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Jungle Safari
Among the many National Parks of Nepal the most popular Jungle Safari Parks are the Royal Chitwan National Park and the Royal Bardia National Park. Chitwan National Park has many lodges and tented camps from Deluxe and Pricy to Budget, to suit the budget of all travelers. Jungle safaris are conducted on Elephant back; nature walk for bird watching accompanied by a naturalist; on Four wheel vehicles or by Canoeing down the Rapti River at Chitawan and Rafting in the Karnali River at Bardia. A visit to the near by villages of the "Tharu" community ( the indigenous tribes of the area) is a highlight of the visit. Traditional Tharu dances add to the evening of entertainment. Recommended minimum stay period is minimum 2 nights 3 days. One or two days extra is recommended for nature & bird watchers.
Royal Chitwan National Park
Seventy five miles south west of Kathmandu lies the Royal Chitwan National Park covering an area of 900 sq. km. Situated in the Chitwan Donn or the low lands of the Terai which until 1950 was called the "Death Valley". This park has the reputation of being one of the best for both its wildlife as well as flora and fauna. The park includes hilly areas of the Siwalik range covered by deciduous Sal forests and a fifth of the park is made up of the flood plains of the Narayani, Rapti and the Reu rivers covered by dense tall elephant grass interspersed with riverine forests of Silk cotton, Acacia and Sisam trees. This ecologically diverse area is one of the last remaining home in Nepal for more than 300 of the endangered Asian one-horned Rhinoceros and harbors one of the largest of the elusive and rare Royal Bengal Tiger.
There are four species of Deer, including the spotted Chittal, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Rhesus monkey, Grey Langur monkey, Wild Dogs, small Wild Cats the White Stockinged Gaur ( the worlds largest wild cattle ) and many other animals. The swampy areas and numerous ox-bow lakes of Chitwan provide a home for Marsh Crocodiles. In the stretch of the Narayani river is found one of the few remaining populations of the rare and endangered fish-only eating Gharial, or Gangetic Crocodile. Here also is found one of the world's four species of fresh water Dolphins. Besides Rhino and Tiger, Chitwan also supports a great variety of Flora and Fauna.
Chitwan has 450 species of birds for the bird watcher, some of the resident specialties are Peacocks, several species of Woodpeckers, Hornbill Bengal Florican and Red-headed Trogons. Winter birds such as Waterfowl, Brahminy Duck, Pintails and Bar-headed Geese. In the summer the forest is alive with nesting migrants such as the fabulous Paradise Flycatcher, the Indian Pitta and Paraketts.
Chitwan National Park has many lodges and tented camps from Deluxe and Pricy to Budget, to suit the pocked of all travelers.
Royal Bardia National Park
The Bardia National Park is situated on the eastern banks of the Karnali river about 400 Km. west of Kathmandu. The park is 968 sq. kms. in area and extends from the Churia hill southward to the gentle slopes of the Bhabhar. The higher grounds of the Churia have dry deciduous forest of mostly hardwood Sal. The porous slopes of the Bhabhar support large open grassland locally known as the "phantas". These are some of the last remaining grasslands that once covered much of the Gangetic plains of north India.
Royal Bardia has a sizable population of wildlife and Flora / fauna. The Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Barasingha or Swamp Deer, Langur and Rhesus Marcaque Monkeys and a small heard of Wild Elephant call Bardia their home. The numerous waterways of the Karnali River which crisscross the national park at many places support a wide variety of Wild Life such as the Gharial - Marsh Mugger Crocodile and Gangetic Dolphin, Antelope species, the Nilgai or Blue Bull. The Karnali and Babai rivers attract a large number of watering waterfowl along with resident species such as Herons, Kingfisher and Wall Creepers. More than 350 bird species have been recorded in Bardia, truly a bird watcher's paradise.
The park has a tented camp and a Lodge for tourists.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is situated in the Sapta (7) Koshi River Plains in the far eastern corner of Nepal. It covers 175 square kilometer to the north of the Kilometer long Koshi Dam - mostly marshes, lagoons and sandbanks offering an outstanding wetland habitat and one of the finest bird-watching sites in Asia. Almost all of Nepal's wildfowl, waders, storks, ibises, egrets, terns and gulls are found here. In addition a great variety of Land birds, especially warblers and birds of prey also make this reserve their home. Over a hundred species of birds can be seen each day at Koshi Tappu.
This region is the last refuse of the Wild Buffalo in Nepal and also home to Leopard, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Asiatic Jackal, Spotted deer, Blue Bull and the rare Ganges River Dolphin. The Koshi Reserve should not be missed by any naturalist visiting Nepal.
Accommodation will be in comfortable tented rooms with all facilities inside the Koshi Reserve.
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