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Saptari - Sunsari - Udayapur:
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
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Koshi
Tappu Wildlife Reserve
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Koshi
Tappu is the only Ramsar Site (a wetland of international significance)
in Nepal. More than half of Nepal's birds are recorded from Koshi Tappu!
Among the mammals, besides Wild Water Buffaloes, the elusive Gangetic Dolphin
and Fishing Cat are occasionally seen here. |
| Best
time to visit |
Camps |
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The
best time to visit Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is from October till
May |
Most
of the camps are centrally located at the reserve's eastern edge, a known
site good for birds and wildlife. The camps are easily accessed from the East-West
Highway as are the Reserve Headquarters. |
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By
Air: 50 minute flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar. The Park entrance
is a little over an hour's drive from Biratnagar airport. There are
number of daily flights to Biratnagar from Kathmandu. It is a two hours
drive from Kakarvitta Border to India and only one hour from Biratnagar
Airport.
By
Surface: The Koshi Barrage lies in the East West Highway and the KTWR Headquarters lies
at Kusaha, 18 km from the barrage and only 2.5 km for the Jamuwa
point of East West Highway. There are day and night bus services to
reach Koshi Tappu from Kathmandu, one should stop at Jamuwa or Lauki Bus
Stop. It is a eleven hours drive from Kathmandu to reach Koshi Tappu.
From
Chitwan it is 300 km which takes roughly 8 hours and from Kathmandu it
is 500 km.
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| Excursion
- Birds watching |
Time
to stay |
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Most
of the site is easily reached by vehicles, boats, and bicycles and on foot.
The best sites for bird-watching is between the river, grassland, bushes
and marshes along the eastern embankments from Haripur to Madhuban. The barrage and the wetlands nearby it, the Pink Tower is also good
for bird-watching. Rare mammals occurring are Gangetic Dolphins, Wild Water
Buffalo, Smooth Coated Otters, Fishing Cats, Nilgai Antelope, Hog Deer
etc. Several Camps operates nature walks, boat rides, bicycle trips,
and safaris in 4-wheel drives. |
At
least three days of stay is required to do birding in Koshi Tappu. An additional
day is required to do birding in the Chatara-Dharan Forest. |
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