Chitwan National Park, National park and World Heritage Site in central Nepal
Chitwan is a protected area in the southern lowlands that stretches across several districts, covering forests, grasslands, and floodplains between two major rivers. The landscape shifts from dense jungle to open meadows, through which elephants, rhinos, and numerous bird species move.
The area served as a hunting ground for the royal family until the early 1970s, when it was declared the country's first national park. Since then, conservation efforts have helped increase the number of greater one-horned rhinos and other threatened animals.
Tharu communities in villages around the reserve still perform traditional dances and songs during festivals. Many families craft items from natural materials, which visitors can discover in small workshops and markets.
Travelers reach the reserve most easily through Bharatpur, from where lodges and accommodations in different price ranges lie near the edge of the protected area. Safaris on elephant back or in jeeps, as well as canoe trips, usually start early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
The park headquarters at Kasara has a gharial breeding centre and a turtle conservation centre nearby. In 2008 a vulture breeding centre opened, aiming to hold up to 25 pairs of each of two critically endangered Gyps species: the Oriental white-backed vulture and the slender-billed vulture.
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