It lies 156 km. south-west of Kathmandu with an area of 932 square kilometres. It was established in 1973 and was later declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. Tropical deciduous reverie forests, wooded hills and grasslands contain one-fourth of the world's endangered great one-horned rhinos as well as the Royal Bengal tiger, leopards, monkeys, and the splendid gaur bison. More than 440 species of birds are found in this ornithologist's heaven, including the giant hornbill, the rare Bengal florican and the paradise flycatcher.

Chitwan literally means “heart of the jungle”. It is a truly wildlife adventure of a different kind – jungle safaris, bird watching, canoe rides, village tour and jungle walks.