Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park is the most popular destination for tourists wanting to have a good experience of the region's wildlife. !t was declared a National Park-in 1973. In 1984, UNESCO designated Royal Chitwan National Park a Natural World Heritage Site. The Park offers protection to 56 species of mammals including the one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild elephant, striped hyena, Gangetic dolphin and wild bison. There are estimated to be 470 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, 126 species of fish, 150 species of butterflies and 47 species of reptiles in the park! A recent study also points out that over a third of Nepal's tigers are in Chitwan.

The Park is spread over an area of 932 sq kms and located in the lowlands of the kingdom. The forest cover is predominantly sal forest, interspersed with tall grasslands, small hills, ox-bow lakes and flood plains.

The best time to visit Chitwan is from October through February, when the temperature averages 25 degrees Celcius. The months of March, April and June can be extremely hot, while July-September is the monsoon season when rivers swell and parts of the park are inaccessible.