Shuklaphanta National Park

Far Western Grassland Park Holding One Of The Largest Remaining Herds Of Swamp Deer · Bhimdatta, Sudurpashchim

Shuklaphanta is Nepal's far-western national park, in the corner of the country where the Terai meets India, and it is the country's great grassland: the open phanta meadows that give it its name, some of the finest remaining tall grasslands in South Asia, with patches of sal forest, wetlands and lakes. Its speciality is the swamp deer, or barasingha, and the park holds one of the largest remaining herds anywhere, grazing in hundreds across the open grass. Tigers, elephants and reintroduced rhinos live here too, and the park is outstanding for grassland birds, including species that are rare elsewhere. The lake of Rani Tal is a quiet place to watch wildlife. Very few foreign tourists come, because the park is at the far end of the country, reached by flight to Dhangadhi and a drive, or by very long road journeys. Facilities are basic, with only a few lodges near Bhimdatta, the town formerly called Mahendranagar. It gives Sudurpashchim Province its first row, and it is for patient wildlife watchers rather than casual visitors.

Shuklaphanta National Park, Kanchanpur District, Bhimdatta, Sudurpashchim, Nepal

The park is open most of the year with daily entry permits for foreigners; parts close in the monsoon, roughly June to September, when rivers flood and tracks wash out. Entry is normally limited to daylight hours, and safaris run at dawn and late afternoon. Access is by flight to Dhangadhi and a drive of a couple of hours, or by long road from Kathmandu. Lodges are few, near Bhimdatta - book ahead and confirm current park rules with the park office or your lodge.

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