Bardia Ecolodge

Bardia National Park has fewer visitors and a less dense jungle than Nepal's better-known Chitwan, which makes it the best place in the country to see wild Bengal tigers; the park's population has tripled in less than 20 years, growing from under 20 in 2009 to over 100 today. Bardia Ecolodge sits within 400 metres of the National Park’s main entrance. Cottages are built from wood bought from old, abandoned houses in nearby villages rather than any newly cut timber, with mud brick walls and roofs thatched using grass cut from the park itself. Nepalese food, cooked with locally grown vegetables, is served with river views from the dining room. Guides lead walking safaris, jeep drives and river raft trips in search of tigers, along with the park's roughly 40 rhinos, wild elephants and the critically endangered gharial crocodile.