Royal Chitwan National Park
The Royal Chitwan National Park is located in the south of Nepal, around 9 hours by car or an hour by air to Bharatpur from Kathmandu.
Chitwan is the most popular destination for wildlife safaris and jungle tours in Nepal. Home of the Tharu people, Chitwan boasts an elephant breeding station, a gharial hatchery, one-horned white rhino and royal bengal tigers - as well as marshlands, jungle forests and plains of elephant grass.
Most tours to Chitwan last between 2 and 3 days. Most accommodation is basic but adequate, the main choice being whether to stay inside or outside the park boundaries. Staying outside is less expensive but tours including rooms outside the park also tend to exclude other items such as elephant safaris, cultural programmes and so on. Besides safaris through jungle and elephant grass on foot or or elephant, there are excursions to the elephant breeding station, canoe trips, guided walks and landrover safaris.
Chitwan was once swamp land but over the centuries it developed to become the favourite resort of the Nepali royal family who hunted and brought parties of guests to the park. Malaria was once present in the area and although it is now thought to have been wiped out, most beds have mosquito netting and as a precaution, it is advisable to take malaria tablets and use anti-mosquito burners, creams or wristbands.
Elephants carrying tourists and working elephants are found throughout the park. Although there are thought to be some 100 Royal Bengal Tigers at Chitwan, this creature is extremely shy, solitary and nocturnal. If you are determined - and get up very early - an experienced guide might be able to get you a glimpse of this rare creature. There are numerous pairs of white one horned rhino and if you're on elephant back, you can get within 20 feet of the rhinos because they regard elephants as part of the scene.
Royal Bardia National Park
The Bardia Chitwan National Park is located in the mid-west Terai region of Nepal, covering some 368 square kilometers.
The Park includes a section of the Geruwa branch of the Karnali River plus part of the southern face of the Siwalik (Churia) hills with most of the landscape comprising fairly flat aluvial plains. Sal forest covers around 70 % of the area and the remainder is open grassland, savannah and riverine forest.
Royal Bardia hosts the country's second largest tiger population, together with over 30 other species of mammal such as the gangetic dolphin, wild elephant, ungulates, rhinos, black bucks, cobras, kraits, pythons and swamp deer. Over 250 species of birds have been recorded in the park including endangered varieties such as the Bengal Florican, Lesser Florican, Silver-Eared Mesia and the Sarus Crane. The Karnali River is home to a small pocket of Gharial crocodiles together with the maheer fish. The local people are mostly Tharus.
Accommodation is available in jungle lodges such as the Bardia Natural Park Hotel and the best times to visit are between October and March, from April to June when it's hot (up to 45 degrees celcius) or from July to september during the rainy season.
The journey to Bardia from Kathmandu takes 1 hour, 10 minutes by air to Nepalgunj followed by a 3 hour jeep ride for the remaining 95 km. Alternatively, the journey is 531 km by road from Kathmandu.
Activities include jungle safaris on elephant back, jungle walks, boat trips and jeep drives.
- Langtang National Park
The Langtang National Park covers 1,710 square km of high mountain and high himalayan terrain. About a quarter of the park is forested in oaks, maple, rhododendron, chir pine, fir, blue pine, hemlock and spruce.
Each August, during the Janai Purnima & Raksha Bandhan festival, make their way into the mountains north of Kathmandu to emulate Lord Shiva by bathing in the sacred lake of Gosaikund which is located in the park. The peoples in this area are mainly Tamangs and Sherpas.
Among the species to be found here are the Himalayan Red Panda, wild dogs, poka, muntjack, musk deer, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow, rhesus monkey and the common langur. The park is also host to many important varieties of migrating birds.
Activities in Langtang National Park include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is available at lodges or camping. The park is reached from Dhunche which is 117 km from Kathmandu. The best seasons are October to November and March to May (although it is cold by then at higher elevations). You'll see different sides of life between June and September (during the monsoon) or between December and February (when the ground is snow covered).
