The famous Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district is all set to welcome back tourists this year from November 1.
The 2750-sq-km Similipal National Park which is Asia's second-largest biosphere reserve usually remains off the limits for the public every year during the period of monsoon. But this year, it was closed for an indefinite period of time due to surge in cases of Covid in May 2021.
Similipal Tiger Reserve Director informed OTV on Wednesday that tourists will be allowed entry to the national park under strict adherence to Covid protocols.
Visitors will be allowed entry into the national park through two gates - one at Pithabata from Baripada side and the other Kaliami gate from Jashipur between 6 to 9 am. People will be allowed to visit the national park after verification of necessary details.
The authorities of the park have discouraged people from carrying any sort of plastic during the ride. This year, we have decided to completely ban any sort of plastic usage in the national park by promoting use of decomposable plant-based products, said the director of Similipal.
Tourists will have the opportunity to witness some of the major waterfalls like Barehipani and also enjoy their time in the lap of nature with night stays at camp cottages and bamboo cottages at Gudugudia, Jamuani, Ramathirtha, Kumari.
People can book tickets to visit the national park online on first come and first serve basis by logging into www.similipal.com and odishatourism.gov.in.
This year, the authorities of the national park have also decided to allow visitors to sightsee the picturesque and the rich biome of flora and fauna on cycles.
A total of around 43400 tourists had visited the national park last year while a total of Rs 2.35 crore of revenue was collected, said the director of the Similipal Tiger Reserve.