The state of Mizoram is located in the north eastern part of India. This state has rolling hills, valleys, rivers like Chhimtuipui, lakes like Palak Lake and Tam Dil Lake, wildlife sanctuaries, flora and fauna and pleasant climate. All these factors draw tourists to this state. National Parks of Mizoram are no exception in this regard. Some of these national parks are described below.
Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park
Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park is situated about 300 km from the main city of Aizawl, in the Lawngtlai district, towards southeast of Mizoram. The park was established in the year 1992. It is spread over an area of about 50 square kilometers. The park is situated at an elevation of about 7000 ft and receives an average rainfall of about 3,000 mm. The national park is a mountain namely, Phawngpui, which has a height of about 2,157 m above mean sea level. It is the highest mountain peak in the state. A thin stretch of clouds causes the mountain area of Phawngpui to mostly appear blue from a distance, justifying the derivation of the name of the park.
This park is also adorned with orchids, rhododendrons and bamboos. Other occupants of the isolated park are animals like slow loris, leopard cat, goral and capped langur and birds like sunbirds, falcons and dark-rumped swift. It is important to note that only during the dry season, eco-friendly visits are permitted in the park by the Government of Mizoram. Villages surround all the sides of the national park.
Murlen National Park
Murlen National Park is located in the Champhai district. This park is spread over an area of about 100 square kilometers. It was designated as a national park in the year 1991. The park is surrounded by six caves which have been filled by localities. Some of the areas surrounding the park are Lamsial Puk, Hnahlan, Zokhawthar, Tan Tlangis and Zokhawthar. There is a large cave called Thumkhuai Kham located within the park area. The park"s forest is so dense that hardly 1% of sunlight can enter the forest on a sunny day. This feature of the forest has initiated it"s comparisons to the forest found in the Amazon region of South America. The tropical, semi-evergreen, sub montane forests and scrub jungles adorn the park. Some of other inmates of the park are flora like Quercus, Pinus Kesiya and chimonobambusa callosa, mammals like leopard, sambar, tiger, wild boar and hoolock gibbon and birds like hill myna, peacock, pheasant, sunbirds and hornbills. The area is protected by the state government.