Sagarmatha National Park
The park located Northeast of Kathmandu includes the great Himalayan peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Nuptse and other giants.
This is Sherpa country and the land is broken into deep gorges and glacial valleys. The park has vegetation which graduates from pine, hemlock, fir, juniper, birch, rhododendrons and scrub to alpine plant and then to bare rocks and snow.
The wildlife includes the Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow and musk deer. Common birds include the impeyan pheasant, the blood pheasant, the red-billed chough and the yellow-billed chough. Elevations range between 2,845m and 8,848m above sea level.
Activities include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is available in resort hotels, lodges & camping. Most visitors take the 30 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and an enjoyable two day walk from there to the park.
The best times to visit are October to November and March to May. Between December and February, the ground is covered with snow and daytime temperatures are around 5 degrees Celcius. Between June and September it is the rainy season.
- Shey-Phoksundo National Park
This 3,555 square km expanse is made up of high mountain and trans-Himalayan ecosystems in the north of Nepal. It covers parts of the Dolpo (the land of Yak caravans and salt traders). The local culture is strongly influenced by Tibet. Lake Phoksundo (or Ringmo) is the park's centre-piece.
The park includes forests of blue pine, spruce, cypress, poplar, deodar, fir and birch. It is also a prime location for leopards and blue sheep (as well as the ghoral, Himalayan tahr, wolf, jackal and black bear). The park is also home to many species of resident and migratory birds.
Activities include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is available in the form of camping. The best seasons are March to May (high passes may still be covered with winter snow) or June to September for clear weather.
Rara National Park
The Rara National Park covers 106 km with Nepal's largest lake, Rara - covering
10.8 square km - at its heart. The park is situated in the high mountain region in Western Nepal with much of it being at an elevation of around 3,000 meters above sea level.
The park has coniferous forests of blue pine, black juniper, West Himalayan spruce, oak and Himalayan cypress as well as Indian horse chestnut, walnut and Himalayan poplar. It is home to musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard, ghoral, Himalayan tahr and wild boar.
Activities include trekking. Accommodation is available in the form of camping.
The best times to visit are between February and April or from October to November.
Khaptad National Park
Khaptad National Park is located in the far north-west of Nepal and covers 225 square km of middle and high mountain terrain averaging an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level.
At lower elevations, the land is covered in sub-tropical forests and grasslands which give way to oak and coniferous forests highre up. Native species include the leopard, the yellow-throated marten, black bear, musk deer, ghoral and Himalayan tahr. The species of birds include pheasant, partridge, red- and yellow-billed blue magpie and Himalayan griffon. The park is also home to to the Khaptad Swami Ashram.
Activities include trekking. Accommodation is available in the form of camping.
The best time to visit is between March and May or October and November (when it is 10-20 degrees celcius). From June to September it is rainy and from December to February it is snow bound.
Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve
Until recently, this 305 square km stretch was a royal hunting domain. It is dominated by Sal trees, along with asna, semal, karma, khair and sissoo sub-species. There are also phanta grasslands. This is a prime habitat for swamp deer and home to wild elephant, tiger, hispid hare, blue bull, leopard, chittal, hog deer and wild boar. Reptiles include the marsh mugger, monitor lizard, Indian python, cobra, krait and rattle snake. There are also over 300 varieties of birds in the reserve.
Activities include wildlife viewing on elephant back. Accommodation is available at jungle lodges.
Access by road is 8 km from Mahendranagar (which is 695 km from Kathmandu). Alternatively, you can fly from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi and conclude the remaining 51 km by road.
The best time to visit Suklaphanta is between February and March (when temperatures range around 22-25 degrees celcius). Between December and January the climate tends to be cold and foggy, whereas between April and June, the weather is hot (up to 42 degrees celcius).
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
This 175 square kn reserve is located in the Terai lowlands where vegetation is mainly wetland grassland, scrub and deciduous forests.
