Terai Wildlife Tour

Our representative will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

(We can start sightseeing programs in this day if you have an early arrival and are fresh enough to start, depending on your interest.)

After breakfast, we begin full day sightseeing of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Bouddhanath, built in the 14th century is the world’s largest stupa and the holiest Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu with rich Buddhist symbolism, architecture and a site of great veneration for Buddhists. It remains an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepalis. 

Pashupatinath Temple, the largest temple complex in Nepal is one of the four most important religious sites for devotees of God Shiva. Built in the 5th century and later renovated, its  main pagoda style temple has a gilded roof, four sides covered in silver and exquisite wood carvings.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, in the medieval city of Bhaktapur with its ancient temples, monuments and palaces are magnificent examples of Newari craftsmanship with their beautiful carved wooden windows and latticework. Their people are still renowned for their pottery and hand woven fabrics, including the traditional local red and black saris.

Overnight at your hotel in Kathmandu.

Royal Bardia National Park lies adjacent to the Karnali Lodge, in the lowlands of western Nepal. Consisting of magnificent Sal and riverine forests, and extensive grasslands, the park’s 936 sq kms are home to Tigers, Leopards, Elephants, Rhinos, Blackbucks, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Barking and Hog Deers, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear as well as the Marsh Mugger Crocodiles and the endangered Gharials. Nearly 400 species of birds occur in the park and during our time here, we will hope to find such species as Great Black-headed Gull, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Crested Kingfisher, Wallcreeper, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo and Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker. Bardia is bounded to the west by the Karnali River, the largest in Nepal, and this enables us to explore the park by raft, as well as by jeep and on foot.

From Karnali Lodge, a network of game trails allow us to explore the abundant wildlife of the jungle. Early morning and late afternoon excursions by jeep and jungle walks to remote regions of Bardia offer good chances of glimpsing Tigers, Sloth Bears, Wild Elephants as well as large herds of "Chital". An inflatable raft trip from the Camp down to the southern boundary of the park is a tranquil way of viewing the birdlife and water-oriented animals such as Smooth Otters, Marsh Muggers and Gharial Crocodiles. The Karnali River is also one of the best areas in Nepal to view the highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphin. It is also possible to leave the park and cross the Karnali by an impressive, but somewhat out of place, suspension bridge and take a hike up the Karnali Gorge along an old trade route. Here, there will be the opportunity to meet traders with their pack trains of sheep and ponies carrying goods from northern Nepal and Tibet and returning with produce from the Terai, some of which have walked for over two weeks to trade and buy provisions.

Overnight at Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge.

After breakfast, drive of 6-7 hrs to the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini. Although long, it is a very scenic drive that will take us across the Terai, through numerous small Nepalese communities and across several ranges of forested hills, including the "Churia" Range. Evening walk around the Lumbini Garden and sightseeing of Monasteries and ancient relics.

Overnight at your hotel in Lumbini.

After breakfast, morning sightseeing of Lumbini area:

Maya Devi Temple is the most famous monument which is about 2300 years old. It is the exact spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha.

Puskarni Pond is a famous sacred pond near the temple. It is believed that Maya Devi took a bath in this pond before delivery. This pond was recovered during the 1933-34 excavation.

Ashoka Pillar is the most important relic near the temple, first reported in 1895. This stone pillar was erected by King Ashoka who reigned in India in 3 B.C and visited Lumbini Garden in 250 G.C. to pay homage to the birthplace of Buddha.

We then drive (4 hrs) to Chitwan to begin Jungle Activities.

Walking with Elephants : Join our elephants and their mahouts on their daily walk through the jungle close to the lodge.

Elephant Sundowners : End your day by the bank of the Narayani River watching one of Nepal's famous sunsets. Here the elephants will be let loose to cool down in the water and relax, while our bar staff are on hand with cold drinks of your choice.

Overnight at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge.

