Travel Nepa

National Parks, Conservation Areas and Wildlife Reserve of Nepal
The geography of Nepal can be divided into high mountains, mid hills and low lands. A wide range of ecosystem from sub- tropical jungles of the Terai to the arctic conditions of Himalayan highlands is found within an area of 147181 sq km.
There are a total of 9 National parks, 3 wildlife Reserve, 3 Conservation Areas, 1 Hunting Reserve including 9 buffer zones around national parks, covering a total of 28585.67 sq km (19.42 %) of the country’s total land. Nepal’s rich biodiversity renders it ideal as an eco- tourism destination.
Annapurna Conservation Area Project-ACAP (7629 sq km)
The Annapurna conservation Area is one of the best trekking trails in the world.The area spreads around Kaski, Mustang,Manang and Lumjung districts of Central Nepal.Starting with an altitude of 790 meters, the area reaches as high as 8091 meters of Mt.Annapurna.Ghandruk is the first experience and further down is Ghorepani that provides fantastic panoramic view of the Annapurna ranges.Equally eye catching are hills of rhododendron that blossom every spring .The turning point of the Annapurna Circuit is Jomsom.The trek southeast from Lomsom, leads to the scenic Tilicho Lake area at an altitude of 4919 meters.In the circuit route, is the famous Hindu religious sites Muktinath Temple .The vegetation in this region includes various species of orchids and rhododendron.Wildlife includes around 100 different kinds of mammals including rare snow leopards and blue sheep.The region also boasts of around 478 species of birds including multi-colored Impheyan, Koklas and blood pheasants.In addition the region is also home to 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians.
Activities:Trekking , mountaineering
Accomodarion: Resort hotels,lodges, camping
Access: From Pokhara which is 202 km by road or 30 minutes by air from Kathmandu
Best Season: March –May,sep-Nov
ACAP Headquater:Hariyo Kharka, Pokhara
Dhoroatan Hunting Reserve (1325 sq km)
Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve is the only area in Nepal where licensed hunting is allowed.The reserve adjoins Myagdi district and Baglung district,jist below the Dhaulagiri range in West Nepal.The reserve begins at 3000 meters reaches as high as 7000 meters.Trees like fir, pine, birch ,rhododendron, hemlock, oak, juniper and spruce are available in the reserve .One of the prime attractions for hunters is the blue sheep,which is abundant in the area.Hunters also get pheasants and paetidges in viable populations for hunting .Other animals found here are leopard,ghoral, serow, Himalayan Tahr, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, wild boar, rhesus macaque , langur and mouse hare.Endangered animals in the reserve are musk deer, wolf , red panda , cheer pheasant and Danphe.
Activities: Trophy hunting ,game viewing
Accommodation: Camping
Access: Four day’s walk from Baglung which is 72 km form pokhara by road
Best Season: Mar-Apr, Oct-Nov, Jul-sep (monsoon),Dec-Feb(cold ,windy , snow)
Reserve Headquarter: Dhorpatan
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area [KCA] (2035 sq km)
Situated in north eastern Nepal in the district of Taplejung, the kanchanjunga conservation Area is bordered by the Tibet-China in the north,Sikkim-India in the east and Sankhuwa Sabha district in the west.
The area has alpine grasslands, low river valleys with temperate and sub-tropical forests.Ten species among Nepal’s 20 indigenous gymnosperms and 15 among Nepal’s 28 endemic flowering plants are found in this region .In addition , almost 30 varieties of rhodendron species and 69 varieties of orchids are found here.Wildlife includes endangered snow leopard, Himalayan black bear,musk deer, red panda, blue sheep and rhesus macaw.About 202 species of different birds including pheasant, red-billed blue magpie,shy drongo are found in the area.
Activities: Trekking, mountaineering
Accomodation: Tea house,camping
Access: From Taplejung which can be reached by air from Kathmandu
Best Season: March-May ,Sep-Nov
Park headquater:Lelep
Khaptad National Park (225 sq km)
Khaptad National Park in West Nepal is the home is Khaptad Swami, the renowned scholar and a hermit .The park with rolling hills of grasslands and forests of subtropical,temperate and sub alpine vegetation, is also a rich natural habitat.The park boasts of 242 species of medicinal herbs and offers excellent birds watching oppottunities ,with 270 species of birds, the common one s being different varieties of Impheyan Phesant, partridges, flycatchers, bulbuls,cuckoos and eagles.Animals in the park are barking deer,wild boar,ghoral ,Himalayan black bear,yellow –throated marten,rhesus monkey and langur monkey.The park also offers religious sightseeing at Tribeni on the way to its headquarters.There are several historical temples surrounding this area and an annual celebration of Ganga Dashhara is held here every Jestha Purnima.another religious site is Sahara Linga at 3200 meters, the highest point of the park.Other religious areas in the park include Ganesh Temple,Nagdhunga, and Kedardhunga.These areas are ideal places for meditation.Towards the northeast of the park is Khaptad Lake where a festival is held every August and September.
