Jungle safari in Nepal

A Swotah representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport (1,400 m) and transfers you to your hotel in Kathmandu. After settling in, your guide runs a short orientation briefing on the 18-day itinerary, covering the four national parks, the Khaptad plateau trek and key logistics. Welcome dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A 45-minute drive east reaches Bhaktapur (1,401 m), a medieval Newar city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the day covers Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the five-tiered Nyatapola Temple and Pottery Square. After exploring the old city, the route continues to Nagarkot at 2,175 m, a ridge east of Kathmandu known for Himalayan panoramas. On a clear evening and dawn, the view stretches from Langtang to the Everest massif. Overnight in Nagarkot.

The drive from Nagarkot descends through the mid-hills to the Terai lowlands, arriving at Chitwan National Park (415 m) after about 5 to 6 hours. Chitwan is Nepal's first national park (1973) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After check-in at the jungle lodge, your naturalist guide gives a briefing on the park's wildlife, including one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, gharial crocodile and over 600 bird species. Afternoon nature walk. Overnight at the jungle lodge.

An early morning canoe ride on the Rapti River is one of Chitwan's finest experiences, with low-flying kingfishers, mugger and gharial crocodiles on the sandy banks, and a strong chance of rhino wading in the shallows. The 2-hour canoe stretch ends at a viewing point before a guided jungle walk back through sal forest. The afternoon includes a cultural programme at a nearby Tharu village, where the Tharu community has coexisted with the jungle for centuries. Overnight at the jungle lodge.

A full-day jeep safari penetrates deeper into Chitwan's core zone along the dry-season wildlife corridors. The park holds over 700 one-horned rhinos and roughly 250 Bengal tigers; early morning is the best time for tiger movement in the grasslands. The safari covers both the riverine grasslands near the Rapti and the denser sal forest further south. The afternoon allows for birdwatching near the lodge or a visit to the elephant breeding centre. Final evening in Chitwan. Overnight at the jungle lodge.

A long westward drive of about 8 to 10 hours along the East-West Highway crosses the central Terai to reach Bardiya National Park (150 m) in the far-western lowlands. Bardiya is the largest undisturbed wilderness in Nepal's Terai and is far less visited than Chitwan, giving it a wilder, quieter atmosphere. The park is home to tigers, wild Asian elephants, swamp deer and the critically endangered Gangetic river dolphin in the Karnali River. Check-in at the lodge and evening briefing. Overnight in Bardiya.

A full day in Bardiya begins with a jeep drive into the core zone along the Babai River corridor, one of the best tiger-sighting routes in Nepal. Wild elephant herds move through the sal and khair forest in the mornings; spotted deer and hog deer are common throughout. The afternoon switches to a guided walk near the Karnali River, where gharial and mugger crocodiles bask on the banks and the Gangetic dolphin surfaces occasionally in the deeper pools. Overnight in Bardiya.

The Babai Valley is Bardiya's most remote and biodiverse corridor, accessible only with special park permission. A full day in the valley begins with an early morning game drive into the floodplain grasslands, where the tiger density is among the highest in Nepal. The camp is set up on the valley floor by the time you return for lunch. The afternoon allows a walk along the river bank or quiet time in the camp with binoculars. A campfire dinner in the valley. Overnight in the tented camp at Babai Valley.

The morning begins with a fishing session on the Babai River, where mahseer and sahar are the prized catches in the clear, fast water. After returning to the main lodge, the group drives north-west to Silgadhi (about 1,500 m), the district headquarters of Doti and the trailhead for the Khaptad trek. The drive takes approximately 4 to 5 hours and gains considerable altitude as it leaves the Terai and climbs into the mid-western hills. Overnight in Silgadhi.

The first trekking day leaves Silgadhi and follows a forest trail north-east into the foothills below the Khaptad massif, reaching the trail village of Jhigrana at about 1,800 m. The trail passes through mixed broadleaf forest with rhododendron, oak and pine, gaining altitude steadily over about 5 to 6 hours of walking. The air is noticeably cooler than the Terai, and views open westward over the mid-hills as the route climbs. Overnight in Jhigrana at a teahouse lodge.

The second trekking day continues north from Jhigrana into denser conifer and rhododendron forest, gaining around 600 m to reach Bikupani at about 2,400 m. The forest becomes thicker and more mossy above 2,000 m, with red panda habitat in the upper sections. Walking time is about 5 to 6 hours. Bikupani is a small settlement used as a rest point by pilgrims heading to the Khaptad plateau; teahouse meals here are simple but adequate. Overnight in Bikupani.

The final ascent from Bikupani climbs through the forest boundary and emerges onto the open grassland plateau of Khaptad National Park at about 3,020 m. Khaptad is a 1,700 sq km protected area of rolling meadows, conifer groves and shallow ponds, sacred as the ashram site of the ascetic saint Khaptad Baba, who lived here until 1996. The plateau views extend across the far-western Himalaya. Walking time to the plateau is about 4 to 5 hours from Bikupani. Overnight at the Khaptad lodge on the plateau.

A rest and exploration day on the 3,020 m Khaptad plateau. The park naturalist leads a guided walk across the open meadows to Khaptad Baba's former ashram and the Tribeni confluence, a sacred bathing point at the meeting of three streams. The plateau grasslands support red panda, Himalayan black bear and over 270 bird species, including Himalayan griffon vulture and a range of pheasants. The open terrain and absence of dense forest make wildlife spotting here quite different from the Terai parks. Overnight on the plateau.

The descent from the Khaptad plateau retraces the trail south from 3,020 m back down through the conifer and rhododendron belt to Jhigrana at about 1,800 m. Descent is faster than the ascent, taking about 4 to 5 hours, but the knees feel the long downhill through the forest. The temperature rises noticeably below 2,500 m. Overnight back at the teahouse in Jhigrana.

The final trekking day descends from Jhigrana to the main road and continues by vehicle west to Mahendranagar (about 200 m), the largest city in Nepal's far-western Terai and the gateway to Suklaphanta National Park. The drive from the road head takes about 3 to 4 hours across the western plains. Mahendranagar sits on the Mahakali River, which marks the Nepal-India border. Check-in at the hotel. Overnight in Mahendranagar.

Suklaphanta National Park at about 200 m in the far-western Terai is home to the world's largest recorded herd of swamp deer (barasingha), with counts exceeding 2,000 animals on the open grasslands. A morning jeep safari crosses the park's characteristic short-grass swamp meadows and sal forest edges. The Rani Tal lake in the park draws large waterfowl assemblages and is a reliable sighting point for swamp deer at dawn. The Mahakali River on the park's western boundary has gharial basking sites visible from the road. Overnight in Mahendranagar.

A second full day in the Suklaphanta area starts with a dawn jeep safari through the grassland core, when swamp deer, hog deer and wild boar are most active. The afternoon visits a working elephant camp near the park, where the camp elephants are used for park patrol and monitoring; the visit includes a close-up introduction to the animals and a briefing by the mahouts on their role in park management. Final evening in the far west. Overnight in Mahendranagar.

An early morning domestic flight from Mahendranagar (or Dhangadhi, the nearest commercial airport) returns the group to Kathmandu (1,400 m), a flight of about 1.5 hours. A Swotah representative transfers you to your hotel or directly to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward international flight. Extensions to Pokhara, the Annapurna region or Everest Base Camp can be arranged if you wish to extend your stay in Nepal.