NATIONAL PARKS

Royal Chitwan National Park:

This is one of the most popular national parks in Nepal. The park is situated in the sub-tropical lowlands of southern Nepal, lying between two mountain ranges, the Shivalik and the Mahabharat range.
This is the flood plain of three rivers, the Rapti, the Reu and the Narayani. The forest is dominated by Sal trees (shorea robusta) and tall grasses.
This is the natural habitat of endangered animals like Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinoceros, gharial crocodile, gaur (the world's largest wild cattle), four species of deer, leopards, wild dogs, fishing cats, leopard cats, python and Gangetic dolphin. There are over 50 species of mammals and 450 species of birds in the park.
Before 1950, this area used to be the hunting reserve for the ruling class of Nepal. The hereditary prime ministers of the Rana family, who ruled Nepal for 104 years, often used to invite people from England and India as their guests and huge numbers of tigers and rhinos were killed.
Today the tourists can ride elephants and view the wild animals at close range.

Sagarmatha National Park:
This is the highest national park in the world, with the entire park located above 3,000 m ( 9,700 ft). This park includes three peaks higher than 8,000 m, including Mt Everest.
With its terrain cut by deep rivers and glaciers, this park can be divided into four climate zones- A forested lower zone, - A zone of alpine scrub, - The upper alpine zone which includes upper limit of vegetation growth, - The Arctic zone where no plants can grow.
In the lower forested zone, birch, juniper, blue pines, firs, bamboo and rhododendron grow. Above this zone all vegetation are found to be dwarf or shrubs. As the altitude increases, plant life is restricted to lichens and mosses. Plants cease to grow at about 5,750 m (18,690 ft), because this is the permanent snow line in the Himalayas.
The Sagarmatha National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the Earth, especially in summer. After the first monsoon rains in June, the hillsides become green and different varieties of flowers start blooming, and butterflies of myriad species appear in different colors.
118 species of birds and 26 species of butterflies have made this park their home.
Some of the endangered animals that are found in this park are musk deer, wild yak, red panda, snow leopard and Himalayan black bear. Many other animals such as Himalayan thars, deer, langur monkeys, hares, mountain foxes, martens, and Himalayan wolves are living here.
The oxygen gets thinner with the altitude. Therefore, the animals here are adapted to living on less oxygen as well as a cold temperature. They have thick coats or shortened limbs to prevent loss of body heat. The Himalayan bears go into hibernation in caves during the winter when there is no food available.

Langtang National Park:
Located about 32 km (20 miles) north of Kathmandu, this park consists of the beautiful Langtang Valley, and several high altitude glacial lakes. One of the famous lakes is Gosainkunda, which is a sacred lake for Hindu pilgrims. People from the plains come every year to bathe in this icy cold lake in August. This park also includes more than 40 villages.

Rara National Park:
From the east, the high pass of Bul-Bhulei (12,000 ft) forms the gateway to the Rara National Park. Rara is one of the favourite National Parks of Nepal, spread out over 44 square kilometers.
This park is named after a lake called Rara. This is one the biggest lakes in Nepal, covering an area of about 15 square kilometers at an elevation of 2,990 m ( 9,717 ft). The Rara Lake, formed on a plateau, is surrounded by beautiful forests of pine and fir forests. Exotic birds and rare wildlife can be seen in this protected area. This sweet-water lake is said to be 145 meters deep at the center and has a few streams flowing into it.
The late King Mahendra was very fond of this place and would camp for many days in the serene and awe-inspiring surroundings of the beautiful lake. He composed many beautiful poems while camping near this lake.
On all sides, the lake is surrounded by gentle slopes covered with beautiful pine and fir forests, alpine flowers like potentillas, irises, geraniums, lilies of the valley, daisies, sweet peas, yellow dwarf chrysanthemums, phlox and nasturnums.
The Rara National Park was established to protect the unique beauty of the lake and to preserve the surrounding ecosystem. The lake is the home of water birds found in this area. This park has Himalayan bears, Himalayan thar, musk deer and snow leopards.

