Bardiya बर्दिया

Bardiya, in the far-western Terai, holds Bardia National Park — Nepal's largest undisturbed lowland wilderness at 968 km² — straddling the eastern bank of the Karnali River. The park carries Nepal's second-largest tiger population, now estimated at over 100 individuals, alongside more than 100 Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos, barasingha deer and the rare Gangetic river dolphin that surfaces in the Geruwa and Karnali channels. Jeep safaris, guided walks and river canoe trips run from the gateway village of Thakurdwara.

Far quieter than Chitwan, Bardiya rewards patience: sightings are less guaranteed but often more dramatic for it. Tharu villages ring the park boundary, and the community cultural programmes — stick dance, bamboo craft — add a genuine lowland dimension to an overnight stay. The Karnali River corridor, patrolled by both dolphins and anglers, is the park's scenic spine. Lodges range from basic guesthouses to comfortable tented camps.