A wonderful extension to your main holiday program, is a visit to one of Nepal's National Parks or Wildlife Reserves, in particular Royal Chitwan National Park and Royal Bardia National Park. These specially designated wilderness areas in the Terai region of Nepal, are home to an astonishing variety of wildlife and provide a magnificent contrast to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas and the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. While staying in the parks, you can participate in many different sorts of jungle activities including elephant safaris, jungle walks, jeep safaris and canoeing. At Chitwan and Bardia, you may encounter rare and endangered animals such as the one-horned rhinoceros and Royal Bengal tiger. Other species that can be found in the parks are wild elephants, sloth bears, several species of deer, leopards and langur and rhesus monkeys. Gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles and the freshwater Gangetic dolphins also inhabit the rivers. In a country best know for its mountains, the lowland Terai often gets short shrift, but a safari in Nepal's southern lowland Terai region is a fantastic contrast to trekking in the middle hills and higher Himal. Overwhelming rural, the plains have a timeless, almost genteel quality: thatched houses perch on stilts, clumps of bamboo and palms erupt in green explosion, and the foothills, if not the high Himalaya, are always within sight. While the wildlife in The National Parks of the Terai is astonishing concentrated, it may not offer as extraordinary wildlife sightings as many places in African savannas, because of its dense vegetation. But it provides an excellent habitat for endangered animals. Go with realistic expectations and you will surely enjoy a Nepalese safari. The weather in the Terai is at its best from October to January - the days are more pleasantly mild during the later half of this period, though the nights can be surprisingly chilly and damp. However the wildlife viewing gets much better after the thatch is cut, from late January on, by which time the temperature are starting to warm up again. It gets really hot [especially in the far west] in April, May and June. Wildlife Activities: Elephant Back Safari: An Elephant safari is the safest way to observe wildlife up close. As your way from side to side on the backs these magnificent animals, you may see the wild animals in their natural habitat of the quiet and beautiful jungle. Canoeing: This exciting trip takes you along the Rapti River in a traditional dog out canoe to see colourful birds life and two types of crocodiles that live on the river bank. Nature walk: where most of the trees are Sal and elephant grass grows 8m high. Birds Watching: Nepal is a paradise of birds and about half of the approximately 450 birds of Nepal, including some endangered species, including some endangered species, are located in the park. A well trained nature guide will take you on a sunrise walk through the jungle and along the river bank.