Royal Bardia National Park, located in the far West of Nepal, is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai, providing excellent habitat for the several endangered species, like: Rhino’s, Wild elephants, Tigers, Crocodile’s and the Gangetic dolphins. The reserve was given the status of a National Park in 1988 and greater One-horned Rhinoceros were transferred from Royal Chitwan National Park in 1986, 1991, and 1999. Royal Bardia is less famous than Chitwan, but it’s a treasure for those who don't mind a longer excursion if it means they'll have a better chance of actually seeing a tiger. Another thing is the presence of one of the last known herds of wild Elephants in South Asia.
Vegetation
About 70% of the Bardia park is covered dominantly with sal (Shorea robusta) forest with the balance of mixture of grassland, savanna and riverine forest. The altitudes vary from 152 meters on the Terai to 1441 meters at Sukarmala on the crest of the Churia range.
Mammals
The Bardia national park protects Rhino’s, Wild elephants, Tigers, Swamp deer, Black buck , Gharial crocodile, Marsh mugger crocodile, Gangetic dolphins. Other mammals are: Langur monkey, Rhesus monkey, Common leopard, Jungle cat, Fishing cat, Large and small Indian civets, Palm civet, Hyena, Wild dog, Jackal, Sloth bear, Otter, Porcupine, Bandicoots, Blue bull (Nilgi), Sambar deer, Hog deer, Barking deer and Wild boar.
Birds
Expect to see: Flycatchers , Babblers , Sunbirds, Drongols (7 species), Eurasian thicknee ruddy , Shelduck, Warblers, Bulbuls (5 species), Woodpeckers ( 10 species), Barbets (4 species), Bee-eaters (4 species), Kingfishers (4 species), Parakeets (4 species), Doves (5 species), Pigeons (3 species), Red-wattled lapwing, Common peafowl, Red jungle fowl , Merganser duck, Black-necked stork, White-necked stork, Painted stork, Egrets (4 species), Herons (5 species) and Cormorants.
As with the rest of Nepal the park's climate is affected by the summer monsoon. The best times to visit are between October and early April when weather is warm and dry. From April onwards the temperatures rise, peaking at around 45 C in May and pre-monsoon thunderstorms continue until late September. During this time most roads and rivers become impassable.
An average visit to the park includes different activities, such as:
Interested in a Royal Bardia National Park extension? E-mail us and we'll come up with some good ideas and itineraries, ok?