Established in 1973, Chitwan is the oldest national park of Nepal. UNESCO declared it World Heritage Site in 1984. Chitwan National Park is one of the most famous wildlife areas in South Asia and has developped into one of Nepal’s most popular tourist attractions, forming the southern corner of the “Diamond Triangle”, of which Kathmandu and Pokhara in the highlands are the other two cornerstones. The major attraction are rhinos, as chances to spot them on a safari in Chitwan are pretty high. Annual visitor numbers usually exceed 80,000. Nonetheless, the park territory is not overcrowded with tourists, only Sauraha, where most visitors of Chitwan National Park spend the nights, has become a little bit touristy.
Location of Sauraha - Gateway to Chitwan
The protected area of Chitwan National Park forms a large part Nepal’s Chitwan District but also covers parts of some neigbouring districts. Bharatpur, the capital of Chitwan District, is located only 15 km north of the national park. Chitwan belongs to Nepal’s Terai lowlands and borders India. India’s Valmiki National Park is on the other side of border, together with Chitwan National Park it forms a major tiger protection zone.
Chitwan National Park covers an area of 932 km². The western border is the Gandak, which is one of the major rivers of Nepal, it’s also known as Narayani after the confluence with Trisuli only 18 km upstream of Chitwan National Park. The northern border of the wildlife park is marked by the River Rapti, a tributary of the Narayani. It’s along the Rapti where most hotels are located along the national park borders, mainly in Sauraha. A left tributary of the Rapti, the Reu river, roughly marks the southern border of the park. The altitude ranges from about 100 m in the river valleys up to 800 m in the Churia Hills. |
Chitwan is mainly a forested region. Predominantly Sal tress (Shorea robusta) cover about 70 % of the park. Another 20% is open grassland, mainly found in the floodplains of the rivers.
Monsoon season in Chitwan is between mid June and end of September. Temnperatures can be as low as 5 degree centigrades in January and up to 40 degrees in June.
Monsoon season in Chitwan is between mid June and end of September. Temnperatures can be as low as 5 degree centigrades in January and up to 40 degrees in June.
Wildlife of Chitwan
Chitwan National Park is famous for it’s rhino population. Actually, besides Kaziranga National Park in India’s Assam state, it’s the only wildlife area with more than 100 Indian rhinos. Prior to the establishment of the national park status, less than 100 rhinos inhabited the Chitwan region. However, the population has revovered ever since, despite occasional reductions due to illegal poaching and conservationist transfers to Bardia National Park. Currently, there are up to 600 rhinos inhabiting Chitwan National Park.
The scientific name of the Indian rhino, Rhinoceros unicornis, refers to the characteristic feature of this species, namely the one horn instead of two. The only other one-horned rhino species is the Javan rhinoceros of Southeast Asia. Whereas the much smaller Sumatra Rhino has two horns just as the only two other extant species, which are native to Africa. Four of the “Big Five” animals of India occur in Chitwan National Park. Apart from rhinos also elephants and bears and tigers inhabit this wildlife area. Only India’s lions cannot be found here. However, leopards occur in the peripheral regions of the park where less tigers compete with them. Actually, Chitwan has the largest tiger population in Nepal, almost a hundred individuals, as many as the famous Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India. Prior to the introduction of the national park status in 1973, the number of tigers in Chitwan had been declining to only 25. Within less than 2 decades, the tiger population quadruplicated. However, sighting tigers on a safari in Chitwan is a very rare luck, chances are definitely below 20% on a one-day safari. For tiger enthusiasts, Bardia National Park in the west of Nepal, would be the better alternative. Wild elephants are a rare sight in Chitwan, though around 50 individuals are said to roam in the park. Sometimes tuskers from the neigbouring Valmiki National Park in India find their way into the flood plains of Chitwan, too. But most elephants that can be seen in Chitwan are dometicated for elephant rides. Surprsingly, Chitwan has Nepal’s highest population density of sloth bears in Nepal, with an estimated 200 to 250 individuals. However, they mainly inhabit the area of the Churia