Districts
Lumbini Province
Banke बाँके
Western gateway airport
Banke, in the western Terai, centres on Nepalgunj — the largest city of the region and the air and road gateway to the far-western hills and Karnali. The city is a bustling, hot border bazaar; Banke National Park to its east extends the Bardia tiger landscape. Most travellers pass through Nepalgunj en route to Rara, Jumla or Bardia.
About Banke
Banke centres on Nepalgunj, the largest city of the western Terai and the principal air and road gateway for the far-western hills and Karnali region. East of the city, Banke National Park — established in 2010 and covering 550 km² — links seamlessly with Bardia National Park to form one of Nepal's most important tiger-conservation corridors, sheltering Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, elephants and more than 300 bird species across sal forest, mixed hardwood and Chure-foothill terrain.
Nepalgunj itself is a hot, flat border bazaar with a mixed Hindu and Muslim population that gives the bazaar its distinct character — the old market quarter rewards a slow wander. The city is primarily a staging post: most visitors pass through en route to Rara, Jumla or Bardia, but the park's eastern entrance is only an hour's drive away and can easily absorb a day-trip. October to April is the comfortable season.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Nepalgunj
- Known for
- Western gateway airport
Getting there
Nepalgunj is the gateway: it has multiple daily flights of around 55 minutes from Kathmandu, operated by Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines and others. By road, Nepalgunj is 500–520 km from Kathmandu via the Prithvi and Mahendra highways — a 12–14 hour overnight bus journey. Banke National Park's main entrance at Kohalpur is one hour's drive east of Nepalgunj; jeeps and local transport cover the route easily.