No visit to a new country is complete without a visit to the most popular national park, right? Well, probably not. I decided to do it anyway. Chitwan is located somewhere in the south of Nepal, I can't remember exactly. If you ever come to Nepal, you'll see the name at every travel agency. It's a fairly large park and it's home to the Bengal Tiger and the one-horned rhinoceros amongst others. I think there might be only one tiger, but somehow you feel that you're going to be the lucky one to see it.
I booked a tour mainly because it was cheap and I didn't have to do anything. Sometimes that is nice. I also didn't have much time and it fit nicely in between trekking and my next adventure. I also decided on a tour because it would enable me to meet other people. Just showing up at some random hotel on the outskirts of a national park doesn't guarantee you will meet anyone.
So, I booked the day before in Pokhara, Nepal's second largest and perhaps most fun city. It was US$70 for a 3 day, 2 night tour, which included transport from Pokhara, pick up at the bus station, two nights at a hotel in Sauraha (the city immediately outside the park), all activities and all meals, transport to the bus station on the third and final day and onward bus ticket to Kathmandu. It was cheap and way easier than thinking what to do on my own.
It took about five hours to get there. Two of us were picked up at the bus station and bought to Rainbow Safari Resort in Sauraha. The accommodation inside the park was quite expensive and no where near affordable for a budget traveler. Once at the 'resort' we were greeted and seated and indulged in our welcome drink, a wee splash of Coke. It hit the spot, but I could have used another sip. You can't have everything. Eventually, the bus from Kathmandu arrived and there were three more in our group.
The five consisted of myself, an older guy from Finland, an older lady from Japan, a younger lady from Japan and a younger girl from Australia. The guy had recently failed in an attempt to summit Mount Everest as he experienced a minor stroke at high elevations. The older Japanese woman was visiting Nepal prior to visiting her daughter who was apparently working in India. The younger Japanese girl was on a whirlwind six month trip around the world, with what seemed like a new country every couple of weeks. The young Australian girl was friendly, but a little annoying.
We started our tour later that afternoon with a trip to the local village, which was practically around the corner. Then walked through an area with a lot of elephants, admired their tusks and proceeded through a grassy area on the outskirts of the park to the museum. It was a small museum and gave some details about the park and the animals within. I like small museums, especially those with over half the reading in a language I can't understand.
From there, we went to the river and watched the sunset and then returned to the resort, which hardly felt like a resort, especially being filled only to about 20% capacity. We ate dinner together, which was nice even if we weren't a happy family. Dinner was mostly Western fare and similar to the lunch, but with a different soup and entree to go along with the same sides. More french fries, more coleslaw and more cold vegetables. It was alright.
That night we went to a dance performance of the local Tharu people. I don't think anyone actually dances like that or has in the past couple hundred years, but it was interesting for the first fifteen minutes. Unfortunately there were no children or females involved in the performance and it was well touristy with over a hundred folks jammed in a mini-theater. Post performance, we hopped in the back of the truck, made a pit stop for dessert and headed back to Rainbow.
We were now accompanied by four new guests, three of which had began their tour the day before. One girl from Germany, one from Italy and one from England, all of whom were volunteering in a hospital outside Kathmandu. They gave us the lowdown on what we were to expect the following morning. The other girl, a cutie, was from China and worked in Hong Kong. She was just there for the night and I didn't have much time to try and entice her into my room.
The first morning we rose at 6am. We assembled for breakfast at 6:30 and had a mediocre breakfast consisting of an omelet, a pancake, fried potatoes and some toast. I ate what I wanted and started to regret not being able to choose my own food. At 7 we departed for our canoe ride down the river. At this point, we were still not actually in the park. We were floating on the river, which was apparently situated on the park border. It wasn't really a canoe, but rather a long boat steered from the rear and only occasionally steered from the front when we got stuck in rocks in the low water.
The boat was rather uncomfortable, but bearable only because we did see a decent array of wildlife. The highlight was the lone rhino making its way across the river as we floated by the other side. I'm glad he/she didn't charge as it would have been chaotic and I would have certainly shit my pants. We also saw numerous birds including storks, egrets, kingfishers and who knows what along with a bunch of crocodiles and a mongoose. We eventually got out of the boat for our ensuing stroll through the jungle.
