Royal Chitwan National Park is Nepal's oldest national park and one of Asia's great wildlife reserves, protecting a large expanse of subtropical lowland jungle, grassland, and riverside forest in the Terai. It was established in 1973 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The park covers about 952 square kilometres of the Rapti and Reu river valleys, with the Siwalik Hills rising to the north and the Narayani River marking the western boundary.
The big draw is the wildlife. Chitwan has one of the best-protected populations of one-horned rhinoceros in Asia — around 600 animals — as well as Bengal tigers, wild elephants, gharial crocodiles, and sloth bears. The tall elephant grass of the Terai is difficult terrain for spotting animals on foot, which is why jeep safaris and guided walking safaris through the sal forest are the most effective options. Canoe trips on the Rapti River offer close encounters with marsh mugger crocodiles and gharials basking on the banks.
The main visitor area centres on the town of Sauraha on the park's northern edge, where most lodges and guesthouses are clustered. The government elephant breeding centre here is open to visitors and allows observation of the animals and the conservation program without riding. Animal welfare organizations have broadly discouraged elephant-back safaris in recent years, and walking and jeep safaris have largely replaced them as the standard way to explore the park.