The riverine grassland and floodplain along the Rapti and Narayani rivers are rhino country. Greater one-horned rhino graze in the open here at dawn and dusk and are seen on the majority of visits — often at close range from a jeep or on foot with a guide.

The rivers themselves are best worked by dugout canoe in the early morning, drifting past mugger crocodiles on the banks and gharial — the narrow-snouted fish-eating crocodilian that is one of the park's conservation successes — with kingfishers and storks along the margins. The gharial breeding centre near Kasara explains what you are looking at.

The sal forest is where sloth bear, leopard and the park's tigers live. Tigers are present in good numbers but genuinely difficult in this thick habitat: treat a sighting as a bonus, not the plan.

The community forests and buffer zone around Sauraha are surprisingly productive at first light for birds and often for rhino that have wandered out of the park overnight.

October to March is the reliable season, with clear post-monsoon air and comfortable temperatures. Late January and February bring the annual grass cutting, which briefly opens up sightlines and makes for exceptional viewing.

Practicalities

Sauraha is the main gateway and holds most of the budget and mid-range lodges; the quieter western sector is reached from Meghauli. Chitwan is a five- to six-hour drive from Kathmandu or a short flight to Bharatpur.

Entry permits, jeep safaris, canoe trips and guided walks are all arranged through park-authorised operators, and walking in the core area is only permitted with licensed guides — sensible in a park where rhino, sloth bear and elephant are all capable of charging.