The Bardia National Park is the largest and most undisturbed protected area in the Terai and is home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger and Nepal’s famous one-horned rhinoceros. The national park located in the far western district of Bardiya, is bordered by River Karnali in the west, the Churia range in the north, while the River Babai flows right through the park. The varied geographical factors together with the thick cover of Sal, savannah forests and grasslands render this region ideal as wild animal habitat. The park hosts 30 different mammals, more than 250 species of birds, and several varieties of reptiles and water animals. Some of the other animals found here are elephant, swamp deer, blackbuck, gharial crocodile and marsh mugger crocodile. The exotic Gangetic Dolphin is also sometimes seen in Riber Karnali. Birds include endangered varieties of Bengal florican, lesser florican, silver-eared mesia and sarus crane. The park offers the rare opportunity of fishing at River Karnali and River Babai.

Activities: Jungle safari on elephant-back, jungle walk, boat ride, jeep drive
Accommodation: Jungle lodges
Access: Three hours by jeep (95 km) from Nepalgunj which is 1 hour minutes by air or 531 km by road from Kathmandu
Best Season: Oct-Mar; Apr-Jun (hot, up to 45 degrees Celsius), Jul-Sep (rainy)
Park Headquarter: Thakurdwara