Dhikala Zone Safari

Dhikala landscape and safari route

The drive in starts at Dhangarhi gate, about 18 km from Ramnagar, and winds through sal forest and river crossings for more than 30 km before reaching the Dhikala complex, roughly 51 km from town.

The heart of the zone is the Dhikala chaur, a vast grassland bordering the Ramganga reservoir. Elephant herds cross it in the evening, deer graze in the open and tigers hunt along its edges. Other well-known spots include:

• High Bank: a viewpoint above the Ramganga, good for spotting gharial, mugger crocodiles and fish-eating birds.
• Gairal: a riverside stretch and rest house on the way in, surrounded by thick forest.
• Khinanauli: grassland and forest beyond Dhikala, quieter and prized by photographers.
• Ramganga reservoir: wide water views with waders, ducks in winter and elephants at the shoreline.

Wildlife you can see in Dhikala

Dhikala offers the most varied wildlife in the park. It is one of the best places in India to watch large herds of Asian elephants, especially from March to June.

Tigers are regularly seen crossing the grasslands or resting near water. Hog deer, a grassland specialist, lives here alongside chital, sambar and barking deer. The river holds gharial, mugger crocodiles and otters.

For birders, the reservoir attracts ospreys, fish eagles, cormorants and wintering ducks, while the grasslands hold larks, bushchats and raptors.

When to go and which shift to book

Dhikala usually opens around 15 November and closes around 15 June for the monsoon, when rivers flood the approach road.

• November–February: cold, misty grasslands, excellent birding and wintering waterfowl on the reservoir.
• March–June: peak season for tigers and elephant herds as the grass is cut or burnt and water shrinks.

Canter safaris are longer than jeep safaris, as they include the long drive in. The morning canter gives you the drive through the forest at its most active; the afternoon canter often ends with elephants on the chaur at dusk.

Permits, vehicles and how to get there

Day visitors book a seat on the canter, a shared open bus of about 16 seats, which usually leaves from the CTR reception in Ramnagar. Private jeeps cannot take day visitors into Dhikala.

If you have a night-stay booking at a Dhikala-zone rest house, you enter through Dhangarhi gate in a registered safari jeep and can then book jeep safaris inside the zone. Collect your permit at the CTR reception in Ramnagar before driving in, and reach the gate before it closes in the evening.

Online bookings usually open 45 days ahead for Indian visitors and 90 days ahead for foreign nationals, and Dhikala stays sell out first. Read the permit booking rules and compare canter and jeep costs in our safari price guide.

Staying inside Dhikala

A night inside is the best way to experience this zone. The main Dhikala complex has rooms, a dormitory, a canteen and a watchtower. Smaller rest houses in the zone include Gairal, Sarpduli, Sultan, Khinanauli and the hill-top Kanda.

Stays are for one to three nights, with no alcohol or non-vegetarian food allowed. Read our Dhikala Forest Lodge guide for rooms and rules, and the forest rest houses guide for the other options.