Take in Chitwan National Park's green tangle of beauty from the back of an elephant

Photo: Leonardo C. Fleck

The Royal Chitwan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with abundant wildlife that includes many endangered animals. The park is one of the last undisturbed remnants of the sub-tropical Terai lowlands, which once spread over the foothills of India and Nepal. 

The 932 sq km park is home to 43 species of mammals including the endangered one-horned Asiatic rhino, Royal Bengal tiger and Gangetic dolphin. Some 450 species of birds and 45 species of reptiles and amphibians also live in the park. 

Chitwan is a green tangle of beauty and life, offering as much wildlife and large mammals as any safari in Africa or boat ride up the Amazon.

The park is usually closed during the monsoon season from June to September when flooding closes most roads and malaria rears its ugly head. The best time to visit is during the winter months (October-February) when the weather is cooler, or in spring (March-May). 

You can either fly or bus it to Chitwan National Park from Kathmandu. A flight takes roughly half an hour while a bus journey can take the best part of six hours.