Burhan Wilderness Camp

Burhan Wilderness Camp sits on an island in the Khata Wildlife Corridor, between two channels of the Karnali River south of Bardiya National Park, a stretch of wildlife-filled forest and floodplain that connects Bardiya to the wider Terai lowlands. There's no road to the camp's own waterfront viewpoint, so animals cross and drink there without fear of traffic, making breakfast and sundowners a great time to spot something. Guests track tigers on foot and by jeep, take a sunrise river safari, and can visit Bikram, an orphaned young rhino the camp has taken in. Bardiya's tiger population has nearly tripled since 2009, and it's common to hear one roaring somewhere beyond the tents after dark. Tharu communities, the corridor's original inhabitants, run cultural performances of music and dance for guests during their stay.

The camp itself runs on a strict no-permanent-structures principle. Safari tents go up only when guests are booked in. A treehouse built from reclaimed driftwood is the only fixed building on site. For the rest of the year, the land is left entirely wild. Burhan exists because Manoj Gautam, a passionate conservationist, found out this stretch of the corridor was about to be bought by a large hotel chain, and bought it themselves instead and since 2019 they've run it as a micro-conservancy rather than a conventional lodge.