This 968 sq km park in southwest Nepal
is an interesting place to visit. There are over 30
different mammals including tigers, leopards, jungle
cats, sloth bear, Nilgai (blue cows), blackbuck and
rhesus and langar monkeys. There are also spotted
hog, swamp, sambar and barking deer. You are more
likely to see a tiger than any other place in Nepal,
including Chitwan. The park is around 70% sal forest
and the rest of the park is grassland, savanna and
riverine forest. The grassland is great for viewing
wildlife. The Asian one-horned rhinoceros were hunted
to extinction in the beginning of the 20th century;
some rhinos were moved to the park in 1986. Now there
are around 45 rhinos in the park, which means most
people will see one. There are around 50 tigers and
50 wild elephants in the park. One of the elephants,
called Raja Gaj, is 11 feet 3 inches (3.4m) at the
shoulders and may be the largest Asian elephant in
the world. In the Geruwa River there are mugger and
gharial crocodiles and the rare Gangetic dolphins.
There are over 300 species of birds
including storks, parakeet, geese, herons, duck and
some endangered species such as the sarus crane and
Bengal florican. A common site in Bardia is the termite
mounds, which can be up to 2.5m high.
Some advantages of Bardia over Chitwan
are it isolation and the fact that it has much less
visitors and is more secluded. The problem with it
is that it is so far from Kathmandu and takes a day
to travel to it. It is over five hours from Chitwan.
To come here you need a day to get to it, two days
at the park and then a day to return to Kathmandu
or Pokhara. It is also not well developed and the
places to stay are limited, but there are some budget
places.
The Chure Hills is at the border in
the north, and it is bordered on the west by the Geruwa
River, which is a branch of the Karnali, a tributary
of the Ganges.
Orientation
The headquarters of the park are at Thakurdwara, around
20km southwest of Anbassa on the Mahendra Highway.
Most visitors spend their time in the western part
of the park, where there are grasslands and forests
near the Geruwa River. Not many people visit the eastern
part of the park.
Thakurdwara
Thakurdwara, the park headquarters, is 12km off the
main highway. It is near the Geruwa River and there
is a good amount of wildlife. Most of the lodges are
close to Thakurdwara, and there is not much else here.
This is where the bus stops. It does not have electricity.
At the park headquarters there is a
breeding place for gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles,
which are bred until they get big enough and then
are released into the river. You can change cash and
travelers cheques at the Forest Hideaway Cottages.
International calls can be made from
the lodges, but the rates are expensive. There is
a medical post near the bus stop. There is no pharmacy
here.
Information
The park is open from 6.30 am to 6 pm (7 pm in the
summer). The park office is open daily from 8 to 10
am and 2 to 5 pm. Admission is Rs 1000 are valid for
three consecutive days. Entry tickets are purchased
at the ticket office at the headquarters office at
Thakurdwara, or your lodge can arrange the ticket.
Elephant Rides
Elephant rides are Rs 650 per hour (up to 3 hours)
and are booked at the park headquarters. It takes
about 30 minutes by elephant to reach the core area
of the park, before you are likely to see any wildlife.
The longer the ride the deeper you go into the park
and the better the chance of seeing wildlife are.
Elephants should be reserved at least one day in advance.
Elephants depart in the early morning and late afternoon
from the park headquarters. The elephants usually
head northwest and you may see deer, langur monkeys,
rhinos and boar. You are less likely to see a tiger
or bear.
Walking Tour
You can also take a walking tour, but you need to
have an experienced guide with you. This can often
be arranged through your lodge for Rs 300 to 350 for
half a day. Often during walk you have to wade over
some streams, so it would be handy to have some sandal
with you. After the thatch is cut in mid-January visibility
increases.
Jeep Rides
A jeep can bring you further into the park than an
elephant. You book a jeep ride through your lodge.
The price of the jeep per person depends on how many
passengers there are. A full jeep is around Rs 650
per person. If you came with your own jeep to the
park, you need to get a special jeep entry permit
at the park headquarters
