Nepal’s lowland forests dry out between March and May annually, providing the opportunity to see and photograph the jungle’s most charismatic inhabitants. This trip focuses on seeing the royal Bengal tiger and Indian leopards in their natural habitat. We are one of the first tour operators to offer you the chance to connect with the largest cat in the world on foot. Walking safaris will be organized daily around dawn and dusk (easy terrain but hikes are frequently up to 15 km long), so some physical fitness is required. It is possible for guests who don’t like to walk to join normal vehicle safaris, but this will have to be communicated before the tour. A combination of vehicle safaris and walking safaris is also possible. Additionally, we are also the first to offer night drives in search of semi urban leopards and other nocturnal species in the vicinity of Bardia NP.  The night drives will be offered every evening after dinner and are optional. Depending on the weather and activity we will be out for a few hours or until well after midnight. We use thermal cameras to locate nocturnal wildlife and a spotlight to photograph and follow them. Apart from tigers and leopards, we focus on Indian one-horned rhinos and elephants. There are also chances to see two species of otter, jungle cats, great hornbills, greater slaty woodpeckers and many more species. If you are ready for the adventure of a lifetime, want to learn about two of the world’s most charismatic cat species, support local conservation efforts, and encounter tigers, leopards and many more species on their terms, then this trip might be perfect for you! This unique approach of us going out on foot allows for an experience that you don’t find anywhere else and additionally it offers some unique photographic opportunities.

Bardia National Park was gazetted in 1976 (and later extended in size, to its current shape in 1984) and is one of the larger protected areas in Nepal. The park is almost 1000 km2 and is home to a growing population of 125 adult tigers. Nepal has been a conservation success story with low poaching rates and a dramatic increase in both one-horned rhino and Bengal tiger populations. The tiger population nearly tripled in Nepal in recent years, and this has caused significant human-wildlife conflict. Locals living near the protected areas have suffered losses because of wildlife, and since no conservation project ever succeeds without the support of local people, we are dedicated to contributing to a future in which locals and wildlife can share the land. We therefore use highly skilled local guides and stay with their family to make sure that the real monetary benefits mostly stay in Nepal. In addition to this, we support conservation initiatives in the buffer zones around Bardia. This will offer our clients, in addition to contributing to conservation efforts, a real taste of the cultural richness and hospitality of the Nepalese locals who are living with tigers and other wildlife on a daily basis. You will be served delicious traditional meals that are homemade and freshly prepared by the wife of one of our local guides.

Interested in an extension to Chitwan National Park for jeep safaris to see sloth bears, rhinos, tigers, leopards and a chance to see dholes? Contact us about the details.