The Royal Bardia National Park, located in far western Terai, is the largest and most undisturbed park in the area. It was initially a hunting game reserve where people from the ruling class would shoot several animals for game. Recently, it was demarcated for the protection of the dwindling rare ecosystem as well as the flora and fauna.
If you wish to travel to Royal Bardia National Park, one can opt to be picked up from the Nepalgunj airport which is the nearest one in the area. It is a two-hour drive from the airport to the park. The best time to go here is between October and March where the days are warm and the nights are cool. The Royal Bardia National Park is home to several species of animals including the Bengal tiger and the endangered one-horned rhinos. It is estimated that the park has about forty Bengal Tigers and one-hundred one-horned rhinos.
There are also over thirty species of mammals and over four-hundred species of birds. Amphibians and reptiles are also numerous here. The park is also home to the last known herd of elephants in South Asia. The largest oxen, Gaur, as well as wild boars can be sighted in Royal Bardia National Park. The park also boasts of the greatest number of deer species in Nepal. About six different species of deers can be seen here.
A rare special experience that this park boasts of is the close-up view of elephants frolicking in their natural habitat. Here, tourists travel on the back of a well-trained elephant which is guided by a driver. The well-trained elephant mingles with other wild elephants and here you can see them in all their natural, unrestrained glory.