Bhubaneswar: After remaining closed since June 29 due to the monsoon, Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district will reopen to tourists from November 1, according to an official notification.

The reserve will allow a maximum of 60 vehicles daily, with each vehicle required to have a minimum ground clearance of 180 mm, the notification issued by STR Field Director Prakash Chand Gogineni said.

Tourists can enter the reserve through the Jashipur gate between 5 am and 9 am. At the Pithabata entry point under the Baripada division, entry will be permitted between 8 am and 9 am.

Visitors must leave the Joranda and Barehipani waterfalls before 4 pm and exit the reserve by 6 pm on the same day. Every tourist vehicle entering the reserve must be accompanied by a guide.

Tourists are required to obtain entry permits through the official website, www.similipal.org. They must produce valid identity proof at the entry gate and submit a written undertaking agreeing to follow the prescribed rules and regulations. Violations will invite legal action, the notification stated.

Wildlife safaris and accommodation

Visitors can also book open-jeep wildlife safaris through the Odisha ecotourism website, www.ecotourodisha.com.

The safaris will operate from five locations: Gudugudia, Pithabata check gate in Baripada, Jamuani check gate, Talabandha check gate and Barehipani.

Morning safaris will start at 5.30 am and continue for five hours, while evening safaris will begin at 2 pm and last four hours.

Tourists planning an overnight stay can book accommodation at lodges in Kumari, Gudugudia, Talabandha, Barehipani and Jamuani through the same ecotourism website.