Makalu Barun National Park:
This national park lies in the wilderness at the eastern border of Mount Everest National Park and is more remote.
Its altitude ranges from 1,000 m to more than 8,000 m. This park contains four of the five highest mountains in the world. Most of the northern part of this park includes dense forests, valleys of the Barun River, great waterfalls and deep gorges.
it contains more than 3,000 flowering plants. Also about 67 species of medicinal plants and aromatic plants are to be found here. This park is the home of more than 50 species of animals and 400 species of birds.

Shey Phoksundo National Park:
This is the largest national park in Nepal and stretches over the Trans Himalayan region. This park represents a whole range of climates that are found in Nepal. This is the only park in Nepal where the Tibetan desert type of fauna and flora are found.
The main attractions of this park are the Phoksundo Lake and the Shey Monastery. Because of its remoteness, very few tourists visit this national park. Suligad (543 ft, 167 m), the water fall at the highest elevation in the world, comes from Phoksundo Lake at 11,855 ft (3,647 m).
The wild animals that are found here are Tibetan hare, Himalayan weasels, Himalayan black and brown bear, blue sheep, wild yak, Tibetan antelope, wild yak and different varieties of pheasants.

Khaptad National Park:
This park is situated in the far western mountains of Nepal. It was established mainly for religious purposes. A Hindu guru called Khaptad Swami -- also a naturalist -- has been living in this secluded area for many years. It was because of his efforts that an area of about 225 square kilometers (89 square miles) was set aside as a national park. Most of the park has been designated as a sacred forest.
This park mainly consists of rolling hills covered with pastures and oak and coniferous forests.Royal Bardiya National Park:This park is situated in western Nepal to the south of the Shivalik range. The vegetation and wild life found in this park are similar to those of the Royal Chitwan National Park. In addition, the wild elephant and swamp deer are also found here. Rhinos in this area became extinct a long time ago. Therefore, 13 rhinoceros were captured in Chitwan National Park and introduced in this park. There is a greater chance of viewing tigers.

TOURISM IN NEPAL

Nepal Tourism Information
The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is a national organization established by an act of Parliament in the form of partnership between His Majesty`s Government and the private sector tourism industry of Nepal. NTB is responsible for the marketing activities aimed at promoting Nepal as a premier destination. Although the initial phase of the functioning of the Board was focused on marketing and promotion, the ultimate aim of the NTB is to take over regulatory and product development activities as well. The functioning of NTB has the commitment and the support of the government as well as the dynamism of the private sector. The Board is an autonomous institution consisting of 11 board members (the Secretary at the MOCTCA as Chairman and 4 ex-officio members from government ministries and 6 from among the private sector representatives including the Chief Executive Officer). The Board has been created to provide a vision drawn leadership, continuity of promotional efforts, good management and guidance to Nepal`s tourism industry. The funds for NTB is collected from the entire tourism related businesses in the form of tourist service fee, thereby keeping it financially independent. The Board is working toward repositioning the image of the country so as to market and promote Nepal aggressively and extensively both domestically and internationally. This is crucial as Nepal, though small in size, has immense cultural and natural diversity and is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The friendliness and hospitality of the people of Nepal, where guests are treated as Gods and the variety of exciting adventure activities combined with culture that epitomizes peace and harmony, make a visit to Nepal a memorable experience. We feel proud and honored to welcome you to Nepal.

Biodiversity

The Kingdom of Nepal

The Kingdom of Nepal covers an area of 147,181 square kilometers, and stretches 145-241 kilometers north to south and 850 kilometers west to east. The country is located between India in the south and China in the north. At latitudes 26 and 30 degrees north and longitudes 80 and 88 degrees east, Nepal is topographically divided into three regions: the Himalaya to the north, the hills consisting of the Mahabharat range and the Churia Hills in the middle, and the Terai to the south.

Elevations are varied in the kingdom. The highest point is Mt. Everest (8848 m) in the north and the lowest point (70 meters above sea level) is located at Kechana Kalan of Jhapa District. Altitude increases as you travel south to north. In the north temperatures are below -40°C and in the Terai, temperatures rise to 40°C in the summer. During June, July and August, the kingdom is influenced by monsoon clouds

Bird Watching

About 850 species of birds are found in Nepal. With the opening of Koshi Tappu Reserve, bird watching is gaining grounds in Nepal. Koshi Tappu alone has recorded over 250 species of birds. Rare birds include Impeyean pheasant, the national bird, snow cock, snow pigeon, giant horn-bill, saras crane and babblers. The spiny babbler is a rare endemic variety found only in Nepal. Every year migratory birds from Tibet, Siberia and the northern mountains fly to the lowlands and Terai of Nepal. The Koshi Barrage is one of the most important migratory habitats. Bird watching is a very pleasant experience during late autumn and early spring when the migration occurs. Other parks and reserves also attract more birds and birdwatchers.

