Royal Chitwan National Park.

Widely acknowledged as one of the best national parks in Asia, the Royal Chitwan National Park, with an area of 967 square kilometers, lies 90 kilometers (crow-flight distance) southwest of Kathmandu in the Inner Terai flood plains of the Narayani and Rapti rivers. Formerly a royal hunting reserve, Chitwan was the first forest area of Nepal to be designated a national park in 1973, and was later also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

Chitwan is a very popular wildlife safari destination on account of its thriving wildlife population wildlife easily seen and easy accessibility from both Kathmandu and Pokhara. Visitors have the opportunity of close encounters with wild three-ton rhinos on elephant back; a thrilling and frightening experience but not really dangerous as both the elephants and their handlers are well experienced in dealing with rhinos. The park is home to an immense variety of wildlife so there are a lot more other creatures to see besides the rhino.

That, including good facilities for accommodation and jungle activities makes the Royal Chitwan National Park well worth a visit. Chitwan ranks third, after Kathmandu and Pokhara as the place most preferred by visitors.

How to Get There
The park is accessible by car or bus on the Kathmandu-Mugling-Narayanghat Highway and or through Mahendra Rajmarg Highway from Hetauda. It is about 6 hour's drive form Kathmandu to Narayanghat. Local buses are available to Tadi Bazar which is about an hour drive form Narayanghat. A 6 km walk or bullockcart ride brings the visitors to Sauraha, the park entrance. Also air services from Kathmandu to Meghauli and Bharatpur air fields are available. Local buses are available form Narayanghat to Park HQ. Kasara.

Vegetation
Within the Terai floodplains and the Churia Hills (between 150 and 800 meters above sea level), the sub-tropical forests of Chitwan are host to a very diverse ecosystem. The predominant vegetation of Sal (Shorea robusta) covers around 70% of the forest. 20% is grassland, with as many as 50 species of grass plants. The most spectacular among these are the elephant grass, which attain heights up to 8 meters. Seven percent of the area is riverine forest in which we find Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia sisoo), Kapok (Bombax ceiba), and Acacia Catechu trees. The remaining 3% are the chirpine (Pinus roxburghii) trees that crown the upper ridges of the Churia Hills. Complementing the major vegetations is an immense variety of wild flowers, vines, creepers and parasites.

Wildlife
Of the 43 species of animals recorded in the park there are an estimated 500 Great One-Horned Rhinoceros and a recent tally on tigers show them to number 106 in all. In 1973, when Chitwan was declared a national park, there were less than 100 rhinos and only 15 to 20 tigers. With the support of the WWF and the IUCN and the dedicated efforts of the park staff, the numbers of these two endangered species are now reaching a safe level.

Other resident mammals include the Leopard, Gaur (Indian Bison), Wild Elephant, Sloth Bear, Fresh Water Dolphin, Rhesus Monkey, Langur, Wild Boar, Striped Hyenas, Dhole (wild dog), Jackal, Ratel, Palm Civet, Mongoose, Four Horned Antelope, Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer, and Barking Deer.

Chitwan's crocodiles are by far the most spectacular species among the reptilian creatures. On bright sunny days, they can often be seen basking along the riverbanks. There are two species native to Chitwan. The Gharial and the Mugger. The Gharials are by nature non predatory and thrive solely on fish, but the Mugger is an aggressive carnivorous beast. Other reptiles indigenous to Chitwan are the Indian Python, Monitor Lizard, Pangolin, Tortoise, and King Cobra along with 19 other species of snakes.

At least 485 different species of birds have been recorded inside Chitwan. The forests, grasslands, lakes, swamps, and rivers all provide a wide variety of habitat and food for the various species. Chitwan is a paradise for both birds and bird watchers.
Activities that we offer:
One of the best ways to view the flora and fauna of Chitwan is from elephant back safari enabling you to penetrate deep into the jungle through tall grasslands but there are many other exciting ways too.

The naturalists and nature guides will take you on jungle walks, jungle drive, bird watching, for boat rides to seek out both the marsh mugger and gharial crocodiles and to observe wildlife.

Activities :

Elephant Safari
Elephant Breeding center visit
Bicycle tour
Jungle Walk
Nature walk
Bird watching
Crocodile farm visit
Canoe ride
Tharu culture show
Tharu Village visit
Jungle Drive
Slide show and briefing about Chitwan
National Park