Parsa National Park
Parsa National Park covers an area of 499 km², with a 298.2 km² buffer zone, and is located across the Chitwan, Makawanpur, Parsa, and Bara districts in Nepal. The park features tropical and subtropical vegetation, primarily Sal forests, with Chir pine covering the hills. In areas near water, you'll find Khair, Sissoo, and Silk cotton trees.
The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including wild elephants, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaur, blue bulls, and wild dogs. Other animals include sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, langur monkeys, rhesus macaques, striped hyenas, rat snakes, palm civets, and jungle cats. 370 bird species are also found here, including the endangered great hornbill, peafowl, red jungle fowl, flycatchers, and woodpeckers. The park is also home to various reptiles such as king cobras, common cobras, kraits, rat snakes, and pythons.
Activities: Jungle safari on elephant-back, jungle walk, jeep drive
Access: Fly to Simara from Kathmandu (15 minutes) and then by road to the reserve headquarters (7 km), or overland from Kathmandu (150 km via Hetauda)
Best Season: Oct-Mar; Apr-Jun (hot, 30- 35 degrees Celsius), Jul-Sep (Monsoon)