Flower Tour

Nepal is rich in vegetation. The country's diverse terrain provides ideal conditions for varieties from tropical to hill plants and flowers. Some orchids and certain varieties of rhododendron are very rare and found only in Nepal. Lali Guras or the red rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal. During the right seasons most visitors who come to explore the natural beauty of the country, are fortunate to have a glimpse of spectacular sights of hills covered with rhododendron flowers. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for flowers in Nepal.

climate

Nepal experiences 4 seasons : spring (Mar - May), summer (Jun - Aug), autumn (Sep - Nov) and winter (Dec - Feb).
The climate is varied ranging from the sub-tropical Terai to the cool dry temperate and alpine climate in the northern Himalayan ranges. In the Terai, the hottest part of the country, summer temperatures may rise as high as 40°C. The climate is hot and humid. In the midmountain region, the summer climate is mild with temperatures around 25°C - 27°C.The winter temperatures range from 7°C to 23°C in the Terai and subzero to 12°C in the mountain regions and valleys. The northern Himalayan region has an alpine climate. The valley of Kathmandu has a pleasant equable climate with average summer and winter temperatures of 19°C - 27°C and 2°C - 12°C respectively.

geography

Himalayan Region

The altitude of this region ranges between 4877 meters and 8848 meters with the now line running around 488848 meters. It includes 8 of the existing 14 summits in the world which exceed the altitude of 8000 meters. They are: (1) Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) - 8848 m (2) Kangchenjunga - 8586 m, (3) Lhotse - 8516 m, (4) Makalu - 8463 m, (5) Cho Oyo - 8201 m, (6) Dhaulagiri - 8167 m, (7) Manaslu - 8163 m, and (8) Annapurna - 8091 m.
Mountain Region

This region accounts for about 64 percent of total land area. The Mahabharat range that rises upto 4877 meters forms it. To its south lies the lower Churia range whose altitude varies from 610 meters to 1524 meters.
Terai Region

The lowland Terai region, which has a width of about 26 to 32 kilometers and an altitude maximum of 305 meters, occupies about 17 percent of total land area of the country. Kechanakawal, the lowest point of the country with an altitude of 70 meters lies in Jhapa District of the eastern Terai.
All this adds up one interesting fact that there is no seasonal constraint on travelling in and through Nepal. Even in December and January, when the winter is at its severest, there are compensating bright sun and brilliant views. Winter days often begin in mist, which can last until noon. Then suddenly, as if by magic, the fog disappears bringing in to views snowy peaks, glistening white and fresh against the large blue sky

about nature

Nepal covers a span of 147,181 sq. kilometers ranging from altitude of 70 meters to 8,848 meters. Mountains, mid hills, valleys and plains dominate the geography of landlocked Nepal that extends from the Himalayan range in the north to the Indo-Gangetic lowlands in south. Mt. Everest, the highest point of the Himalayas is in Nepal.
Physical features also include green paddy terraces, wind-swept deserts, dense forests and marshy grasslands. The country is well endowed with perennial rivers, lakes and glacial lakes that originate in the Himalayas. Twenty percent of the land in the country is used for agriculture, where 0.49 percent is used for permanent crops, mainly rice.
Climatic conditions of Nepal vary from one place to another in accordance with the geographical features. In the north summers are cool and winters severe, while in south summers are sub tropical and winters mild.
The variety in Nepal's topography provides home to wildlife like tigers, rhinos, monkeys, bears, yaks, leopards and different species of insects and birds. Nepal is a home to almost 10 percent of the world's bird species among which 500 species are found in the Kathmandu Valley.
The country has managed to preserve some endangered species of Asia in its extensive parks and protected natural habitats. The most abundant natural resource in Nepal is water. Other resources found