Hills and are rarely spotted on safaris. Another big animal is only a seasonal visitor of the park, namely the gaur, the largest cattle in Nepal. Gaurs migrate from the Churia Hills to the grasslands in the floodplains during the driest period of the year, between February and June. Altogether, 68 mammal species occur in Chitwan National Park, 13 of which are categorized endangered. The largest reptile species is the Gharial crocodile. One species endemic to the park is the Maskey frog (Tomopterna maskeyi). It’s named after the biologist and conservationist who discovered this species, Tirtha Man Maskey. Maskey played a crucial role in establishing Nepal’s first national park. Due to its rich avifauna, Chitwan is a paradise for birdwatchers in particular. The iconic bird of the region is the Black-necked stork. An imposing bird of prey breeding in Chitwan is the Grey-headed fish eagle. 534 breeding and migratory species have been documented in the national park. Two thirds of Nepal’s globally threatened species occur in Chitwan. In about 10 km distance from Sauraha, Bishazari Tal (Bis Hazari Lake), belonging to the Tikauli Jungle in the buffer zone of the national park, is another birdwatching area. |
Safari Types and Activities
One overnight stay near the park borders of Chitwan is enough for taking part in a half-day safari. However, we recommend to stay two nights and enjoy a full day in the wildlife park.
The normal way to explore the wildlife park is a jeep safari with a 1 or 2 hours jungle walk with a licenced park ranger as a guide. Another option is a canoe ride. Apart from that, elephant safaris are popular in Chitwan, as rides on so-called “government elephants” are still permitted. They offer a chance to to get a closer view of the rhinos. Visitors are strictly prohibited to walk around within the park area between sunset and sunrise. However, nighttime animal oberservations are allowed from a tower, see below. In Sauraha is a Visitor Center providing information on wildlife and conservation programs. In only 1 km distance is a Crocodile Breeding Center, which is also home to a number of turtles. The Chitwan Elephant Breeding Center is another attraction in this area of Sauraha, allowing you to see domesticated elephants and their offspring. Tharu village with evening cultural shows is a place to learn more about the Tharu people, an ethnic group proudly calling themselves “People of the Forest”. Ox cart tours are available in the Tharu village, too. Tourism and Accommodation
The major tourist hub at Chitwan National Park is Sauraha at the northern shore of the Rapti River, which marks the park border. Further hotels can be found along the river till Meghauli, which is the second gateway to the park, 40 km further west.
Bharatpur Airport, with regular daily air services from Pokhara and Kathmandu, is in 17 km distance to the north of Sauraha and 27 km to the northeast of Meghauli. Meghauli has a smaller airport, which also serves Kathmandu. Road distances from Sauraha to Kathmandu and Pokhara are around 150 km each. The distance to Raxaul, the next border town in India near Birhanj to the southeast, is 130 km by road, whereas Sonauli checkpoint near Siddhartanagar and Lumbini is 140 km to the west of Sauraha. Sauraha has a bed capacity of around 1500. A wide range of accommodation categories is on offer, from budget to 4****star category (Green Park, Landmark Forest Park, Park Safari Resort). Many mid-range accommodations are resorts with gardens offering nice views to the river and the park. Budget accommodations provide shower facilities at least. There were only few hotels built inside the national park, but for conservation purposes there are no more licenses issued to operate hotels within the park borders. However, there is a noteworthy option to spend a night inside the wildlife park and to observe nocturnal activities of the animals. The so-called “jungle tower” is a wooden construction built inside the park. The elevated observation platform offers views to the floodplains. The rooms have no attached showers, only toilets. Sleeping bags and packet food will be arranged for those choosing to stay overnight in the wilderness. Electric current is available. For travelers spending evening or early morning hours in or near the park, mosquito repellents are recommended. Those visitors intending to take park in jungle walks are advised to have sandals with them to cross streams comfortably. |
You would like to see improvements on this page or share your own travel impressions? Don't hesitate to comment...