Abbey international Treks & Expedition

Overview

The geography of Nepal can be divided into mountains, hills and plains. A wide range of the earth;s topography and climate zones are found within its ares of 147,181 square kilometres including in it a wide range of exosustem from tropical jungles of the Terai to the arctic conditions of Himalaya highlands. Nepal's rich bio-diversity renders it ideal eco-tourims destination.

Almost 19 percent of the contry's total land accounts for its sixteem ptotected areas across the country. Among these nine are designated as National Parks, three are wildlife reserves, three are conservation areas and one is hunting reserve.

Jungle Safari Programs in Follwing Reserves and National Parks.

Chitwan National Park
The Royal Chitwan National Park offers a wildness of rich ecosystem that includes mammals, birds, reptiles and water animals of several kinds. It is little surprising therefore that this is one of the most popular and most frequent parts of the country. Owning to its rich adornment of nature the park was declared UNESCO natural heritage Site in 1979. The park that includes in its area a part of the Shivlalik Hills, is covered with deciduous forests overlooking the floodplains of Narayani, Rapti and Reu Rivers. There are around 600 plant species, 50 mammals, 526 birds and 49 amphibians, reptiles found in the Park. The highlights, of course, are the 500 Asian one-horned rhinocers and some 100 nocturnal Royal Bengal Tigers that live in the dense forests of the park. Saring home with these are other animals like rhesus monkey, grey snakes including the Python, while the river areas breed amphibians like the endangered snouted gharial popularly paradise flycatcher, Indian pitta and parakeets, while winter birds include waterfowl, Brahimny Ducks, Pintails, bar-headed geese, cormorants and migratory birds from Siberia. Other Bird varities are woodpeckers, hornbills, peacocks, peahens, floricans and redheaded trogons. A rare attraction of the park is the world's fresh water dolphin variety sometimes seen in River Narayani. Another factor adding a distinct touch to the Chitwan National Park experience is the colorful Tharu culture. There are also sitesof religious and historical importance at Devghat, Pandavnagar, Balmiki Ashram and Kabilaspur. The best time to visit Chitwan National Park is from September to March. Chiwan National Park is easy to reach from Kathmandu and from other part of the country. Daily flights to Meghauli and Bharatpur are available from Kathmandu.It is also connected by road to the capital and other major cities in the country.

Bardia National Park
The Royal Bardia National Park is the largest and most undisturbed protected area in the Terai and is home of the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger and Nepal's famound one-horrnecdd Rhinoceros. The national park located in the far western region of Nepal, Bardia District and is bordered by River Karnali in the west, the Churian range in the north, while the River Babi 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 30 different mammals, more tha5 250 species of birds, and several varieties of reptiles and water animals. Some of the other animals found here are elephant, swamp deer, blackbuck, gharial crocodile and marsh mugger crocodile. The exotic Gangetic Dolphin is also sometimes seen in River Karnali. Birds include opportunity of fishing at River Karnali and River Babi. The best time to visit the park is autumn, winter and early summer when the weather is warm and dry. The best way to reach the Royal Bardia national Park is via Nepalgunj in Banke District. Nepalgunj is connected by air and by road access to the capital and other cities in the western part of the country. The park's headquarters Thakurdwara is approximately an hour's drive away from the Nepaljung-Surkhet road. Another option to reach the national park is from Birendranagar in Surket district which is also connected to Kathmandu.

