Bardiya Jungle Safari

Best Time

The 4-Day Bardiya Jungle Safari can be done anywhere from January to June or September to December. But we recommend September to December. July and August are monsoon seasons, so the heavy rainfall might make the trip muddy, and the view might be blurred from the rain.

January to June will be hot and humid in the Terai region due to the lowlands. The hot weather can tire you out easier and make you all sweaty. And the animals may be hiding in the shade instead of walking around freely.

Whereas in the September-December period, the weather will be clear, and the vegetation will be lush green from the recent rains. The weather won’t be too hot, so we can travel comfortably. It will remain warm during the day and get chilly in the night, but nothing too extreme to handle. We’ll be able to see the wildlife easier during this time, and the view will be clear and pretty.

Elevation and Distance

The Bardiya Jungle Safari will be perfectly safe for adventurers with altitude sickness. The Bardiya National Park is at an elevation of 152 meters (499 feet) to 1,315 meters (4,314 feet). And the distance is 556.2 km from Kathmandu, whereas the whole park covers an area of 968 sq. km.

Difficulty and altitude sickness

The entirety of the 4-day Bardiya Jungle Safari has virtually no risk of altitude sickness. Since it is in the Terai region, which is the lowlands of Nepal, and nowhere as high as the mountainous zones.

As for difficulty, except a few hours of jungle walk, there isn’t any hard and heavy trekking required in this trip. We’ll be journeying at an even pace, enjoying our surroundings and taking pictures, sight-seeing, bird-watching, and more. And we’ll also be driving around in a Jeep through the Bardiya National Park. As long as you’re healthy and determined to have a good time, it’s an easy enough trip.

Maximum and Minimum Walk Per Day

The maximum walk per day would be around 5-6 hours per day with plenty of time to stop and sight-see or rest. The walking won’t be continuous, so you don’t have to worry too much if you’re not used to it. The most walking we’ll be doing is on day 2, as we go through a guided and safe jungle walk.

The minimum walk per day would be 2-3 hours, as we will be cruising in a Jeep for the remainder of the time.

Accommodation, Food, and Drink

During the 4-day Bardiya Jungle Safari, we will be staying at a resort. They have both standard and premium options available for accommodation. It’s best to book in advance, which our guides can take care of. The whole group will stay at the same hotel, and you can pick from single or deluxe rooms.

So if you want a solo room, you can take the single room. If you want to share and save costs, you can pick a double room. The rooms can be anywhere from USD $20 to USD $100, depending on your choice of room and budget. And the place will be clean and comfortable. Almost all rooms will have a commode-style private bathroom for each room. But some can also have a shared bathroom. There will be amenities like travel-sized soap, shampoos, towels, charging outlets, fans in the summer, heaters in the winter, etc.

For food, the options will be plentiful with a wide variety. For breakfast, you’ll have the option of either a continental breakfast or a Nepali-style breakfast. You can choose from toast, eggs, sausages, steamed vegetables, local donuts, fried chickpeas, cornflakes, sel-roti, pancakes, yogurt, fresh fruits, and more. For lunch and dinner, you can choose from fried rice, chow mein, mo:mo, burger, pizza, soup, spaghetti, local dalbhat, sandwiches, salads, and more.

For drinks, you can choose from coffee, tea, juice, sodas, beers, wines, whiskeys, and more.

Plus, there are tons of shops around where you can buy your own snacks and beverages for your trip, like chips, juice, instant noodles, protein bars, etc.

Alternative Routes

If you don’t want the flight route, you can also get the bus ride from Kathmandu to the Bardiya National Park. The flight takes around 50 minutes, while the road trip takes around 10 hours. The rest of the 4-day Bardiya Jungle Safary itinerary will be the same except for the slight change on day 1. Also, it might not be very easy to find luxury travel buses from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, but there are local buses as well. However, the local/public buses won’t have WiFi or Deluxe seats.

Day 1: Bus ride from Kathmandu to Bardiya National Pokhara

The bus will drive us from Kathmandu onto the Prithvi Narayan Highway that heads to Pokhara. We’ll make a stop at Muglin and then turn towards Terai from the Narayangadh Highway that goes towards Butwal. The whole ride will be full of hill views, cool twists and turns of the highway, beautiful tall trees, rural villages, and a nice view. We’ll have our lunch somewhere along the way and be back on the road.

If we set off early in the morning, we should reach the Bardiya National Park area by late afternoon. And although there won’t be a lot of time to explore all the activities on the flight route’s day 1, we can still walk around and stretch our legs before returning for dinner.

You can also get to the Bardiya National Park after a Pokhara trip! But there are no direct flights from Pokhara to Nepalgunj like there are from Kathmandu; you can still take a connecting flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu and Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. A flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu takes about 30 minutes. And the flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes about 50 minutes.

Can beginners join this trip?

Yes! The Baridya National Park Jungle Safari is safe and suitable for beginners! The trip is exciting, short, and easily doable. It’s perfect for the beginners who want to get a taste of an adventure that’s fun but not too crazy. And it’s great for those wanting a break from the hectic hustle and bustle of city life by reconnecting with nature. The air will be fresh, the weather crisp, and the views spectacular.

Walking isn’t too difficult, and most of the area is flatlands, so there will be no uphill hiking to worry about. Plus, it’s a pretty short trip, so you’ll be able to make the most of it as you relax and enjoy a good break from your daily life. We’ll have guides throughout the trip, so you won’t need to worry about any experience in handling the wild life or anything. It will be safe and enjoyable.

