Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park is the most popular destination for tourists wanting to have a good experience of the region's wildlife. !t was declared a National Park-in 1973. In 1984, UNESCO designated Royal Chitwan National Park a Natural World Heritage Site. The Park offers protection to 56 species of mammals including the one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild elephant, striped hyena, Gangetic dolphin and wild bison. There are estimated to be 470 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, 126 species of fish, 150 species of butterflies and 47 species of reptiles in the park! A recent study also points out that over a third of Nepal's tigers are in Chitwan.

The Park is spread over an area of 932 sq kms and located in the lowlands of the kingdom. The forest cover is predominantly sal forest, interspersed with tall grasslands, small hills, ox-bow lakes and flood plains.

The best time to visit Chitwan is from October through February, when the temperature averages 25 degrees Celcius. The months of March, April and June can be extremely hot, while July-September is the monsoon season when rivers swell and parts of the park are inaccessible.  

Access and Accommodation 

RNAC operates daily flights from Kathmandu to Meghauli. There are also flights to Bharatpur (Narayanghat) . The flights take about half an hour. If you want to stay at Sauraha, the budget accommodation place for Chitwan, get to Tadi bazaar, located 15 km east of Narayanghat on the Mahendra highway. Royal Chitwan National Park is easily accessible from Kathmandu, connected by a national highway from Bharatpur to Sauraha. Any travel agent in Kathmandu or Pokhara can make a booking.

The other exciting way to get to Chitwan is to take a two-three day rafting trip down the Trishuli River to Narayanghat, or directly into the Western edge of the park.

There are plenty of jungle lodges and hotels in and around Chitwan, broadly classified as those in the park and those in 5auraha. The lodges in the park are expensive and mostly cater to the package tourist arriving from Kathmandu. For budget accommodation, look around Sauraha and take your pick of a range of good lodges.

What to bring along 

Although the Terai can be cool during the winter, it can be stiflingly hot during the summer months. If you are headed here in winter bring a sweater or jacket along. Summer months require cool clothes. Good walking shoes, a good shady hat and sunscreen may be considered essential. Make sure your clothes are in neutral colours that help you blend into the background. Red, yellow and white are conspicuous. Carry along some mosquito repellant, anti-diarrhea tablets and anti-histamines. Lastly, along with photo equipment, a pair of binoculars will prove invaluable. If you are closer to the monson months carry some waterproof jackets. Just in case. The Terai jungles are also famous for leeches that appear in the monsoon and are around for a few months after. Salt or a lighted cigarette will make them fall off, do not pull them off as the wound may get infected. Try an insect repellant to keep them away.