The Royal Chitwan National Park comprises 932 square kilometres of Sal and riverine jungle, a magnificent environment which contains a greater variety of wildlife than any other area of Nepal. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded here, as well as many mammals, reptiles and numerous insects. Mammals are likely to include the endangered Indian Rhinoceros, Wild Boar, Sambar, Muntjac, Spotted and Hog Deer, Rhesus and Hanuman Monkeys, whilst reptiles we may encounter include Marsh Mugger Crocodile and the fish-eating Gharial. Leopards, Sloth Bears, and Gaur (wild bison) are all fairly common and occasionally seen by the lucky ones! 

Jeep Safari: Step aboard one of the restored iconic open-top Landrovers for a jungle jeep safari unlike any in Nepal.

Boat Safari:A boat safari down the Narayani River can be both a soothing and exhilarating experience to spot animals and birds.

Bird Watching:  Nepal is considered a bird watching sanctuary, with an astounding 848 species identified across the country.

Walking Safaris: Immerse yourself in local Tharu culture by taking a guided tour of the local villages.

Walking with Elephants : Join our elephants and their mahouts on their daily walk through the jungle close to the lodge.

Elephant Sundowners : End your day by the bank of the Narayani River watching one of Nepal's famous sunsets. Here the elephants will be let loose to cool down in the water and relax, while our bar staff are on hand with cold drinks of your choice.

Overnight at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge.

It takes 6 hours (250 kms) drive on the east-west highway from Chitwan to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. It is a fascinating journey. Driving through the 'Terai' of lowland Nepal, we will pass through a variety of villages and towns giving a unique insight into the Nepalese way of life. By making an early start, we will aim to reach the camp by afternoon.

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies in the Sapta-Koshi river-plain in the far eastern Nepal covering 175 sq kms. It has a vast expanse of open water creating marshes, lagoons, sandbanks, mudflats and arable land that lie around it, offering an outstanding wetland habitat, and one of the finest birdwatching sites in Asia. Almost all of Nepal's long list of birds like Wildfowl, Waders, Storks, Ibises, Egrets, Terns, Falcons, Warblers, Gulls etc.. reside here. Well in excess of 100 bird species should be seen each day in this wonderful area (the record to date is 174 in a day!). The sharp-eyed may also be lucky enough to see one of the highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphins that live here.This region is the last refuge of the Wild Water Buffalo in Nepal, of which only 440 or so individuals remain. Other commonly seen include Asiatic Golden Jackal, Asiatic Pythons, Fish Eating Crocodiles, Jungle Cat, Common Mongoose, Wild Boar and Hog Deer, whilst Leopard and Fishing Cat are more elusive and rarely seen. Your most rewarding wildlife outings will be on foot, exploring the grasslands, river, lagoons and woodlands close to the camp. We will also spend one of the mornings aboard inflatable rafts drifting slowly along the wide waters of the Koshi River enjoying the wildlife up-close, of the otherwise inaccessible sandbanks and islands.

Overnight at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Camp.

Activities include:

Jungle Walks and Bird Watching around Saptakoshi River inside the reserve on foot.

River Raft Boat Safaris on Sapta Koshi River with your Naturalist guide for closeup views of the Water Birds, Water Buffaloes, Dolphins, Crocodiles, Pythons and many more wildlife in the water and land habitats.

Jeep Safaris in the Reserve, famous Koshi Barrage, Wildlife View Towers to spot jungle birds and animals.

Village Walk to visit local markets, observing local lifestyle and culture

Overnight at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Camp.

This morning after breakfast, we drive 1.5 hours to Biratnagar airport and take a 40-minute internal flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu. The spectacular flight will take us along the edge of the Great Himalaya and, if the weather is clear, it is possible to see some of the world’s highest peaks including Mt. Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Everest itself.

Evening farewell dinner at Bhojan Griha Heritage Restaurant.

Overnight at your hotel in Kathmandu.

Transfer to the airport for the final departure with great memories of your trip.

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