Preparation and Fitness

The Bardiya Jungle Safari isn’t a very complicated or tough trip. However, it’s best to be prepared. We recommend wearing breathable, long-sleeved clothing throughout the trip. Because the Terai region can have quite a lot of mosquitoes, especially in the summer season.

We also recommend carrying some mosquito repellant patches, lotion, or spray. As well as a little first aid kid just in case. It’s best to be up-to-date with vaccinations too, like the malaria vaccine, just to be on the safe side.

Bring your reusable water bottle too! You can buy mineral water from the stores for 20-30 rupees (USD $24-36 cents) per bottle, but it’s better and more convenient to just carry your own. You can also bring snacks for yourself like energy bars, trail mix, and more to munch on throughout the trip. Just make sure to dispose of the wrappers in the right place. Remember, when traveling, don’t leave anything other than your footprints!

Also, don’t forget to bring any medication you take regularly according to your prescription and dosage. Although there are many pharmacies nearby, it’s best to bring your own so you don’t have to worry about its availability.

You can also carry cooling patches or cooling talc powders if you’re worried about heating up too much. In the winter, the temperature can go from 22°C to 27°C (71.6°F to 80.6°F), and in the summer, it can get up to 45°C. That’s 113 degrees Fahrenheit!

For fitness, we recommend you have a good level of fitness. Make sure you stay safe, well-hydrated, and well rested leading up to the trip. We don’t want you to have any illness or injuries that can make the trip hard for you. We’ll be doing some jungle walking, so you’ll need to be physically and mentally prepared for that, but it won’t be too difficult.

We do recommend bringing your good, comfortable hiking shoes that cover your feet and are easy and well cushioned to walk in. It will protect your feet better than regular shoes like sneakers or converse from any bugs or wet patches on the land.

If you want to be well protected from the sun too, don’t forget to bring your sunglasses, a nice wide-brimmed hat, a scarf or bandana, and sunscreen.

If you’re bringing any cameras, make sure they’re lightweight and easy to carry and have a safe and secure carry bag. And you can also bring your portable chargers on this trip. And don’t forget your passport, travel documents, passport-sized photos, and any other necessary items.

We also recommend you bring your binoculars!

Gadgets charging and Internet

Almost all hotels have power outlets, so you can charge all your devices in your room. And there are no extra costs for charging your devices. However, you can still carry portable chargers for your device throughout the trip.

For internet, it will be available at the hotel. But if you want internet throughout the trip, you can get a data pack using a pre-paid SIM card. A SIM card can be from the Ncell or NTC brand, and it costs around 100 to 500 rupees (USD $1-USD $5), and you can get it from mobile shops or designated NCELL/NTC stores. Your SIM card is ready to use as soon as it’s activated, and you can also “recharge” it using PIN codes. You can get the scratch recharge cards at almost any store, and it has instructions on the back, so it’s not too complicated.

Permit

To get into the Bardiya National Park, you’ll need a valid entry ticket per day. You can get it from the National Tourism Board or at the entrance of the park. The price is Rs 1500 (USD $15) for foreigners, Rs 700 for SAARC individuals, and Rs 100 for Nepalis.

Also, if you intend on professional filming or a documentary in the park, you’ll need a permit from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). It costs Rs 50,000 for SAARC individuals, USD $1500 for foreigners, and Rs 10,000 for Nepali nationals. Also, there’s a 25% additional cost for drone filming.

Transportation

By Flight

You can take a flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. An average one-way flight can cost around $135 USD per person.

By Bus

An average one-way tourist bus ticket price can be from Rs 1700 to Rs 2000 per person. That’s $13-$15 USD.

By Jeep

An average Jeep safari starts from Rs. 20,000 onwards ($149 USD), but the good news is that you can share and split the bill between your groupmates. So, if there’s 5 people splitting costs, you’ll only have to chip in Rs. 4000 or $30 USD.

By Foot

Walking is free! And quite fun on the trip! We’ll walk around and take time to fully enjoy and immerse ourselves in the nature around us.

Insurance

Although travel insurance isn’t mandatory, it’s best to have one just in case. Unlike mountain climbing and high-altitude trekking, the 4-day Bardiya Jungle Safari will be quite safe and on flat lands. Still, we recommend getting one just in case you need to be evacuated or need medical help on the trip. You can get travel insurance from any of the trusted companies in Nepal, and it generally starts from $7 USD per day. Better safe than sorry!

What to expect from this trip

The Bardiya National Park Jungle Safari is an amazing trip choice for people of all ages and experiences. Kids, seniors, teens, adults, novices, experienced, anyone can have fun on this trip. We just recommend you to be physically fit and healthy to enjoy the trip to its fullest.

You’ll never run out of new things to enjoy, from the rich green flora and fauna to the stunning wildlife. The tranquil nature, the thrilling wildlife in their natural habitat, the fun safari, and a lot of adventure. And with more than 426 different species of birds, this is also called the bird watchers’ paradise.

The Bardiya National Park trip is best pre-booked as it’s not some place you just show up on the day of. You’ll need an itinerary and join the Explore group. But if you book with us, we’ll handle all the necessary details so you can relax and enjoy the trip instead.

You’ll see the riverine landscapes of the Karnali and Babai rivers, the marsh muggers, and much more.

We advise you to keep a safe distance from the animals, stay with your group, and be nice and respectful for the sake of your travel companions and locals so everyone can have a good time.