During our trip to Nepal this spring, with our friends Terry and Shelly, we spent most of our time in the Kathmandu Valley. We decided to take one trip out of the city and chose to go to Chitwan National Park. Chitwan was once used by royalty as a hunting ground for big game. In 1973, conservation orders were set in place to protect the remaining endangered animals. In 1984 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Getting to Chitwan
From Kathmandu there are a few options for getting to Chitwan. Local buses, tourist buses, and private vehicles all provide transportation to Sauraha, the town just outside the park. However, after much research, we chose to fly into Bharatpur, the nearest airport. We learned that because of road construction during the 2017/2018 season, the trip that should take 5-6 hours may take as many as nine hours. We decided we would rather spend that time relaxing instead of being stuck on a hot bus.
Sapana Village Lodge
We choose to stay at the Sapana Village Lodge which is located just outside Sauraha. Sapana states that they are a development project that supports the local community. Their projects aim to preserve the local culture, improve health care and education and provide micro finance to help start small businesses. We liked the idea that our funds helped to support the local people. The peaceful and beautiful grounds and rooms feature Tharu decorations designed by the local people. The employees were very welcoming and helpful. They made our stay enjoyable.
Tharu Village & Cultural Program
The activity package that we chose included a visit to the local Tharu village. A guide from the lodge led the four of us, along with a French couple, on a walk across the river and into the village. She explained things about the local tribe such as their housing, crops and cooking style. It was interesting to see the mud wall homes with modern satellite dishes on each house. Later that evening we went into Sauraha to an auditorium for a program that featured the Tharu culture in dance and music.
Wooden Canoe Trip
Early the next morning, we had coffee and tea at the lodge restaurant before heading off on a day filled with jungle activities. We loaded up the van with the same six of us that had toured the village the day before. Arriving at the Rapti River, we boarded a wooden canoe. The canoe was a dugout carved from a single tree. There were wooden chairs with backs that sat on the floor of the canoe. The person in the back had to get in and then a chair was set in place for the next person. Along with the six of us, there were two guides and the boat handler.
During the half hour trip, we saw many crocodiles in the water and sunning on the shore. The guides pointed out the crocodile lairs in the river bank. We also saw a python wrapped in tree roots, spotted deer, peacocks, bluebirds, a woodpecker and numerous other birds.
Nature Jungle Walk
When we disembarked the canoe on the river bank, our guides led us into the jungle for a nature walk. As we walked they informed us about the animals and plants of the jungle. We disturbed a lone rhesus monkey in a tree, scared a couple of wild boar who hurried off into the brush, and saw one rhino in the distance as he retreated.
A couple of working mahouts, elephant workers, came through the forest on a large female elephant with her small calf by her side. The two men were on back of the elephant with a load of branches. We stepped to the side of the trail and watched them pass. The baby elephant seemed very curious of the humans in the jungle.
Breakfast in the Jungle
After we walked an hour or so, we stopped near the jungle lookout tower for breakfast. On the 2-3 day treks into the jungle, hikers use the lookout tower for lodging. Our guides had packed juice boxes, boiled eggs, pastries, oranges and apples. It was a beautiful setting for a meal.
As we continued our walk, we saw spotted deer, crocodiles, large anthills and more birds.
Estimates say there are 80 to 100 Royal Bengal tigers in Chitwan. It is not common to encounter them but we did see evidence of one. Our guide pointed out a large paw print in the dust near a bridge. At one point, the guides told us we needed to proceed with caution. Our guide had heard a barking deer that he said sounded panicked. He thought it might be the presence of a tiger or leopard.
Our long trek ended as we crossed the river on a bamboo bridge and took the safari jeep back to the lodge.
Bathing the Elephant
Since we arrived back at the lodge just a few minutes before our next scheduled activity, we hurried to get ready. We then headed to the river area near the lodge where the elephants are bathed.
Once again it was our group of four and the French couple that had been with us all day. We knew what to expect, because we had seen YouTube videos, but evidently the French couple did not. The lodge workers told us we would get wet. We told them we understood. The French couple said they were fine with that but later after seeing us in the river with the elephants, they chose to just watch.
