chitwan (which means heart of the jungle) the oldest parks in nepal, lies in the southern belt of nepal  and is about 170 km south west of kathmandu. for a country known for its beautiful mountains, chitwan national park provide wholly different experience. a visit to nepal remains incomplete without seeing the beauty of the terai and chitwan is the best place to do so. chitwan was once a dense forest ruled by tharus and you will still see the tharus in the reserve areas. it has diverse species of flora and fauna. owing to its rich decoration of nature, chitwan national parks was declared unesco natural heritage site in 1984. approximately 70% of the park vegetation is sal forest. the remaining vegetation types include grassland (20%), riverine forest (7%), and sal with chirpine (3%). the grasslands form a diverse and complex community with over 50 species. elephant grass, can reach 8 m. in height whereas shorter grasses are useful for thatch roofs. there are around 600 plant species, 56 mammals, 539 birds and 49 amphibians and reptiles found in the in the park. the parks have rare species like the bengal tiger, gharial, asian rhinoceros and other animals. the swampy areas and numerous oxbow lakes of chitwan provide a home for marsh crocodiles. in a stretch of the narayani river is found one of the few remaining populations of the rare and endangered fish-only eating gharial, or genetic crocodile. for the ornithologist and the amateur bird-watcher the park offers excellent possibilities with more than 450 species recorded. some of the resident specialities are several species of woodpeckers, hornbills, bengal florican, and red-headed trogons. another factor adding a distinct touch to the chitwan experience is the colorful tharu culture. the highlight being the elephant safari in the jungles. other activities are canoeing, dugout canoe, nature walk and bird watching. the closest airport is bharatpur which is around 22 kms drive and around 160 kms from kathmandu by road. the best time to visit would be from october to march when skies are clear. during june to september can become very hot making it uncomfortable for some.

activities in chitwan national park:

• canoe ride: during the canoe trip on rapti river, visitors can see birds, crocodiles (gharial and mugger) and other animals.
• village tours: visitors can experience culture of the tharu people and see them close carrying out there daily work,
• elephant safari: seated on the back of an elephant visitors explore the grasslands and core area of the park. there are four people to an elephant. beware that you are quiet as you may scare awaytigers, rhino’s, deer’s or one of the other animals. avoid wearing bright colour clothes.
• jeep safari: sit comfortably on the back of jeep while the driver take you inside the jungle so that you can spot some animals.
• jungle walk: walk into forest accompanied by professional guides on your quest to spot one-horned rhinoceros and other animals
• bathing with elephant: join the elephants while bathing in rapti river as they spray water on you.
• elephant breeding centre: set up to protect endangered elephants, it is a major attraction here in chitwan
• tharu culture dance: a good chance to see the locales dressed up inn traditional attire showcasing some of popular local dances and songs.