Terai Safari - Nepal

Beyond the adventure of hiking into the rugged mountains of the north in Nepal, the lowlands of the Nepali Terai hold some spectacular wildlife preserves. Many outgoing explorers enjoy white water rafting along the Sun Kosi in the eastern hills that flows from the rushing waters of the Himalayas. Conveniently this is near the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, a wetlands sanctuary for hundreds of species of birds. It was originally the result of a man-made flood dam to protect the area. Southwest of Kathmandu at the Indian border is the Royal Chitwan Nation Park, famous for Bengal tigers in a wilderness setting. There are also many rhinoceros, leopards, and birds, and the resilience of the animals is remarkable considering that the Park was previously a hunting reserve. The variety of (relatively) unfettered wildlife is very diverse and is the premiere venue for seeing once in a lifetime sights. Within the Chitwan Park is the well-known Tiger Tops lodge, which is a comfortable place to spend your time there and offers great access to the features of the area.

Another pristine wild-life viewing experience is in the far west of Nepal at the Royal Bardia National Park. This wide open space (over 370 square miles) hosts a varied collection of terrains from grassy plains to lush forests and is populated with exotic subtropical animals. There are even crocodiles in the swamps and Asian elephants in the grasslands. There is a Tiger Tops facility here too (a tent camp) located inside the Park, and gives its guests an authentic wilderness atmosphere. Most of the other lodges are outside the park boundaries in the village of Bardia. Domestic airlines to have flights to this remote location from Kathmandu, so it is a satisfying alternative to the more heavily traveled paths for mountain treks.