Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district reopened jungle safari services for tourists on Tuesday, ahead of the Dashain and Tihar festivals, but only the park’s main safari route is currently operational because heavy rainfall has prevented other routes from reopening. Information officer Purushottam Wagle said the service was resumed in view of the expected arrival of visitors during the festive period.
Safari resumes with a limited route
The reopening restores access to a jungle safari at the park during one of Nepal’s major holiday periods. However, tourists should note that the restart does not mean all routes inside Shuklaphanta are available. According to Wagle, the main route is the only one made operational so far, while the remaining routes have stayed closed following heavy rainfall.
The restricted reopening reflects the conditions inside the park. Rainfall has prevented officials from reopening the full network of safari routes, limiting the service to the main route. The park has therefore resumed tourism activity while keeping the scope of the safari narrower than a full reopening.
For visitors planning a trip, the distinction is important: safari services are available, but access is limited to the route that has been reopened. The information provided by the park does not indicate when the other routes might become operational. Visitors should not assume that every route inside the park is available as part of the resumed service.
Decision timed for Dashain and Tihar
The decision to restart the safari was made with festive-season visitors in mind. Dashain and Tihar bring a period of increased travel, and the park has reopened its main route to cater to tourists arriving during the holidays. The timing allows visitors to access the safari service even as rainfall continues to constrain movement on other routes.
Wagle’s explanation links the reopening directly to anticipated festive arrivals, while also making clear that weather conditions remain a factor in park operations. The service is being restored in a limited form rather than waiting for every route to reopen. No further details were provided about visitor numbers, operating schedules or the expected duration of the route restrictions.
What visitors should know
Shuklaphanta National Park is in Kanchanpur district, in far-western Nepal. Its jungle safari service is now available again, but the current arrangement is confined to the main safari route. Heavy rainfall is the stated reason that other routes have not reopened, and the park has not announced a timeline for doing so.
The reopening offers a safari option to people visiting during Dashain and Tihar, while the limited route means the service is not yet operating across the park’s full route network. The current status, as outlined by the park’s information officer, is straightforward: safari services have resumed from Tuesday, the main route is open, and rainfall continues to restrict access to the others. The service is intended to accommodate festive tourism while those restrictions remain in place.
