Nepal Wildlife Tours

Best Time to visit : Round the year
Duration : 13 days / 12 nights (Optional Extension to Bardia for 4 days/3 nights)
Destinations : Kathmandu - Chitwan National Park - Koshi Tapu - Biratnagar - Bardia - Kathmandu

---

A tour to take in some of the very best wildlife of this landlocked kingdom, from the rich forested hills around Kathmandu, down to lowland Nepal - the Terai - visiting the incomparable Koshi Tapu wetlands, the famous Chitwan National Park, with an optional extension to the huge wilderness of Bardia in the west.

The kingdom of Nepal is a land of amazing diversity. Most often thought of as a mountain kingdom, and indeed dominated by the highest mountains on earth, the country has another, perhaps unexpected side - its biologically rich lowlands. Formerly cloaked in a dense impenetrable forest, lowland Nepal, or the "Terai", now consists of a mosaic of habitats including marshes, forests, and open grasslands. Here can be found an impressive range of mammals, including the endangered Indian Rhinoceros, Leopard, Tiger and Sloth Bear, while the rivers hold Ganges River Dolphin.

The birds can be, if anything, more impressive, and with probably the greatest concentration of species in Asia found here, the daily totals can be astonishing! Nepal straddles two of the world's bird regions: the Holarctic to the north, and the Oriental to the south. At certain times of year species from both regions can be found together. The climate is pleasantly warm and mostly dry, with cool nights only in Kathmandu, and the air often clear, giving splendid views of the Himalayan chain.

We start our trip with two full days in the beautiful Kathmandu valley, before driving south to the famous Chitwan National Park, where we stay in a comfortable tented camp for four nights. From here we shall explore the park on foot, by canoe, and on elephant back. We drive east to Koshi Tapu Wildlife reserve where we spend three nights in the tented camp there. We fly back to Kathmandu, with a chance to get incredible views of the Himalayan range, including Mt. Everest, from the air.

On the extension we fly west again and drive to Royal Bardia National Park, the largest wilderness in Nepal, where we stay at the Tiger Tops' Lodge, from where we travel by Land Rover or raft to explore the park. Not often included on Nepal itineraries, nevertheless this is the kingdom's very best wildlife area, and the most likely site for several mammals, including Tiger. We fly back to Kathmandu for a final night before returning home.

Day 1 : Kathmandu
Arrive at Kathmandu. Day at Leisure.Overnight at the hotel.

Days 2 - 4 : Kathmandu
Stay in Kathmandu for three-night.

The wide Kathmandu valley is bordered by the Himalayan chain to the north, and the foothills to the south. The forested slopes on each side offer some excellent birding, with a chance of Siberian migrants including White's Thrush, Red-flanked Bluetail and Pallas' Warbler. Our tactic here is to drive up the hills and slowly walk down, birding as we go. The highest, Phulchowki, at over 2500m., boasts an excellent variety of habitats, with both temperate and moist subtropical forest and mountain streams. The latter may hold the stunning Spotted Forktail and Plumbeous Redstart, while the forests offer some challenging, but wonderfully exciting birding. Babblers, Bulbuls, Laughing-Thrushes, Flowerpeckers and Flycatchers, together with an amazing variety of warblers and the startling Nepal Sunbird can all be seen here. We also hope to visit the botanical gardens at Godawari, and the forests of Nagarjung, across the other side of the valley.

Three nights Kathmandu

Days 5 - 8 : Chitwan National Park
We drive southward through the Terai to Chitwan National Park. We reach Chitwan by late afternoon. free for leisure.Overnight at the Camp.

Chitwan National Park is the richest area for wildlife in Nepal. Formerly a hunting reserve, the park is home to an estimated 400 Indian Rhinoceros ("Gaida") and 80 Tigers - although the latter can be very difficult to see here. More birds have been recorded here than anywhere else in Nepal! The cockerels crowing in the morning will be the truly wild Red Jungle Fowl, while Black-headed Orioles flute, Hill Mynahs whistle, and a range of Parakeets squawk as they fly overhead.

