Bardiya National Park – A Must-Visit Destination for Amazing Wildlife Experience

Bardiya National Park is home to rare Bengal Tigers and also 400 diverse bird species

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Bardiya National Park – A Must-Visit Destination for Amazing Wildlife Experience

Nepal is no doubt a heaven for those who love nature and natural living.

The Himalayan nation holds a rich biodiversity profile that boasts of conserving many of the world’s endangered species.

Thick forest cover supported by the naturally-formed mountain ranges and rivers adds to the beauty of Nepal’s conservation portfolio.

To maintain this standards, the country has some good number of conservation regions such as Annapurna, Chitwan, among others.

There is one more that one must know about to understand the wildlife conservation in life.

With Karnali River on the west, foot of the Sivalik Hills as the north and bisected by the Babai River in the Bardiya District in the Terai region lies Nepal’s largest national park, the Bardiya National Park (BNP).

Wildlife and Bird Watching at Their Best!

Safeguarding 968 sq.km of sal forest, grassland, savannah, and riverine forest cover, BNP provides one an opportunity to spot some of the world’s endangered wildlife species.

Bengal Tiger is the king of BNP at around 60 in number and is also the habitat of many other wild animals such as wild Asian elephants and one-horned rhinos.

The park is also home to 50 other species of mammals such as Gharial crocodile, Marsh mugger crocodile, leopard, swamp deer and grey langur monkeys.

A rafting trip along the Geruwa River, the eastern channel of the Karnali River, can give a rare chance of spotting Gangetic river dolphins occasionally.

Fondly called as ’paradise for birdlovers’, BNP offers you the best experience in bird watching with more than 400 species of birds including the endangered Bengal florican and Sarus crane.

One can enjoy fishing on the Karnali or Babai river, the home to 125 recorded species of fish such as golden mahseer, among others.

Exciting Activities in and Around Bardia National Park

A 4-5-day focused trip in and around BNP can give you an unforgettable travel experience, where you can enjoy a range of joyous activities such as:

Jungle Walk: Nepal is the only country that makes jungle walk possible. Enjoy walking through the jungle for about 15-20 km in a day and feel the experience of watching wildlife, birds, watchtowers, riverbanks, and many more
Jeep Safari: Enjoy the half or full-day jeep safari and get a chance to witness diverse vegetation of the park, wildlife drinking spots, and more.
Rafting Trip: Rafting is another way one can get a chance to spot wildlife. By rafting in BNP, you get a chance to witness the rare Gangetic river dolphins, enjoy the experience of Karnali, Geruwa and Babai rivers in and outside the park.
Fishing Trip: A ride to Karnali and Babai rivers gives you the chance to catch rare fish species such as catfish and mahseer. You can plan a single day or multi-day fishing trip.
Birdwatching: Get a chance to witness at least some of the 400 diverse bird species that BNP has. Take rafting or jungle walk to get the best results.
Forest Camping: Camping staff is around you, awake in BNP forest camping. Enjoy the beautiful stay for a night at BNP jungle, sitting around the campfire and listening to what nature tells you in utter calmness! Lalmati is one camping spot to the northwest of Bardia National Park.
Stay in a Treehouse: Take a trip to the community forest connected to BNP. Inside the forest lies a great tree house, where you can spend a night witnessing the serene experience of a staying in forest. Watch the sunset, sunrise, grasslands, flora and fauna, and more!
Trekking in Babai Valley: In the northeast of the Bardia National Park lies the beautiful scenery of the Babai valley. Enjoy the unforgettable trekking experience from the Babai river dam near the Mahendra Highway to the final destination after 4 days, up north at Chepang village. Telpani trekking is one awesome experience available in the remote Churiya hills range north of Bardia National Park.
Breeding Centers: Around BNP are the two different breeding centers of elephants and crocodiles. While the elephant breeding center gives you the experience of seeing wild Asian elephants, crocodiles breeding center is home to Marsh mugger crocodiles, Gharial crocodiles and turtles.
Blackbuck Conservation Area: Close to the capital city of Bardiya district, Gulariya, there is a blackbuck conservation area with around 200 blackbucks. The area is spread across 15.95 km2 and was established in 2009 to conserve the endangered blackbucks. A jeep drive can bring you to this blackbuck conservation area.

Excited? There are many such! exciting opportunities that a trip to BNP provides you, which cannot be expressed in words and can only be felt!

The Countryside

Besides park, there is also an awesome countryside that BNP area offers to tourists.

Surrounded by peaceful villages and fields of the ethnic community named ‘Tharu’, BNP countryside offers a pleasant experience if you can stay there for 4-5 days.

A round of walking, cycling or motorbiking can give you the pleasant experience of BNP countryside.

Best Time to Visit Bardia National Park (BNP)

Mid-September till mid-December and start of February to end May are the ideal times to visit the Bardiya National Park.

During this period, the temperatures range from 25-37 degrees, making animals to rely on rivers for water. This gives you a chance to spot them easily.

Starting from mid-December till the end of January, the weather here is usually chill and foggy. Whereas, monsoons start in June and lasts till the August end, during which the rising river levels obstruct access to the park.

One of the world’s top tourism agencies Lonely Planet describes Bardiya National Park as:

“The largest national park in the Terai, a beautiful, unspoiled wilderness of sal forest, grassland and alluvial washes cut by the many fingers of the Karnali River. Largely unpopulated, it is often described as what Chitwan National Park was like 30 years ago, before its commercial development. One can raft through the park for hours on end and not encounter another person.”