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Bardia National Park

Bardia National Park is the largest national park in the Terai, a beautiful, unspoiled wilderness of sal forest, grassland and alluvial washes cut by the many fingers of the Karnali River. Largely unpopulated, it is often described as what Chitwan National Park was like 30 years ago, before its commercial development. One can raft through the park for hours on end and not encounter another person.

The park suffered greatly during the Maoist insurgency of the 1990s. Tourism dried up, lodges were mothballed and wildlife was hit hard by poaching, particularly the rhino population. The good news is that this damage is now being reversed, with 31 rhino being counted in 2014, and five more transferred from Chitwan in 2017.

The park may be inaccessible from May to September due to flooding.

Explore Bardia National Park

  • E

    Elephant Breeding Centre

    Visit here either in the morning or afternoon when the elephants have returned from grazing in the park (10am to 4pm). The mothers and calves are…

  • V

    Visitor Centre

    Located next to the fee office, this simple visitor centre consists of two large rooms with placards on the park's species.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Bardia National Park.

  • See

    Elephant Breeding Centre

    Visit here either in the morning or afternoon when the elephants have returned from grazing in the park (10am to 4pm). The mothers and calves are…

  • See

    Crocodile Breeding Centre & Rhino Centre

    A small breeding centre for marsh mugger and gharial crocodiles, as well as turtles. An adjacent enclosure contains Shivaram, a rhino who was injured as a…

  • See

    Visitor Centre

    Located next to the fee office, this simple visitor centre consists of two large rooms with placards on the park's species.

Guidebooks

Learn more about Bardia National Park

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