Rapti River

The Rapti River runs along the northern edge of Chitwan National Park and is the classic way to see it from the water: dugout canoe rides drift past basking gharial and mugger crocodiles, with kingfishers and other waterbirds along the banks. It's usually paired with a jungle walk or jeep safari as part of a full day in the park.

The river is also the park boundary along this stretch, so entering the forest from Sauraha means crossing it by boat, which is how most visits begin. The canoes are dugouts cut from a single trunk and sit very low in the water, which is part of why the crocodiles are seen so close. The gharial is the narrow snouted fish eater and is critically endangered: the breeding centre at Kasara inside the park raises young for release into this river. The Rapti joins the Narayani at the western end of the park, near Devghat.