Activities: Game viewing , bird watching
Accomodation: Resorts and Tented camp
Access: 90 minute drive (40 km) from Biratnagar which is 50 minutes by air or 541 km by road from Kathmandu
Best Season:Oct –Mar,Apr-Jun (hot) , Jul- Sep( rainy)
Reserve Headquater:K usaha
Langtang National Park( sq km)
The Park extends over parts of Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchok districts in the mountainous terrain of Nepal- China (Tibet) border.
The chief attraction of this park is the Langtang range in the north and several lakes in the south.High altitude jungles with driverse vegetation and wildlife, scenic lakes, glaciers and Himalayan peaks combine to make Langtang an attractive destination for visitors.Twenty five percent of the park’s total area is covered by forest , starting at sub-tropical forests below 1000 meters giving way to alpine scrubs and grasslands towards higher altitude.Animals seen here are wild dog,red panda, pika, muntjac, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr,ghoral, serow, rhesus monkey ,common langur, snw leopard among others.Commong birds seen here are tragopan,impeyan, and pheasants (kakij).The Langtang valley is also renowned for its holy Lake Gosaikunda.Thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit the lake area every year,especially during the Janai Purnima festival every August.
Activites: trekking ,Mountaineering
Accomodation:Lodges,camping
Access:From Dhunche which is 117 km by road from Kathmandu
Best season:oct-nov and Mar-May (cold at higher elevation); jun-sep (monsoon),Dec-feb(snow)
Park headquater:Dhunche
Makalu –Barun National Park(2330 sq km)
The park spreads over the districts of Sankhuwasabha and Solukhumnu in norterast Nepal.One of the prime attractons for visitors to the park is experience the unique Himalayan bio diversity.The vegetation range from sub tropical forests to sub alpine and alpine as the altitude increases. The park boasts of 47 species of orchids, 67 species of medicinal herbs,25 of Nepal’s 30 varieties of rhododendron,19 bamboo species, 15 oak species, 48 species of primrose and 86 species of fooder trees. The park also offers bird watching opportunities with its 400 species of birds, including the rare spotted wren babbler and the olive ground warbler. Wildlife include the endangered red pands,snow leopard,Himalayan black bear , clouded leopard tops,tahr, wild baor, barking deer, Himalayan marmot, weasel, langur monkey and serow. River Arun that flows through the park has 84 varieties of fish including salmon.
Activities: Trekking, Mountaineering
Accommodation: Camping
Access: Fly to Tumlingtar from Kathmandu (one hour)and then a six day walk
Best Season: Oct-Nov and Mar-Apr; Apr-May (hot at lower elevations),June –sep (monsoon)
Park headquarter: Seduwa,
Manaslu Conservation Area (1663 Sq km)
The Manaslu area is Gorkha district is a classic setting to experience pristine mountain nature and cluture.The conservation area starts at 600 meters and is crowned by the eighth highest peak in the world Mt.Manaslu at 8163 meters. The region is home to 29 species of mammals including snow leopard, musk deer and Himalayan Tahr. There are over 20 species of birds and three species of reptiles and over 200 species of plants.
Activities: trekking, Mountaineering
Accomodation:camping,lodges
Access:By bus to Dhading(87 km form Kathmandu)or to Besi Sahar (106 km from pokhara) and then trekking
Best Season:March-May; Spe-Nov
Park headquater:Prok
Parsa Wildlife Reserve (499 sq km)
The Parsa wildlife reserve spreads over parts of Chitwan , Makawanpur, Parsa and Bara district s.The vegetation is tropical and sub tropical mostly covered with sal forests, while the hills are covered with chir pine.Khair, sissoo and silk cotton are found along water areas. The reserve provides good habitat for animals like wild elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, blue sheep and wild dog .Other common animals in the reserve are sambar , chital, hog deer, barking deer, langur monkey,rhesus macaques, striped hyena, rat , palm civet and jungle cat. There are 527 species of birds found in the reserve, one being the endangered great hornbill found in certain parts of the forest .Other birds species include peafowl, red jungle fowl , flycatchers and woodpeckers .Birds and animals apart the reserve also habitats snakes like king cobra, common cobra, krart, rat snake and python.
