats of
Assam Bengal Navigation
(
www.assambengalnavigation.com
; [email protected]) are comfortable without being pretentious. Rooms are all air-conditioned, the en-suite bathrooms are workmanlike, and the furnishings, which make use of local weaving, rattan, and bamboo, are simple and unfussy. Each boat has a saloon and bar with glass doors looking out on a small foredeck and the river ahead, while upper sun decks are furnished with sun loungers and generous seating. ABN’s cruises range in length from 4 to 14 nights and cost from $350 per person per night. Most days the boat stops for a visit on land, whether to a wildlife park, tea garden, temple, or tribal village. A fleet of jeeps is used to take guests on longer excursions, but be warned, Assam’s road surfaces leave a lot to be desired. Transfers are included in the tariff. Pickups can be done at either of the two airports in Dibrugarh or Guwahati, both of which are connected to Delhi and Kolkata.

Chapter 16: Fast Facts

Fast Facts: India

AREA CODES
The international telephone access code for India is
91.
Area codes for principal cities and towns are listed in the “Fast Facts” sections in each chapter. All numbers listed in this guide include the local area code (which you would dial from another Indian town or city); this is separated from the actual telephone number by a forward slash (/).

BUSINESS HOURS
Banks are usually open weekdays from 10am to 2pm and Saturday from 10am to noon, though banks in larger cities have much longer hours (9:30am–5pm on weekdays, and until 2pm on Sat). Most museums are closed Monday; the Taj Mahal is closed on Friday, along with all other Muslim sites. Hours of retail outlets vary, but many close on Sunday.

DRINKING LAWS
Attitudes toward alcohol vary considerably. In Gujarat, prohibition is in force and liquor can only be obtained from the permit rooms of luxury hotels, a concession made principally for foreigners and out-of-state businesspeople. In most other non-Muslim areas, alcohol is freely available and exceedingly popular. In top hotels, you’ll find a full range of imported liquor, available to those who can afford the extravagance. In most cities you will encounter “country liquor” bars and insalubrious liquor “dens”; and somewhere on your travels you may be offered local bootlegged stuff—all of which you’re advised to stay clear of. In a few of the southern states, notably Kerala and Tamil Nadu, stringent alcohol laws are in place: Liquor is found in many hotels and restaurants (but not all, since liquor licenses can be difficult to obtain), but outside these licensed premises, alcohol may only be sold by government-owned outlets (where you’ll often see queues forming from early in the morning)—part of an attempt to prevent the sale of dangerous illicit concoctions that have in the past caused death and blindness.

The
legal drinking age
differs from state to state, and ranges from 18 to 25; in Mumbai, for example, wine and beer may be consumed from the age of 21, but you must be 25 to drink spirits. Foreigners are unlikely to be questioned about their age in the context of alcohol consumption. Laws concerning alcohol use change regularly, often in response to serious concerns around abuse. It’s best to drink modestly and restrict drinking to places where it is obviously permitted. Certain religious sites place restrictions on intoxication or even alcohol use, so best to be on your toes if you don’t mean to cause offence.

DRIVING RULES
See “Getting There and Getting Around.”

ELECTRICITY
220–240 volts AC.

EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Embassies of major English-speaking countries are listed in the “Fast Facts” section for Delhi; see chapter 10. For quick reference, here are some embassy numbers:
Australia
011/4139-9900;
Canada
011/4178-2000;
New Zealand
011/2688-3170;
and the
U.K.
011/2419-2100.
The U.S. State Department encourages American citizens visiting India to register at the
U.S. Embassy
in New Delhi (Shantipath, Chanakyapuri;
011/2419-8000;
fax 011/2419-0017;
http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov
) or at one of the U.S. consulates in India. The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Rd., 400 026 (
022/2363-3611;
fax 022/2363-0350;
http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov
). The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700 071 (
033/3984-2400;
fax 033/2282-2335;
http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov
). The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600 006 (
044/2857-4000;
fax 044/2811-2020;
http://chennai.usconsulate.gov
).