After the Kathmandu Valley and trekking, Royal Chitwan National Park is considered the third biggest tourist attraction in Nepal. Set in 932 square kilometres of water marshes, forest and grassland the park has some of the most endangered species in Nepal. It is a refuge to the Indian one horned rhino, and there are also leopards, Gangetic dolphins and tigers here.
Guided tours are on the backs of elephants and it is also possible to stay in a lodge in the park itself. Royal Chitwan National Park was first opened in 1973 but this area has been protected historically since the nineteenth century as a Nepali Royal family hunting ground. The best time to visit is from October to February. There are over 50 species in the park and as well as the one horned rhino there are muntjac or barking deer, gaurs (wild oxen) and chitals. Gharials can also be seen along with marsh muggers. The bird life includes parakeets, kingfishers, scarlet crested sunbirds, crested hornbills and egrets. Take binoculars and a camera and enjoy some of the best wildlife experiences in Asia.
A number of jungle lodges and camps operate within the park which offer activities such as elephant back safaris, nature walks and jungle drives to spot animals and canoe rides to see crocodiles and water-birds. In the evenings slide shows on Nepalese wildlife and Tharu folk dances are also held.
This is one of the most popular national parks in Nepal . The park is situated in the sub-tropical lowlands of southern Nepal , lying between two mountain ranges, the Shivalik and the Mahabharat range.
This is the flood plain of three rivers, the Rapti, the Reu and the Narayani. The forest is dominated by Sal trees (shorea robusta) and tall grasses.
This is the natural habitat of endangered animals like Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinoceros, gharial crocodile, gaur (the world's largest wild cattle), four species of deer, leopards, wild dogs, fishing cats, leopard cats, python and Gangetic dolphin. There are over 50 species of mammals and 450 species of birds in the park.
Before 1950, this area used to be the hunting reserve for the ruling class of Nepal . The hereditary prime ministers of the Rana family, who ruled Nepal for 104 years, often used to invite people from England and India as their guests and huge numbers of tigers and rhinos were killed.
Today the tourists can ride elephants and view the wild animals at close range.