The reserve is unique for its wild arna buffaloes although it also hosts hog deer, wild boar, spotted deer and blue bulls. There are over 350 species of birds including ibeses, storks, egrets, herons, swamp partridges and Bengal floricians. In the Koshi River, endangered gharials, marsh crocodiles and Gangetic dolphins have been observed.
Activities include game viewing and bird watching. Accommodation is available at tented camps.
To get to Koshi Tappu takes a one hour drive from Biratnagar which is 50 minutes by air or 541 km by road from Kathmandu
The best time to visit is between October and March or when it's hotter between April and June. The rainy season lasts between July and September.
Parsa Wildlife Reserve
Parsa is located in the south of Nepal, near to Chitwan. The Reserve covers 499 square km of hills and Terain flat lands and has a sub-tropical monsoon climate. Around 90% is covered in Sal forest with the rest being made up of chir pine, khair, sissoo, siolk cotton trees and tall grass lands.
Parsa is home to wild elephants, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaurs, blue bulls, wild dogs, sambars, chittals, hog deer, barking deer, langurs, striped hyenas, cobras, kaits and pythons, amongst other species. There are nearly 300 species of birds in the reserve, including the endangered giant hornbill.
Activities include jungle safaris on elephant back, jungle walks and jeep drives. Accommodation is available at jungle resorts and lodges.
To reach Parsa, take a 15 minute flight from Kathmandu to Simara and on by road to the reserve headquarters (7 km). Alternatively, you can travel overland all the way from Kathmandu via Hetauda (147 km).
The best time to visit Parsa is between October and March or from April to June (when it's hotter - around 30-35 degrees celcius). The monsoon season between July and September offers a different side of life in the reserve.
Annapurna Conservation Area
Overall, the conservation area encompasses 7,629 square km of middle mountain, high Himalayan and trans-Himalayan desert plateau ecosystems. The area is dominated by Annapurna I (the 10th highest mountain in the world) standing at 8,091 meters above sea level.
Schima and chestnut trees are found in the sub-tropical forests between 1,000 and 2,000 meters' elevation. These give way to rhododendron, oak, hemlock and silver fir as you ascend to the temperate zone (1,700 to 3,000 meters).
Rhesus monkeys, yellow-throated martens and Himalayan weasels are commonly found. Indigenous bird varieties include the Himalayan griffon, the lammergeier, forktail, redstart, thrush and kingfisher. At lower elevations, Gurung, Magar, Thakali and Brahmin villages pepper the countryside. Further north, the cultural influence of Tibet becomes more pronounced.
Activities include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is available in resort hotels, lodges & camping. Access is via Pokhara (25 minute flight or 202 km by road).
The best times to visit the southern region are in Spring and Autumn and the northern region is at its best in Summer.
Makalu-Barun National Park & Conservation Area
The National Park occupies 1,500 square km and the Conservation Area adds another 830 square km. The terrain extends from high mountains to the high Himalaya with elevations between 500 and 8,000 meters above sea level. Most of this protected area is wilderness, offering over 3,000 species of flowering plants and more than 400 species of birds.
Wildlife includes the endangered red panda, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard and possibly the snow leopard as well. The local communities are predominantly made up of the Rei people.
Activities include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is in the form of camping.
The best time to visit is between October and November or March to April. Between April and May, it's hot at lower elevations and between June and September it is the monsoon.
Shivapuri Watershed & Wildlife Reserve
The reserve is located just 11 km north of Kathmandu and embraces 144 square km - mainly Shivapuri Hill (which rises to an elevation of 2,732 meters above sea level. The area is particularly rich in flora, including for instance, orchids, rhododendrons, pines, utisa trees as well as many medicinal and herbal plants. Shivapuri is home to the sloth bear, langur monkey, leopard, barking deer and many varieties of birds.
Activities include trekking and mountaineering. Accommodation is available in the form of camping.
The best season is September to June. July to August is the rainy season.
