Jungle Safari in Nepal..
Nepal is rich in wild life. The tropical jungles of the Terai preserve some of the best wildlife habitat in Asia. Out of the total geographical area of Nepal 16% is occupied by national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas. Jungle safari on elephant back is one of the thrilling experiences. Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Royal Bardia National Park, Royal Chitwan National Park and the Royal Shukla Phanta wildlife reserve, offer jungle safari on elephant back or jeep rides. The Terai region can get rather hot during summer months and temperate during winters. It is recommended that visitors carry cool clothes, good walking shoes, shady hat and sunscreen during the summer. The rainy season brings mosquitos and leeches in the jungles. Mosquito repellant, anti-diarrhea tablets and anti-histamines can be handy during the summer and rainy months.
Major Jungle Safari In Nepal
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is situated in southwestern of Nepal and covers 932 square Kilometers. This is Nepal's first famous national park for the wildlife safaris. You can see wild elephant, white footed gaur (the world's largest wild cattle), leopards, wild boar, sloth bear and several species of deer including the spotted, barking, samber and hog deer. It is the home of the one-horned rhinoceros and harbors one of the largest populations of the exclusive and rare Royal Bengal tigers. The swampy areas and numerous ox-bow lakes are a perfect for marsh crocodiles. The park hosts 450 species of birds. The Tharu people who are pre-dominant of this area have unique cultural traditions. In Chitwan there are many hotels inside and outside of the park and outside of the park is known as Sauraha. There are lodges available inside and outside of jungle which can be chosen as per visitor's budget and interest. Usually visitors spend 2 nights and 3 days, but it is also possible to stay longer if you desire.
Jungle Safari includes different activities such as:
Canoe Trip: You can enjoy canoe trip on either The Rapti River or The Budhi Rapti River which border the National Park. You can see two types of crocodiles, the Gharial and Mugger basking on the river bank.
Jungle Drive: A tour by four wheel drive in the less distributed areas of the park to track the rarer species. You will visit Ox-bow Lake and museum of historic interest relating to the park. However during this period we will visit 20,000 areas which afford a varied experience of birds and mammals.
Nature Walk: Our experienced naturalists will accompany you to the more specialized habitats. This is the ideal opportunity to explore and experience at closer quarters and beauty of the flora and fauna. The authority of the naturalist must be closely observed to obviate any risks from wildlife attacks.
Cultural Program: In the evening you will get an opportunity to be a part of Tharu folk dance. The drummers and symbolic stick dancers perform traditional movements and invite guests to join them in this rhythmic display. Such cultural shows performed by Tharus will be an unforgettable experience. The Tharus in traditional colorful costumes, unique in their disparity with the common mode of dress all over Nepal, are sure to captivate you.
Elephant safari: On elephant back you can view the wild life of the area in their natural habitat.
Elephant Bathing: Your guide will take you to the specific place where you can observe elephant bathing.
Bardia National Park
Bardia National Park is the largest park in the lowland Terai covering an area of 968 sq. km. The park situated in Nepal’s Western Terai was established to protect representative ecosystems and conserve tiger and its prey species. Initially, a small area was gazetted as the Royal Karnali Wildlife Reserve in 1976. When this area was protected, approximately 1500 people of the Babai valley were resettled outside the park allowing the vegetation and wildlife to flourish. In 1982, it was renamed as Bardia Wildlife Reserve, and in 1984 it was extended to its current size. The reserve was given the status of a National Park in 1988.
What makes a visit to Nepal's Bardia National Park particularly special is not just its large and intact habitat area and its isolated location, but also the presence here of one of the last known herds of wild Elephants in South Asia. The herd, numbering less than two dozen, roams these remote jungles in western Nepal.
Bardia also boasts the greatest number of deer species in Nepal. The six deer species found in the park are: Chital or spotted Deer with its ubiquitous white spots on a brown coat; Hog Deer; similar to but smaller than Chital; Sambhar, the largest Deer on Indian subcontinent with a shaggy coat and thick antlers; Swamp Deer; Barasingha; and reddish-colored Barking Deer, the park's smallest Deer.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve first Gazettes back in 1976 was mainly established to protect the rare wild water buffaloes. The area of the reserve extends 175 sq. km to the north of one kilometer long barrage that spans the Koshi river. The vast expanse of water created by the barrage, marshes, lagoons, mudflats and arable land that lie around it offers an outstanding wetland which has about to create one of the best and finest bird watching sanctuaries in Asia.
One of the most rewarding and greatest assets of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Park is that it offers ample scope for nature walks. For those with curiosity and perseverance, walking within the reserve on foot is the most profitable way of exploring the grassland, river lagoons and woodlands and vicinity of the barrage, just a short drive away. The best time to visit this fabulous wildlife reserve is between October to March when much of the migratory and local birds can be sighted by the barrage and many of the river channels. Numerous Himalayan peaks including the Makalu I (8,463m), the fifth highest mountain in the world can be seen during the clear time of the year. The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is accessible by air, surface and river. The journey by air is just 45 minutes flight to Biratnagar from Kathmandu and then a mere one and half hours drive to the camp. Also rafting down for 8-10 days on the wild stretches of the Sun Koshi River is another exciting way to reach the destination. The third option would be the scenic drive through the meandering countryside road of about 500 km. That takes almost 10 hours from Kathmandu. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve also makes an exciting alternative destination of visitors who have already visited Royal Chitwan National Park and Bardia National Park.
Suggested Trip..
» Annapurna Base Camp
» PoonHill Trek
