Bardiya National Park
The Bardiya National Park is the largest and most undisturbed protected area in the Terai and is home to the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger and Nepal’s famous one-horned rhinoceros. The national park located in the far western district of Bardiya, is bordered by River Babai flows right through the park. The varied geographical factors together with the thick cover of Sal, savannah forests and grasslands render this region ideal as wild animal habitat. The park hosts 53 different mammals, more than 400 species of birds, and several varieties of reptiles and water animals. Some of the other animals found here are elephant, swamp deer, black buck, Gharial Crocodile and marsh mugger crocodile. The fresh-water Gangetic dolphin is also commonly seen in River Karnali. Birds include endangered varieties of Bengal florican, lesser florican, silver-eared mesia and saruscrane. The park offers the rare opportunity of angling at River Karnali and River Babai.
Activities: Jungle safari on elephant-back, Jungle walk, boat ride, jeep drive.
Accommodation: Jungle Lodges
Access: Three hours by jeep(95km) from Nepalgunj which is 1 hour 10 minutes by air or 531 km by road from Kathmandu.
Best season: Oct-Mar; Apr-Jun(hot, up to 42 degrees Celsius).July-Sep(rainy)