This was the most fun part of our trip. Shelly and I went first and waded out into the shallow river next to the elephant and her handler. The elephant was laying on her side in the water. Often her whole head was in the water with only her trunk sticking out so she could breathe. We started by putting water on her side and rubbing her hide. She had long, black, prickly hairs on her sides.
Being Bathed by an Elephant
Click on photo for a good laugh!
Next, we went around to the other side to climb on her back. We actually walked up her leg, holding onto the top of her ear and reached over her back to pull ourselves up. It was not easy. As I was getting on, she was already spaying me with water from her trunk. Shelly got up behind me and then the mahout had the elephant stand up. As she did, we had to adjust as we slid from her side to her back. As we sat on her back, she sprayed us again and again prompted by the handler’s command and tug on her ear. We laughed and laughed but always tried to keep our eyes and mouths closed when she sprayed.
When it was time to get off, the elephant laid down and we slid off her side. We went down fast and under the water. I just tried to make sure I was out from under the elephant. The photos are hilarious.
Next it was Terry and Kevin’s turn and I took photos and video. It was as much fun to watch them. Terry chose to sit behind Kevin. They did not get as wet as us because Kevin is so tall, but they did get wet when they got off!
Elephant Feeding
We left the river and headed back to the lodge to feed the elephants we had just bathed. The mahouts rode the elephants up to the lodge and a worker brought out the food. It was a healthy diet of cabbage, apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots and potatoes.
I was standing right next to the elephant we had washed. I took a huge chunk of cabbage and held it out for her to take in her trunk. Instead, she opened her mouth so I just stuck it on her tongue.
Others put food on her trunk. It was so interesting watching her use her trunk to position the food so she could get it in her mouth. At one point, she had a carrot and a banana on her trunk and was having trouble moving it to the end. Someone gave her an apple. She put it in her mouth and as she brought her trunk out of her mouth, she rolled the carrot and banana down to the end so she was able to eat them.
At times, we would drop something and it would go between her legs. We knew better than to try to go after it so we watched as she swung her trunk under her feet to pick up the lost food.
When the basket was empty, she was still sniffing around us with her trunk looking for more food.
Elephant Jungle Ride
Another of our favorite activities at Chitwan was the elephant jungle ride. In the late afternoon, we headed off to the jungle for our safari. There are several options for the Chitwan safaris. One is a jeep safari. It is supposed to be more likely to see a tiger on the jeep safari because they travel deeper into the jungle. However, we decided we wanted to experience the jungle on an elephant safari. Before our travels, I read critiques on this form of transportation but after discovering that the Sapana Village only allowed two people per elephant instead of four, I felt better about it.
We climbed the stairs to reach the top of a platform and then the elephant backed up to the platform. We climbed over the howdah frame and sat straddling the posts. As she headed out, we realized it was going to be a very bumpy ride. Taking photos was only possible when we stopped moving.
We crossed the river and headed into the trees. Some of the elephants had to be coaxed out of the river. They liked the water and stopped to drink. At first there were around seven or eight elephants all close together. I was concerned we would scare away all the animals with our loud voices. Soon we spread out in different directions and at times could not see any other groups.
Animals in their Natural Habitat
Just as we entered the jungle, our guide pointed out a spotted deer in the crook of a tree branch. He told us it was a leopard kill left for later. We never saw the elusive leopard though. We did see a crocodile on the river bank, a group of rhesus monkeys, several spotted deer, a mongoose, wild chickens, a peacock and a sloth bear. Our guide got really excited about the bear. It must be a rare sight. He urged our elephant to follow it into the trees. She was not happy to be rushed and she trumpeted her disapproval.
During our safari we also spotted numerous, endangered one-horned rhinoceroses. Most of them were in streams and ponds to keep cool. We saw one in a clearing with a myna bird on its back. It soon headed off into the brush to hide. As it ran, you could feel the jungle rumble.
The adventure of seeing the animals in their natural habitat must have helped us ignore the rough elephant ride because in the end, we concluded that it was a great experience.
When you plan your trip to Nepal, be sure and include an excursion to Chitwan National Park for a jungle adventure.