During our stay we shall visit a good range of habitats including tall grassland, riverine woodland and "sal" forest. Sal is a broad-leafed semi-deciduous hardwood (whose leaves are used for "disposable" plates), which dominates the tropical forest zone right across the Terai, and which offers superb, if unpredictable birding, holding an excellent variety of passerines and woodpeckers, together with the delightful Crested Tree Swift and Oriental Pied Hornbill.

For the grasslands we take to elephant-back, from where we can watch Indian Rhinoceros and other mammals including Wild Boar, Sambar, Muntjac, Spotted and Hog Deer, and possibly Leopard and Sloth Bear. The rivers will be explored by dug-out canoe, and we hope to see both Gharial and Mugger Crocodiles on the banks.
Four nights Gaida Camp, Chitwan National Park

Days 9 - 11 : Koshi Tapu (Bird watching)
We start early for the long drive east towards Koshi Tapu. On our drive through this fertile land we shall stop by the Rapti River to search the shingle banks for Ibisbill; but this highly sought-after bird won't be easy to find here!

The Sapt Koshi River is one of the Ganges' largest tributaries, and is prone to destructive annual floods. To minimise the effect of these the Koshi barrage was built, together with high embankments to channel the floodwaters. The effect has been to create a superb wetland ideally placed to attract huge numbers of water birds. Here rice paddies and ponds full of lilies and water-hyacinth surround small thatched villages perched on higher ground, while nearer the barrage the marshes, lagoons and mudflats give way to an expanse of open water that together host just about every species of water bird ever recorded in Nepal. Some rank this area as highly as the more famous Bharatpur in Northern India - or even higher.

Amongst the bird riches it is hard to pick on a few species to highlight, but we are sure clients will enjoy the Open-bill Storks, Cotton Pygmy Geese, Pied Harriers, hundreds of Little Pratincoles, Black-bellied Terns, Stork-billed Kingfishers and the stunning Siberian Rubythroats to be found here, while local specialities include Striated Marsh Warbler and Swamp Francolin. The reserve is also home to the last surviving population of wild Water Buffalo in Nepal.

The camp here has safari-style tents, with nearby showers and toilets, with a separate thatched dining room and bar. Most of the excursions will be on foot, but during the stay we shall also take a raft trip on the Sapt Koshi River to get out to the islands there. Three nights Koshi Camp

Day 12 : Kathmandu
We drive east to Biratnagar and fly back to Kathmandu. If the air is clear weíll get superb views of the Himalayan range, including Mount Everest.

There should be a little time for shopping and sightseeing in Kathmandu this afternoon.
Overnight Kathmandu

Day 13 : Kathmandu
Departure from Kathmandu

Bardia Extension Days 13 - 15
We catch a flight west to Nepalunj, and drive towards the largest untouched wilderness area in Nepal - Royal Bardia National Park. Here, amongst magnificent sal and riverine forest and open grasslands, we stand a better chance of seeing Tiger than anywhere else in Nepal. Here too are jungle cats, mongoose, langur and rhesus monkeys, blackbuck and the odd truly wild elephant.

The birds here in the far west of Nepal contain several species not found elsewhere in the country, but are still surprisingly little known. Indeed so few birdwatching groups get to this area that we may well make some useful discoveries ourselves!

We stay at the excellent lodge, run by the Tiger Tops' organisation, with spacious rooms and a semi-natural garden that can be excellent for birds. From the lodge we shall venture out on elephant-back and by river-raft to explore the park, as well as by jeep and on foot. Our three nights at this superb location should provide a memorable extension to the trip. Three nights Tiger Tops Lodge, Royal Bardia National Park

Day 16
After a final morning in Bardia, we drive back to Nepalunj airport, and fly back to Kathmandu for a final night. Overnight Kathmandu

Day 17
Departure from Kathmandu.

Nepal Wildlife Tours, Travel Packages Reservation Form