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Nepal

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

Sapta Koshi wetland reserve with wild water buffalo and huge winter bird flocks

WildlifeOffbeat

Best time to visit Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to March
  • Shoulder: April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: May to September

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryMarchNovemberDecember

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Peak birding: huge flocks of migratory ducks and waders on the river and ponds, under cool sunny skies.

Summer March to May Prime time

Mar still has late migrants and wild buffalo on the grassland; Apr turns hot and May is very hot and humid.

Monsoon June to September Do not go

Avoid: the Koshi floods the reserve, tracks turn to mud and most camps close until the water drops.

Autumn October to November Prime time

Oct is green and hot with the first returning birds; by Nov the winter migrants arrive in big numbers.

What Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is actually like

A few tented camps on the buffer zone, birders with scopes, dawn boat rides and Tharu villages all around.

Things to do in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

The local places worth your time in and around Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Sapta Koshi River

    River · in town

    Braided river channels and sandbanks where boat trips go out for ducks, storks and the odd river dolphin.

  • Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Office

    Wildlife · 4 km out

    Reserve headquarters at Kusaha where you pay the fee; the nearby embankment is good for buffalo sightings.

  • Koshi Barrage

    Reservoir · 15 km out

    Long barrage across the Koshi at the southern end of the reserve, a classic winter spot for gulls and terns.

Getting to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

Fly Kathmandu to Biratnagar, then 57 km by road to the Kusaha headquarters; Jogbani border is next to Biratnagar.

Practical ways in: flightroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Mid-range
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Fine solo
Altitude
86 m
Country
Nepal
Coordinates
26.6477, 86.9981

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?

November to March is peak season in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to September. Oct is green and hot with the first returning birds; by Nov the winter migrants arrive in big numbers.

How many days do you need in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?

2 days is the usual stay. A few tented camps on the buffer zone, birders with scopes, dawn boat rides and Tharu villages all around.

How do you get to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?

Fly Kathmandu to Biratnagar, then 57 km by road to the Kusaha headquarters; Jogbani border is next to Biratnagar. Practical ways in: flight and road.

Is Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve expensive, and does it get crowded?

Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.

What are the best things to do in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?

Sapta Koshi River, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Office and Koshi Barrage. Braided river channels and sandbanks where boat trips go out for ducks, storks and the odd river dolphin.

Nearby, and where to go next

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