This is a trip for people wanting something different from your general run-of-the-mill tour to Nepal and focuses on the relatively untraveled area of Bardia National Park and the great Bheri and Karnali Rivers.

The famous Tiger Tops operates a spectacularly-situated Safari-style Tented Camp on the banks of the Karnali River and a Lodge located near to the picturesque Tharu Villages towards the south.

The trip is available on a private basis to suit your own dates and may be modified if required to make it slightly longer or shorter. It may also be expanded to include a 5-6 day Annapurna foothills trek out of Pokhara.

ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu Upon arrival you will be met and assisted by an Escape 2 Nepal representative and transferred to Shangri-la Hotel which is located 15 minutes from the airport and 5-10 minutes from the tourist district of Thamel. This Hotel provides comfortable accommodation and excellent facilities as well as one of Kathmandu’s best gardens. Day 02: Kathmandu A pre-trek briefing will be conducted today in which maps and other general information will be distributed.  This will also offer you the ideal opportunity to ask any last minute questions that you may have.  A half day sightseeing tour will also be arranged. Overnight Shangri-la Hotel. Day 03: Fly Kathmandu-Nepalgunj – Drive to Samjhi Ghat Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, it is an hour flight with spectacular views of the Himalayas. On arrival you will be met by your trip leader and will drive to the put-in-point in Samjhighat which will take approximately 3 to 4 hours. The drive itself is a unique experience, winding up through the Siwalik hills and passing through local villages. Upon arrival at the starting point your own tented camp awaits you on the banks of the Bheri river. Dinner will be laid out for you around the camp fire. Day 04: Begin raft trip on the Bheri River – Camp at Kumal Gau After breakfast we break camp and start on our adventure down the Bheri river. After 20 minutes, we encounter our first big rapid, one of many to come. The Bheri itself is so remote that it remains a relatively unexplored river of West Nepal. The first section of the river is quite rough with twisted bends creating many exciting rapids. We stop for lunch beside the river and take time to explore the surrounding area, bird-watch or simply laze in the midday sun.  We continue to encounter more white-water and come to rest on one of the many sandy beaches. Day 05: Raft on the Bheri River. Camp at Jamu The "Exciting" section gives way to a narrow gorge section with vertical cliffs of 200 - 300 feet on either side, interspersed with open valleys where there are small villages. This area is generally scenic but here too white-water is encountered.  Once again we find one of the many pristine beaches for our camp site for the night. Day 06: Raft on the Bheri River. Karnali Tented Camp The final day on the river still holds a few surprises with several small but exciting rapids to be encountered.  After an hours float we will arrive at the confluence of the Bheri and the Karnali river. Once again we enter another gorge section, this time opening up onto the huge plains of the southern Terai region of Nepal. Once through this gorge, we enter into the Bardia National Park, here we arrive at the Karnali Tented Camp. Karnali Camp is perhaps the most beautifully located Tented Camp in Asia. Set on a high bank overlooking Nepal’s largest river, the mighty Karnali, the camp sets standards unequalled by any other operator. A full range of jungle activities such as elephant safaris, bird watching, game drives, jungle walks and other activities are offered from the camp and it is a superb base for a chance to see two of Asia’s rarest species, the wild Asiatic Elephant and the Gangetic Dolphin. The park is also an excellent bird watcher’s haunt and, on the periphery, there are sightings of Blue Bull and Black Buck. Activities and overnight at the Karnali Camp. Day 07: Karnali Tented Camp Enjoy activities from the Camp or simply relax and take in the magnificent views across the Karnali River Day 08: Karnali Lodge Transfer to the Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge a twelve-room lodge adjacent to the National Park. Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge is built in the materials of the local Tharu people and is situated on the edge of the Bardia National Park. Upon arrival, the Lodge Manager will brief you on the National Park and on the wildlife activities available. A personal itinerary will be arranged to suit your interests.         The rich wildlife of Bardia includes swamp deer, chital, sambar, barking deer, wild boar, nilgai or blue bull, monkey, elephant, tiger, leopard, crocodile and over 300 species of birds. One of the highlights of a trip to Bardia is a visit to the nearby Tharu villages. This provides an excellent and colourful introduction to the culture, farming and crafts of the Tharu people. Jungle tours on elephant back are a great way of viewing and photographing wildlife. You may also like to go on a nature walk with an experienced naturalist, take a landrover drive in search of more wildlife, or you may prefer just to relax.  Overnight at the Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge. Day 09: Karnali Lodge Enjoy activities from the Lodge or simply relax Overnight at the Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge. Day 10: Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge – Nepalgunj – Kathmandu After early morning activities, transfer to Nepalgunj for onward flight.   On arrival you met and transferred to the Shangri-la Hotel. Rest of day at leisure. Day 11: Day in Kathmandu Today enjoy a leisurely lunch at the exclusive Shivapuri Heights Cottage in the hills just north of Kathmandu. Overnight at the Shangri-la Hotel. Day 12: International flight Transfer to the International airport for your final departure from Kathmandu.