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Koshi Tppu Wildlife Reserve has carved a place for itself as a birdwatcher's paradise. The reserve spreads over Saptari and Sunsari districts in East Nepal, defined by the eastern adn western embankments of River Koshi. The reserve is mainly grassland with patches of scrub and deciduous reverine forests. What makes Koshi Tappu special is that many birds seen hreare not found in other parts of Nepal. The reserve has recorded around 439 species of bird variety, some of which fly all the way from Siberia during winter. A wide variety of ducks, herons, storks, egrets, ibis are seen onthe riverbanks. Koshi Tappu Reserve also has one the few elephant stables of Asia.Other animals found here are wild buffalo, wild boar, hog deer, spotted deer, blue bell and jackal.Gharial crocodile and Gangetic dolphin are other attractions. The best time to visit Koshi Tappu is between October and March. Regular bus services are available from Kathmandu and other major cities. The reserve can be accessed from Laukani on the East West Highway from this point the park headquarters at kusaha is only three kilometers away. Another option is to fly to Biratnagar and then drive to Laukahi or Prakashpur.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve
Dhorpatan hunting reserveis the only area in Nepal where licensed hunting is allowed. The reseve adjoins Myagdi district and Baglung district, just below the Dhaulagiri range in West Nepal. Spreading over an area of 1,325 sq. Kms. the reserve begins
at 3,00 metres reaching as high as 7,000 metres. Trees like fir pine birch, rhodendron, 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 phesants and partridges in viable populations for hunting. Other animals found here are leopard, ghoral, serow ,Himalayan black bear, barking deer, wild boar, rhesus mascaque, langur and mouse hare. Endangered animals in the reserve are musk deer, wolf, red pands, cheer phesant and Danphe. The gateway from Tansen. The best time to visit the reserve is inthe spring months of March and April.

Khaptad National Park
Khaptad national Park in West Nepal has gained religious significance as the home of Khaptad Swami, the renowned hermit. The Park with rolling hills of grasslands and forests of subtropical, temprate and sub alpine vegetation,is also a rich natural habitat, The park boasts of 224 species of medicinal herbs. The park also offeres excellent bird watching opportunities, with 270 soecies of birds, the flycatchers, bulbuls, cuckoos and eagles. Animals inthe park are barking deer, wild boar, ghoral, Himalayan Black bear, yellow throated marten, rhesus monkey and langur monkey. Khaptad National Park also offers religious sightseeing at Tribeni onthe way to its headquarters. There are several historical tempoles surronounding this area and an annual celebration of Ganga Dahhara is held here every Jestha Purnima. Another religious site is Sahara Linga at 3,200 meters, the highest point ot hte park. Other religious areas inthe park include Ganesh Temple, Nagdhunga, and Kedardhunga. These areas are ideal places for meditation. Toward the northeast of the park is Khaptad Lake where a fetival is held every August and September, The easiest way to reach Khaptad National Park is via Nepalgunj in Wet Nepal. Daily buses and airplanes to Nepalgunj are available from Kathmandu and other cities. From Nepaljung one can drive to Silgadhi in Doti District, from where the National Park entrance is a six-hour hike from the area.

Parsa Wildlife Reserve

The Parsa Wildlife Reserve provides a rare opportunity to experience the nature and culture to Nepal's Terai. Spread over parts of Chitwan, Makawanpur, Parsa and Bara districts, a consderiable part of the Churia Hills of Central nepal also falls in 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 provies food habitat for animal like wild elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, blue bull and wild dog.s Other common animals in the reserve are sambar, chital, hog deer, Barking deer, langur monkey, rheus macaques, striped hyena, rat, palm civet and Jungle cat. There are 527 species of bird found in the reserve, one being the endangered great hornbill found in certain parts of the reserve also habitats snakes like king cobra, common cobra, krait, rat snake and python. Parsa wildlife reserve is one of the easiest places to reach. The reserve headquarter Adhabar is abd eight-hour drive from the capital city and falls on the East-West Mahendra Highway. Another option is to fly to Simara in Bara district, from where the reserve headquarters in only seven kilometers away.

Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve

The open grasslands and numerous and numerous waterholes of the Royal Suklaphanta render it an ideal setting for game viewing and jungle safari for visitors. The Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Mahendranagar. 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 orginally reserved as a hunting area was later converted into a wildlife reserve to protect swamp deer. The reserve now shelters almost 2,000 swamp deer, wild boars, leopards, jackals, langurs, and rhesus monkeys. Among birds the reserve provides habitat to sarus crane, swamp francolin, grass owl, warblers, reserve can be reached by driving to Mahendranagar, from where the reserve headquarter is only eight kilometers south. Another option is to fly to Dhangadi from the capital and then drive to the park via Mahendranagar.