Chitwan National Park
Nepal's first national park and a World Heritage Site: one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, gharials and elephants in sal forest and grassland.
Chitwan became Nepal's first national park in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Once a royal hunting reserve, it is now a conservation success: the population of greater one-horned rhinos has recovered to several hundred, and tiger numbers have grown strongly.
Visitors take jeep safaris, guided jungle walks and canoe trips on the Rapti and Narayani rivers, where mugger and gharial crocodiles bask. More than 500 bird species have been recorded. Sauraha and Meghauli are the main gateways, and the Gharial Breeding Centre at Kasara is worth a visit.
