Bardia National Park is one of Nepal’s best-kept secrets. Located in the Terai region it is Nepal’s largest national park and wilderness area, protecting 968 km² of sal forest, grassland, savannah, and riverine forest. On the west side, it’s bordered by the Karnali River and it’s bisected by the Babai River in the Bardiya District. The foot of the Siwalik Hills marks the northern boundary of the park.

The northern limits of the protected area are demarcated by the crest of the Siwalik Hills. The Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway partly forms the southern boundary, but seriously disrupts the protected area. Natural boundaries to human settlements are formed in the west by the Geruwa, a branch of the Karnali River, and in the southeast by the Babai River.

The park’s origins began in the late 1960s when some 368 sq km were set aside as royal hunting grounds. However, It wasn’t until 1982 that the Royal Bardia National Reserve was officially formed, and even then it didn’t become a fully fledged National Park until 1988. The aim was to preserve the diversity of decreasing species, in particular, the tiger and its natural prey species.

Over 1400 people living in the area, many of them farmers, were removed to provide a greater area for the abundant species within the park. A buffer zone and community forest were established around the park to try to reduce subsistence poaching inside the park by the local communities. Without so much human interference the diverse habitats inside the park have improved greatly. Bardia’s relatively remote location has meant the Park has enjoyed minimum impact from tourism, and through access has improved significantly over recent years, visitor numbers are still much lower than Nepal’s most famous park, Chitwan.

It’s not overrun by tourists and there are excellent opportunities to spot endangered species of wildlife. The king of Bardia is the Bengal tiger. The tiger population is slowly increasing and counts around 60 animals. But Bardia is also the habitat for the wild Asian elephant and the greater one-horned rhinoceros.

About 70% of the park is covered with forest, with the balance a mixture of grassland, savannah, and riverine forest. The flora recorded in the park comprises 839 species of flora, including 173 vascular plant species comprising 140 dicots, 26 monocots, six fern, and one gymnosperm species.

The park offers a variety of experiences in its vast undisturbed wilderness. About 70% of the forest consists of Sal trees with a mixture of grassland and riverine forests. Sal leaves are used in festival and religious offering. The park is home to endangered animals such as the Royal Bengal tiger, wild elephant, Greater one-horned rhinoceros, swamp deer, and black buck, The other endangered species include gharial-crocodile, marsh mugger and Gangetic dolphin.

Current checklists include 407 bird species, among them the Bengal florican, white-rumped vulture, peafowl, and bar-headed geese, which are symbolic of the park. Lesser florican, Silver-eared Mesia and Sarus crane have also been sighted.

The park has three distinct seasons, each providing a unique experience. Form October through early April the weather is dry. The days are warm, and the nights are cool and pleasant. From April to June the temperatures warm up, are peaking up to 450c in May. The hot sticky days give way to the monsoon rains that lasts until September.