Activities: Jungle safari on elephant-back,jungle walk, jeep drive
Access: Fly to samara from Kathmandu (15 minutes) and then by road to the reserve headquarters (7 km), or overland all the way from Kathmandu (150 km via Hetauda)
Best Season: Oct –Mar, Apr-Jun (hot ,30-35 degrees Celsius),Jul-sep (monsoon)
Reserve Headquarter: Adhabar,
Rara National Park (106 sq km)
Rara National Park is the far northwestern part of the country offers a representative sample of the region’s flora and fauna .Sprawlwd over Mugu and Jumla districts the heart of the park is the country’s biggest lake, Lake Rara from where the park gets its name .The lake is as deep as 167meters at some places
, and drains into the River Mugu Karnali via Nijar Khola. The park is mainly covered with coniferous forest while the area around the lake is dominated by blue pine. Rhododendron, juniper, spruce, oak and cypress are found around 3000 meters while at higher altitude pine, spruce and fir are more common. The rich vegetation of the park is a home to the endangered red pands. Musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard, jackal, Himalayan Tahr, wild yellow –throated martin, wild dog, wild boar, common langur, rhesus macaque and common otter. During winter the park abounds in bird varieties like coots, great-crested grebe, black necked grebe, red crested pochard, mallard, common teal, merganser and gulls. Migrant water fowls and gallinaceous birds can also be seen during certain seasons. As for water life in the lake, the snow trout is the only fish recorded so far.
Activities: trekking
Accommodation: camping
Access: Fly to Jumla from KTM via Nepaljung and then a day walk, or by bus from Nepaljung to surkhet (114km) and then week’s walk
Best season: Feb –Apr and Oct-Nov
Park Headquarter: Hutu
Bardia National Park (968 sq km)
The Bardia National Park is the largest and most undisturbed protected area in the Terai and is home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger and Nepal’s famous one-horded rhinoceros. The national park located in the far western district of Bardiya , is bordered by river Karnali in the west, the churia range in the north, while the river Babai flows right through the park. The varied geographical factors together with the thick cover of Sal , Savannah forests and grasslands render this region ideal as wild animal habitat. The park hosts 30 different mammals, more than 250 species of birds, and several varieties of reptiles and water animals. Some of the other animals found here are elephant , swamp deer, black buck , gharial crocodile and marsh mugger crocodile .The exotic Gangetic Dolphin is also sometimes seen In River Karnali .Birds include endangered varieties of Bangal florican,lesser florican, silver –eard mesia and sarus crane. The park offers the rare opportunity of fishing at River Karnali and River Babai.
Activities: Jungle safari on elephant – back, jungle walk, boat ride ,jeep drive.
Accommodation: Jungle lodges
Access: Three hours by jeep (95 km) from Nepaljung which is 1 hour 10 min by air or 531 km by road from Kathmandu?
Best season: Oct –Mar, Apr-Jun (hot up to 45 degrees Celsius), Jul –Sep (rainy)
Park Headquarter: Thakurdwara
Chitwan National Park (932 sq km)
Owing to its rich adornment of nature, Chitwan National Park was declared UNESCO National Heritage Site in 1979. The park that includes in its area a part of the Shivalik hills, is covered with deciduous forests overlooking the floodplains of Narayani ,Rapti and Reu Rivers and offering a wilderness of rich ecosystem that includes mammals, birds ,reptiles and water animals of several kinds. There are around 600 plant species, 50 mammals, 526 birds about 49 amphibians reptiles found in the park .The highlights, of course, are the 500 Asian one – horned rhinoceros and some 100 nocturnal Royal Bengal tigers that live in the dense forests of the park. Sharing home with these are other animals like rhesus monkey, grey langur. Deer, leopards, white stockinged gaur,wild boar, wild dogs and wild cats. Among reptiles are different kinds of snakes including the python, while the river areas breed amphibians like the endangered snouted gharial popularly known as Gangetic crocodile and marsh crocodiles? The forest is alive during summer with the arrival of migrant bird’s paradis flycatcher, Indian pitta and parakeets, while winter birds from Siberia. Other bird’s varieties are woodpeckers, hornbill, peacocks, peahens, floricans and redheaded trogons. A rare attraction of the park is the world’s fresh water dolphin variety sometime seen in river Narayani. Another factor adding a distinct touch to the Chitwan experience is the colorful Tharu culture. There are also sites of religious and historical importance at Devghat, Pandavnagar,Balmiki Ashram and Kabilaspur.
Activities: Jungle safari on elephant – back, jungle walk, canoe ride, jeep drive
Accommodation: Resort hotels and lodges
Access: The park headquarters at Kasara is a 21 –km drive from Bharatpur which is 2 minutes by air or 146km by road from Kathmandu
Best season: Oct-Feb (average temperature 25 degrees Celsius), Mar-Jun (hot up to 43 degrees), Jul –Sep (rainy)
Park headquarter: kasara
Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve: (305 sq km)
Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve is located in the far- eastern lowland Terai of Nepal. The pristine sub-tropical jungle makes Shuklaphanta Nepal’s second largest wildlife Reserve in Terai.
