Jungle Safari
A trip to Nepal is incomplete if you have not been on a jungle safari. While the mountains of the north boast some of the highest and most magnificent peaks in the world, the tropical jungles of the Terai still preserve some of the best wildlife habitat in the subcontinent some of these rich wildlife habitats are now protected and can be toured on elephant back, 4WD, dugout canoe or on foot accompanied by a licensed guide.
Royal Chitwan National Park:
Chitwan National Park is the most popular destination from tourists wanting to have a good experience of the region's Wildlife. It was declared a National Park in 1973. In 1984, UNESCO designated Royal Chitwan National Park a Natural World Heritage Site. The Park offers protection to 56 species of mammals including the one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth dear, wild elephant, striped hyena, Gangetic dolphin and wild bison. There are estimated to be 470 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, 126 species of the fish, 150 species of the butterflies and 47 species of reptiles in the park. A recent study also points out that over a third of Nepal's tigers are in Chitwan.
The park is spread over an area of 932 sq kms and located in the lowlands of the kingdom. The forest cover is predominantly Sal forest, interspersed with tall grasslands, small hills, ox-bow lakes and flood plains. The best time to visit Chitwan is from October through February. When the temperature averages 25 degrees Celcius. The months of March, April and June can be extremely hot, while July September is the monsoon season when rivers swell and parts of the park are inaccessible.
Royal Bardia National Park:
The Royal Bardia National Park is spread over 968 sq km and located in the western Nepal Terai. It is easily the largest and least disturbed wilderness spread in the Teari, and is predominantly Sal forest interspersed with tall grasslands. It is bound on the north by the Chure hills and is skirted on the west by the Geruwa river, a branch of the Karnali which is a major tributary of the best place where your chances of spotting a tiger in Nepal are the highest (ever Chitwan comes a second). Other animals include the rhinoceros, swamp deer, leopard, jungle cats, blue bulls (nilgai), sloth bears, barking deer and langurs. There are a few wild elephant here and one of the males is considered the largest in Asia.
The Geruwa river that rushes in through a break in the hill range, still laden and full with break in the hill range, Still laden and full with snowmelt, is home to the famous Mahseer game fish, gharial, mugger crocodile and the freshwater Gangetic dolphin. The park also has cobras, kraits and pythons. The activities here include jungle safari on elephant back, jungle walks, boat rides and jeep drives. The best time to visit the park is from October through March. The month of April June are unbearably hot while July September is monsoon time. |