During the jungle walk we were told to walk quietly and step lightly, which was impossible over dried leaves and twigs. We still managed to stumble upon quite a few deer. Fortunately no tigers as we would have been destroyed. I think the tiger is a very rare sight in the park and they (Nepal, not the tigers) do a good job as to not get your hopes up. Even most of the advertisements, posters and brochures I saw for the park mainly pictured the rhino, which as we found to be the case, was a more likely sight. So props to them for not trying to fool anyone.
After our jungle walk was over we headed to the elephant breeding center. It was starting to feel like we were being herded like cattle as various other groups were emerging from the jungle as we were. We pre-read a little information about the center while our guides got our tickets processed and then we walked through the grounds and saw the mahouts preparing their elephants for a ride to the river. There were various very cute baby elephants in attendance, one of which I saw trying to eat the poo from her mother's ass. Perhaps too young to be taught right from wrong.
Shortly thereafter, we drove to the river and were invited to help bathe the elephants. I decided to hop aboard as I've always been curious about sitting on an elephant and wanted to experience its enormity. I was a bit frightened as we walked down into the river afraid of taking a headlong plunge and subsequently getting stepped on. I held onto the collar and in the river the mahout proceeded to yell commands while the elephant, using her trunk, picked up water and continually sprayed me until I was soaked. I was debriefed prior to the event and was prepared, wearing my board shorts.
It was a unique experience, but I did feel bad for the elephant after about a minute. The mahout was standing behind me trying not to lose his balance as the elephant continually dipped her head into the river and waddled back and forth. Eventually she sat down and I nearly fell off, again fearing the crush and was thankful to soon hop off and scramble back up the bank to watch others getting showered. There were probably nearly ten elephants in the river performing this service for the tourists who paid the mahouts an extra 100 Rs (US$1.25) for the experience.
Post shower we returned for lunch. Same same but different. We had a few hours to kill before the next scheduled item on our itinerary. About 3:30pm we reassembled and headed for our elephant ride in the jungle. I'm not sure if we ever actually stepped foot inside the park. The park is actually quite big, but I wouldn't be surprised if they saved money by not paying the entrance fees and just doing the touristy things in the surrounding area. Regardless, we didn't have enough time to really check out the interior and we saw a decent amount of wildlife anyway.
I had never been on an elephant ride and after the 1.5 hour experience, I can without a doubt say I never want to do it again. I think rides in Thailand are about 30 minutes. We had four of us on a wooden platform, each of us straddling a corner pole to lock us in. There was also a railing at the top to hold onto and to further strengthen the structure. It was not very comfortable and I hated not being in control. I also hated thinking if we slid off to the ground that somebody's legs were going to get broken. Probably some backs as well.
Fortunately, nothing happened and I gave up worrying after a while. Nothing I could do anyway other than relinquish control and try and enjoy the ride. There were probably close to thirty other elephants taking tourists for their jungle walk. We again saw a lot of deer and monkeys. I was quite happy to rise up and get off the elephant as soon as we returned to the elevated loading and unloading platform. Relief! And a return of blood to my legs.
Back at the hotel we had an hour to rest before dinner, where things were yet again predictable. More fries, more coleslaw and more soup. I had to follow it up with a Snickers and a large number of biscuits to make it even remotely satisfying. We were now accompanied by an enormous German guy who had a hard time not talking about his visit to the park two years previous and who found it necessary to show me pictures of his daughter from his first marriage and his current girlfriend. Because I care.
I eventually feigned exhaustion and went to my room knowing I wouldn't be making the 6:30 breakfast and 7am bird watching. We had seen a number of birds that morning and I had no binoculars so I didn't see the point. And besides, the only bird watching I like to do is at a bar or club. Eventually I went down for breakfast at 8 and had some muesli mixed with yogurt and again shook my head at the idea of someone else deciding on what you should eat for breakfast. I went back upstairs, packed my bags and waited for the others.
