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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.