Simlipal National Park, with its hills, waterfalls and dense foliage has almost 95 tigers and a number of other species of 'typically' Indian wildlife - elephants, deer, leopards, gaur bison, sloth bears, reptiles, langurs, crocodiles and more than 200 species of bird life. Initiated under Project Tiger in 1972, Simlipal became a National Park in 1979.

The forests of Simlipal consist predominantly of deciduous sal trees and are crisscrossed by twelve rivers, which meander through the hills and plateaus of Simlipal, creating some of the area's most impressive waterfalls. The spectacular Barehipani waterfall, with a 400-metre drop, and the Joranda waterfall, with a shorter drop of 150 metres, are so beautiful that one is forced to reflect on nature's majesty. Besides the fact that there's a lot of wildlife to be seen in Simlipal, there's also a wide range of local flora; the Park boasts of at least 82 species of orchids.

The Park has a core area of about 850 sq km, where most of the tigers are concentrated. Visitors are not allowed into this section of the park, but if you're lucky you just might see a tiger wandering further out. What you're more likely to see are elephants, monkeys, deer and birds. Joshipur, which is one of the two entrances to the park, has a maggar centre where you can catch a glimpse of the crocodiles at close quarters.

Apart from wildlife, somewhere in central Simlipal, near Bakua, Athardeuli, 18 temples stand as silent witness to the ancient grandeur of Bathudi Tribals. Today, for the most part, it is covered in dense jungle.