The Royal Chitwan National Park was established in 1973, making it the oldest national park in Nepal. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 and used to be known as the Chitwan Valley.[1] Today, it is considered today to be one of Asia’s best parks.[2]
The Royal Chitwan National Park sits at the base of the Himalayas in the Terai region.[3] It is a major destination for most tourists who come to the park to see the famed Asian Single-horned Rhino, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Needle-Snouted Gharial, the Blunt-Snouted Marsh Mugger, and the Gangetic Dolphin. You’ll also get to see the more customary rhesus monkeys, langurs, chitals, sambars, leopards, gaurs, barking deer, wild boars, cobras, pythons, sloth bears, otters, and other wildlife and flora.[4] There are some 90 species of different mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and over 450 different exotic birds. At the park, you can not only enjoy guided jungle walks, but also canoe and elephant rides.[5]
Accommodations near or inside the park are relatively modern. There are several rustic lodges that are extremely comfortable. Most of them offer multiple-day package tours that not only include accommodations but also transportation, meals, and organized sightseeing activities. The inexpensive lodges outside of the park are cheaper and more basic, but will also assist in arranging guides and elephant rides. To get to the park, you can take a local bus and get off at Tandi Bazaar. If you want a faster and more comfortable ride, pay a little more to ride a blue Sajha bus. From Tandi Bazaar, you can ride a bullock cart that will take you to the border of the park where the lodges are.[6]
References:
Burbank, Jon, Rosha Bajracharya, and Kesang Tseten. Nepal. New York: Prentice Hall Travel, 1993. ISBN: 0671879138.
“Royal Chitwan National Park.” < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Chitwan_National_Park>
[1] Royal Chitwan
[2] Burbank, 185
[3] Royal Chitwan
[4] Burbank, 185
[5] Royal Chitwan
[6] Burbank, 185-86
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