About Bardia Jungle Safari Tour
Established in 1988 covering an area of 968 sq. km, Bardia National park is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in Nepal’s Terai with a beautiful and unspoiled wilderness of Sal forest, grassland, savannah and riverine forest. This park is bordered by the Karnali River in the west and Siwalik Hills on the north and bisected by Babai River in the Bardiya District.
An hour-long flight to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu and 3-4 hours drive from Nepalgunj to Thakudwara take you to Bardia National Park. Bardia National Park is least overrun by tourists in compare to Chitwan National Park giving the visitor excellent opportunities to spot endangered species of wildlife. Bardai Jungle Safari involves many activities like jungle walk, jungle trek, jeep safari, elephant safari and boating in Karnali River. These rides take you deeper into the wilderness of Bardia. The main highlight of Bardia is the Bengal Tiger. The larger grassland makes Bardia the perfect habitat for Bengal tiger. Spotting tigers and exploring tiger activities makes Jungle safari in Bardia National Park unique. Bardia is also the habitat of the wild Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros, blackbuck and antelopes and more than 250 species of birds. The renowned Karnali River flowing through the Bardia National Park is home to the rare marsh mugger crocodile, the Gangetic dolphin and the masher game fish. Bardia Jungle Safari is the best way to captures the sight of this beautiful wildlife of Nepal’s Terai.
The park is surrounded by idyllic villages and fields habited by an indigenous ethnic group named the Tharu who have their unique language, customs and tradition. There is the Tharu Cultural Museum just inside the main gates to the National park which displays various agricultural equipment and everyday clothing and kitchenware of Tharu people. You can go inside and get yourself acquaint with the lifestyle and culture of the indigenous Tharu people of Nepal. Elephant Breeding Center and Crocodile Breeding centre are important side trip of Bardia Jungle Safari.
The best time to visit Bardia National Park is from mid-September till mid-December and the start of February till the end of May. During these months day temperatures vary between 25 up to 37 degrees and animals will move to the river to drink which gives you better chances to spot them. From mid-December onwards till the end of January weather is more chilly and foggy weather. The monsoon starting from June till the end of August brings hot and sticky days and heavy rain; rising river levels which make access to the park difficult.