I found out only one of the group had gone bird watching. It wasn't only me who was tired. At about 9am, we hopped in the truck and headed to the bus station down the bumpy gravel road. Our whirlwind tour of Nepal's most famous national park was over. If I had had more time and a crystal ball, I would have done it on my own, but with the time constraints, it was alright doing it the way it was done. I'm just glad it was only 3 days! Overall experience, all things considered, 2.5 stars.
I booked a tour mainly because it was cheap and I didn't have to do anything. Sometimes that is nice. I also didn't have much time and it fit nicely in between trekking and my next adventure. I also decided on a tour because it would enable me to meet other people. Just showing up at some random hotel on the outskirts of a national park doesn't guarantee you will meet anyone.
So, I booked the day before in Pokhara, Nepal's second largest and perhaps most fun city. It was US$70 for a 3 day, 2 night tour, which included transport from Pokhara, pick up at the bus station, two nights at a hotel in Sauraha (the city immediately outside the park), all activities and all meals, transport to the bus station on the third and final day and onward bus ticket to Kathmandu. It was cheap and way easier than thinking what to do on my own.
It took about five hours to get there. Two of us were picked up at the bus station and bought to Rainbow Safari Resort in Sauraha. The accommodation inside the park was quite expensive and no where near affordable for a budget traveler. Once at the 'resort' we were greeted and seated and indulged in our welcome drink, a wee splash of Coke. It hit the spot, but I could have used another sip. You can't have everything. Eventually, the bus from Kathmandu arrived and there were three more in our group.
The five consisted of myself, an older guy from Finland, an older lady from Japan, a younger lady from Japan and a younger girl from Australia. The guy had recently failed in an attempt to summit Mount Everest as he experienced a minor stroke at high elevations. The older Japanese woman was visiting Nepal prior to visiting her daughter who was apparently working in India. The younger Japanese girl was on a whirlwind six month trip around the world, with what seemed like a new country every couple of weeks. The young Australian girl was friendly, but a little annoying.
We started our tour later that afternoon with a trip to the local village, which was practically around the corner. Then walked through an area with a lot of elephants, admired their tusks and proceeded through a grassy area on the outskirts of the park to the museum. It was a small museum and gave some details about the park and the animals within. I like small museums, especially those with over half the reading in a language I can't understand.
From there, we went to the river and watched the sunset and then returned to the resort, which hardly felt like a resort, especially being filled only to about 20% capacity. We ate dinner together, which was nice even if we weren't a happy family. Dinner was mostly Western fare and similar to the lunch, but with a different soup and entree to go along with the same sides. More french fries, more coleslaw and more cold vegetables. It was alright.
That night we went to a dance performance of the local Tharu people. I don't think anyone actually dances like that or has in the past couple hundred years, but it was interesting for the first fifteen minutes. Unfortunately there were no children or females involved in the performance and it was well touristy with over a hundred folks jammed in a mini-theater. Post performance, we hopped in the back of the truck, made a pit stop for dessert and headed back to Rainbow.
We were now accompanied by four new guests, three of which had began their tour the day before. One girl from Germany, one from Italy and one from England, all of whom were volunteering in a hospital outside Kathmandu. They gave us the lowdown on what we were to expect the following morning. The other girl, a cutie, was from China and worked in Hong Kong. She was just there for the night and I didn't have much time to try and entice her into my room.
The first morning we rose at 6am. We assembled for breakfast at 6:30 and had a mediocre breakfast consisting of an omelet, a pancake, fried potatoes and some toast. I ate what I wanted and started to regret not being able to choose my own food. At 7 we departed for our canoe ride down the river. At this point, we were still not actually in the park. We were floating on the river, which was apparently situated on the park border. It wasn't really a canoe, but rather a long boat steered from the rear and only occasionally steered from the front when we got stuck in rocks in the low water.
The boat was rather uncomfortable, but bearable only because we did see a decent array of wildlife. The highlight was the lone rhino making its way across the river as we floated by the other side. I'm glad he/she didn't charge as it would have been chaotic and I would have certainly shit my pants. We also saw numerous birds including storks, egrets, kingfishers and who knows what along with a bunch of crocodiles and a mongoose. We eventually got out of the boat for our ensuing stroll through the jungle.