The open grasslands and numerous waterholes of the park is a vast expanse of plain grasslands and Sal forests, while marsh vegetation is found along Rivers and lakes. The park that was originally reserved as a hunting area was later converted to wildlife reserve to protect swamp deer. The reserve now shelters almost 2000 swamp deer, around 50 wild elephants and 30 tigers. Other animals found here are spotted deer, blue bulls, barking deer, hog deer, wild boars, leopards, jackals, langurs and rhesus monkeys .Among birds the reserve provides habitat to sarus crane, swamp francolin, grass owl, warblers, flycatchers, and the endangered Bengal Florican. Reptile species include marsh mugger, crocodile, cobra and python.
Activities: wildlife viewing on elephant –back
Accommodation: Jungle lodges
Access: Fly or drove to Mahendranagar (695 km from Kathmandu)
Best season: Feb-Mar (22-25 degrees Celsius) Dec- Jan (cold , foggy),r-Jun (hot up to 42 degrees)
Reserve Headquarter: Majhgaon, Kanchanpur
Sagarmatha National Park (1148 sq km)
The prime attraction in the Sagarmatha National Park is Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world. The perk was added to the list of World Heritage site in 1979.The park, a part of the Himalayan ecological Zone , has several other prominent peaks most of which are above 6000 meters. With most of the park above 3000 meters, Sagarmatha is full of rugged terrain with deep gorges, glaciers and huge rocks. With its Himalayan terrain and its unique culture, the park offers a blend of natural and cultural tourist products here. The vegetation at lower elevation is dominated by pine and hemlock forests , while 3500 meters the forest is dominated with silver fir, birch, rhododendron, and juniper trees. During spring and monsoon the varieties of rhododendron flowers are seen. The common wildlife in the park is Himalayan Tahr, ghoral, musk deer, pikka (mouse hare) weasel, jackal. Other rarely seen animals are Himalayan black bear, wolf, and snow leopard. Birds inhabitation the park are of over 118 species .Common ones among them are the impeyan pheasant (Daphe), blood pheasant, red billed cough, yellow – billed chough, snow cock, snow pigeon, Himalayan griffon and lammergeyer. The national park also showcases the cultural trophies with the warm Sherpa hospitality and its many monasteries and cultural landmarks.
Activities: Trekking, Mountaineering
Accommodation: Resort hotels, lodges, camping
Access: Two-day walk from Lukla which is 30 minutes by air from Kathmandu
Best season: Oct-Nov and Mar- May, Dec- Feb (0snow, daytime temperature 5 degrees Celsius) Jun – Sep (rainy)
Park Headquarter: Mandalphu, Namche Bazzar
Shey-Phoksundo National Park (3555 sq km)
Shey-Phoksundo National Park is situated in the Trans-Himalayan region of North West Nepal. It is Nepal’s largest National Park.
With diverse terrain altitude variation, the park spreads over Dolpa and Mugu districts and supports a broad range of wildlife and vegetation. Geographical landmarks of the park are the Himalayan peaks in the north and Lake Phoksundo, in the southern region. Vegetation includes pine, walnut, willow, oak and cypress in the lower altitude and pine, spruce, juniper and birch at higher regions. Barberries, wild rosea and caragana are seen in alpine areas while the region higher up are mostly arid with grass alpine meadows with barky any trees. The park contains 286 flora species of botanical importance. Animals found in the region are sheep, ghoral, musk deer, leopard, wild dog , marmot, weasel, mouse hare , rhesus and langur monkeys, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear and jackals .In the upper reaches is seen the rare snow leopard. Over 200 species of birds including yellow-throated marten, Tibetan partigr, wood snipe, white-throated tit, wood accentor, and crimson- eared rose finch are found in the park. Other species of birds found here are Impeyan , cheer pheasant, chough, ravens, Tibetan snow cock, Tibetan twit , brown dipper, Himalayan grifon and lammergeyer. Apart from these, the park is home to 6 species of reptiles and 29 species of butterflies.
Activities: Trekking, Mountaineering
Accommodation: Camping
Access: Fly to Dolpa’s airport from Nepaljung or Pokhara and then a three – day walk
Best Season: Mar-May (high passes may still be covered with winter snow) and Jun-sep(clear weather)
Park Headquarter: Smduwa
Shivapuri National Park (144 sq km)
Popular as trekking, hiking and recreation areas, the Shivapuri National Park offers the nearest retreat from Kathmandu. The park was established as a watershed and wildlife Reserve in 1976.The park was declared as a national park in 2002 for the protection of its unique natural adornments. Vegetation varieties in the park includes its 129 species if mushrooms while animals include 19 species of mammals including beer , leopards, deer, wild boar, wildcat and langur monkey. The park also boasts of 177 species of birds of butterflies.
Activities: Hiking, rock climbing, bird watching
Access: 11 km to the north of Kathmandu, taxi or bus
Best Season: Sep-Jun, Jun- Aug (rainy)
Park Headquarter: Shivapuri