Similipal National Park to offer traditional Odia cuisine to eco-tourists

Soon visitors to Similipal National Park can now enjoy traditional Odia cuisine at the restaurant opened at the Kumari eco-tourism complex. Tourists can enjoy lunch and dinner by paying Rs 200 for each meal and Rs 100 each for breakfast and afternoon snacks. The restaurant can seat 24 persons.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 4 November 2016.

There will be four eateries that will be made functional from this season - two of these at at Kumari and the other two at Muktapur. An amphitheatre has also been opened to visitors where cultural programs will be held every evening. The park had been closed since mid-June because of monsoon and has now reopened for tourists on November 1.
There are plans to promote home-stays at the forest by identifying suitable villages where tourists can stay as paying guests in the houses of the local tribal people and taste a sample of the local life. Drinking water facilities and toilets will be opened at various locations inside the forest within a month.
A maximum of 35 four-wheeled vehicles will be allowed to enter the Similipal National Park area from Kaliami check gate and another 25 vehicles from Pithabata entry point between 6am and 9am every day - one guide for every vehicle would be compulsory.
The park houses 1,076 species of plants belonging to 102 families, besides 96 species of orchids. There are a total of 42 species of mammals, 242 species of birds and 30 species of reptiles in the forest.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Similipal Tiger Reserve to tap eco-tourism potentials

#SimilipalNationalPark#tourism Similipal Tiger Reserve is ideal to tap the potentials of ecotourism and the authorities want to develop at least two tourist spots at Sitakund and Lulung in Mayurbhanj district. Sitakund is famous for waterfall and Lulung for vast serene forest patch beside the Palpala river. Both the places are in the fringes of the sanctuary. Moreover, Sitakund is a part of the national park and is known for Hinduism and its natural beauty that attracts tourists.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 27 January 2016.

There are hills covered in thick forests and the presence of an array of fauna, the sky-kissing Sal trees and the talkative Palpala river greet one at Lulung. It has a forest and the beautiful 399-metre-high Barehipani waterfall apart from the 150-metre-high Joranda waterfall.
Tourists can get a good view of the surrounding peaks such as the 1158-metre-high Meghasani peak and the 1178-metre-high Khairiburu peak from Lulung. Other rivers like the Khairi, Budhabalanga and the Salandi meander throughout the forest. During winter, tourists and nature lovers throng to this place.
The idea is to develop eco-development committees and ecotourism groups who will take care of the spots. These will be developed with water and illumination facilities and a nominal entry fee of Rs 100 will be collected from the tourists. Apart from water, electricity and toilet facilities, the ecotourism groups will also provide oven, utensils and other materials to the picnickers for cooking who will be expected to maintain the sanitation and hygiene of the areas.
Once the work is complete, the local tribal people will get empowered financially, and it is expected that thy would not go in for poaching and tree-felling.


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