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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Dehradun to hold the spring bird festival as a part of eco-tourism

The state forest department of Uttaraknand has decided to hold the spring bird festival at seven venues this year - that way, all the regions of the state would get representation. The festival is being held for last three years and has become quite a popular event.
The first of these was held at Asan Conservation Reserve followed by Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve while last year, it was held in the Doon Valley where activities were held at Asan, Forest Research Institute and Rajpur Road.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 July 2016.

This festival has become an attraction for eco-tourism and, till now, only one destination was being promoted. But, since communities from all over the state were not able to participate and get benefit from the festival, a decision was taken to decentralize the program and give representation to maximum regions each year. The seven circles chosen are four at Garhwal namely Bhagirathi, Shivalik, Pauri and Yamuna, and three at Yamuna namely North, South and Western Circle.
The bird festival will provide opportunities to locals to display their handicrafts and products and sell the handmade stuff. The series of the spring bird festival will begin in October and go on till February next year. The specific dates and venues are yet to be announced.


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Ecotourism gets a push in Balasore forest division

In order to focus on ecotourism, the Balasore forest division has developed a project at Gohirabholo in the buffer region of the Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary - the intention is to attract more visitors and also promote tourism in the area. An amount of nearly Rs 96 lakh is proposed to be spent on the project. So far, four tents have been erected and other facilities such as washrooms and kitchens are ready. Each tent can accommodate two persons. A watchtower has also been erected for tourists to get a better view of the sanctuary area.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 31 May 2016.

Fir ensuring safety of tourists against animal attacks, trenches have been dug around the project area and, solar fencing has also been installed for additional security. There is a provision for round-the-clock water supply through borewells and, solar panels are meeting the demand for electricity. The forest department offers night-stay facilities at four tents set up inside the core area of the sanctuary, located about 8-Km away from the entry gate.
However, the night-stay facilities in the core area of the sanctuary could be shut down to keep wildlife free from the disturbance caused by human movement and activities.
The charges are Rs 1,000 for a bed and another Rs 500 for food. The facility will be open to tourists throughout the year, unlike the one in the core area of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to leopards, elephants, deer and other threatened species including porcupines, bisons, pythons and pangolins and is spread over an area of 272.4 acres.


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Tourists can expect more and better facilities at tiger reserve and wildlife sanctuary

Tourists at Valmiki Tiger Reserve and Pant Wildlife Sanctuary in Bihar can look forward to enjoying better accommodation and allied services like transport and security facilities by virtue of an eco-tourism plan of the tourism and forests departments. VTR offers jungle safari and trekking.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 23 May 2016.

The forests department will draw up comprehensive plans to provide visitors facilities such as online booking, transport, lodging, food, sight-seeing and security at VTR, and also at other eco-tourism destinations in the state. The procedure at present is that hotels or guesthouses have to be booked through the divisional forests officer or the BSTDC office. However, tourists do not know about the travel options and other arrangements.
Under the modified plan, tourists can book accommodation at most eco-tourism destinations either by visiting the office of the divisional forests officer or contacting the BSTDC offices. These facilities will be available at VTR and the other destinations such as Pant Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajgir, Kakolat waterfalls in Nawada, Rajgir and others and will be introduced from the next tourist season (October-February).
There are a number of options for tourists like the forest guesthouses at Madanpur, Manguraha, Ganauli, and Govardhana ranges. Two eco-huts had been inaugurated at Kotraha and Madanpur ranges in November 2012. Moreover, there are six eco-huts at Govardhana and Naurangia Don ranges. In addition to these, several old and dilapidated wooden watchtowers and guesthouses have also been renovated recently.


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Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur joins list of top 10 tourist destinations in Maharashtra

The Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur has entered the list of 10 top tourist destinations of Maharashtra - it joins the ranks of Ellora caves, Shirdi and Gateway of India. In a report of the state government, it has been confirmed that tourists opt for a Kolhapur visit while touring the state. In spite of the fact that the development plans of the holy city of Kolhapur is stuck, tourists keep coming to avail of the religious, heritage and eco-tourism opportunities.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 May 2016.

Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur is placed at eighth position among the 10 popular tourist destinations - Shirdi temple in Rahta tehsil of Ahmednagar district continues to top the list thanks to direct connectivity with Pune city, which allows tourists to visit Shirdi and return to Pune by night.
Moreover, better road connectivity has placed Shirdi in the first position, but there are very few takers for overnight stay. However, visitors touring Tadoba tiger sanctuary prefer to stay there for at least two days. Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur city, like Shirdi, does not see tourists who stay there. As per the report, 77.1% tourists visit Kolhapur but do not stay there. The tourists usually take the road route, halt at Kolhapur and visit the temple.
Of course, for tourists who visit Goa, it is a common practice to visit the temple, and enjoy some local cuisine, before heading to Goa. After their tour is over, they head for home and very few of them visit Kolhapur in the return journey.


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Entry of tourists banned in Bhitarkanika National Park for 3 months from 1 May

A 3-month ban from 1 May has been imposed on tourists to the Bhitarkanika National Park. This ban to the wetland sites is because this period is the breeding season of salt-water crocodiles. Human interference disturbs the reptiles and they often turn violent and attack intruders during this period. The ban period will continue till July 31 and, tourists would not be allowed access to crocodile-infested areas of Bhitarkanika, Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 April 2016.

The sound of mechanized boats ferrying tourists and forest officials disturbs the crocodiles. The females lay eggs near the waterbodies in the mangrove forests and guard them till the hatchlings emerge. However, locals illegally enter the forest areas to collect honey and wood. The park has vast expanse of mangrove cover and wetland spots and is considered to be an ideal eco-tourism destination for camping, trekking and picnics. The major attractions are its saltwater crocodiles and migrant avian species and the tourists enjoy boat rides to the mangrove-covered waterbodies. Incidentally, as per a census carried out in January 2016, there are 1,671 salt-water crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika river system. And, nine years ago, the world' s largest crocodile (23feet) was found here and it made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.


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Eco-tourism in Odisha - taste bamboo shoots curry

#ecotourism #odisha Odisha is pursuing ecotourism in a big way. The state has plans to invest Rs 100 crore to develop the ecotourism spots. One of these is the Koraput valley and its rural landscape where tourists can enjoy the hospitality and company of tribals - for such people, Desia is the destination.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 4 February 2016.

An ecotourism facility, developed at Lamtaput in the district is the place that aims to empower the local tribal community who can offer an insight into the ethnic lifestyle to the visitors. This site was developed in November 2014 and has already hosted over 100 people - many of them are foreigners from France, Spain and USA.
The food here is served on tree leaves, and on the platter, there are tribal delicacies such as ragi gruel better known as mandia jau and baunsa kadi sabji (bamboo shoots curry).
A team of 10 people from the local Paraja tribe are involved in managing the site, and the entire profit earned from the project is distributed among the people. The basic idea is to promote "responsible tourism" to respect the environment and its cultures.
There are two cottages with modern amenities and designed by artists of Shantiniketan who have taken help of the local tribal people.
Such ecotourism sites are gradually becoming popular among foreign travelers and, apart from private players, the state government is also showing interest in developing the ecotourism sites. It has started a centralized online system for booking of accommodation and has taken a decision to develop basic amenities such as accommodation facilities in and around 60 ecotourism sites across the state.
The focus of Odisha this year is to develop ecotourism.


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#climatechange #pollution #coralgardening #corals #ecotourism Coral gardening is the latest idea to improve the environment and restore the ecological balance. Coral reefs are very fragile and in danger worldwide. Therefore, a new method is being introduced for coral growing. It is similar to growing plants – it involves breaking off pieces of coral in order to grow more.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 1 July 2015.

The process developed by scientists of Florida is simple - marine biologists cut off the tips of live branching corals, hang the pieces on man-made underwater trees where they grow, and later replant them on real reefs on the ocean floor.
Work on this unique method has been going on for years and the scientists are now bringing their methods to the public. They are making use of diving trips, eco-tourism outings and summer camps for teens.
Coral growing can counter the harmful effects of climate change, pollution and industrial development.
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine Science is running a program called Rescue a Reef and interested citizen scientists can join the project. Coral reefs provide habitat and food for fish, turtles, seahorses, sea urchins and other creatures. Unfortunately, they are struggling for survival – their numbers are down 50-95 percent in some parts of the world.
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