During the jungle walk we were told to walk quietly and step lightly, which was impossible over dried leaves and twigs. We still managed to stumble upon quite a few deer. Fortunately no tigers as we would have been destroyed. I think the tiger is a very rare sight in the park and they (Nepal, not the tigers) do a good job as to not get your hopes up. Even most of the advertisements, posters and brochures I saw for the park mainly pictured the rhino, which as we found to be the case, was a more likely sight. So props to them for not trying to fool anyone.
After our jungle walk was over we headed to the elephant breeding center. It was starting to feel like we were being herded like cattle as various other groups were emerging from the jungle as we were. We pre-read a little information about the center while our guides got our tickets processed and then we walked through the grounds and saw the mahouts preparing their elephants for a ride to the river. There were various very cute baby elephants in attendance, one of which I saw trying to eat the poo from her mother's ass. Perhaps too young to be taught right from wrong.
Shortly thereafter, we drove to the river and were invited to help bathe the elephants. I decided to hop aboard as I've always been curious about sitting on an elephant and wanted to experience its enormity. I was a bit frightened as we walked down into the river afraid of taking a headlong plunge and subsequently getting stepped on. I held onto the collar and in the river the mahout proceeded to yell commands while the elephant, using her trunk, picked up water and continually sprayed me until I was soaked. I was debriefed prior to the event and was prepared, wearing my board shorts.
It was a unique experience, but I did feel bad for the elephant after about a minute. The mahout was standing behind me trying not to lose his balance as the elephant continually dipped her head into the river and waddled back and forth. Eventually she sat down and I nearly fell off, again fearing the crush and was thankful to soon hop off and scramble back up the bank to watch others getting showered. There were probably nearly ten elephants in the river performing this service for the tourists who paid the mahouts an extra 100 Rs (US$1.25) for the experience.
Post shower we returned for lunch. Same same but different. We had a few hours to kill before the next scheduled item on our itinerary. About 3:30pm we reassembled and headed for our elephant ride in the jungle. I'm not sure if we ever actually stepped foot inside the park. The park is actually quite big, but I wouldn't be surprised if they saved money by not paying the entrance fees and just doing the touristy things in the surrounding area. Regardless, we didn't have enough time to really check out the interior and we saw a decent amount of wildlife anyway.
I had never been on an elephant ride and after the 1.5 hour experience, I can without a doubt say I never want to do it again. I think rides in Thailand are about 30 minutes. We had four of us on a wooden platform, each of us straddling a corner pole to lock us in. There was also a railing at the top to hold onto and to further strengthen the structure. It was not very comfortable and I hated not being in control. I also hated thinking if we slid off to the ground that somebody's legs were going to get broken. Probably some backs as well.
Fortunately, nothing happened and I gave up worrying after a while. Nothing I could do anyway other than relinquish control and try and enjoy the ride. There were probably close to thirty other elephants taking tourists for their jungle walk. We again saw a lot of deer and monkeys. I was quite happy to rise up and get off the elephant as soon as we returned to the elevated loading and unloading platform. Relief! And a return of blood to my legs.
Back at the hotel we had an hour to rest before dinner, where things were yet again predictable. More fries, more coleslaw and more soup. I had to follow it up with a Snickers and a large number of biscuits to make it even remotely satisfying. We were now accompanied by an enormous German guy who had a hard time not talking about his visit to the park two years previous and who found it necessary to show me pictures of his daughter from his first marriage and his current girlfriend. Because I care.
I eventually feigned exhaustion and went to my room knowing I wouldn't be making the 6:30 breakfast and 7am bird watching. We had seen a number of birds that morning and I had no binoculars so I didn't see the point. And besides, the only bird watching I like to do is at a bar or club. Eventually I went down for breakfast at 8 and had some muesli mixed with yogurt and again shook my head at the idea of someone else deciding on what you should eat for breakfast. I went back upstairs, packed my bags and waited for the others.
I found out only one of the group had gone bird watching. It wasn't only me who was tired. At about 9am, we hopped in the truck and headed to the bus station down the bumpy gravel road. Our whirlwind tour of Nepal's most famous national park was over. If I had had more time and a crystal ball, I would have done it on my own, but with the time constraints, it was alright doing it the way it was done. I'm just glad it was only 3 days! Overall experience, all things considered, 2.5 stars.
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