Chitwan National Park (Eastern Nepal)

A trip to Nepal is incomplete without visiting the wildlife parks here. If you don’t get a chance to visit the western part of Nepal to see Bardiya, Chitwan is the place to be. In fact, Chitwan is a very different kind of wildlife sanctuary that you would ever see. If you visit a sanctuary, in highest probability, you would be out exploring in an open jeep, however in Chitwan, you could either be cruising on a canoe around the park or walking inside the park. We actually did both to ensure we do not miss out on any means of exploring the sanctuary. The videos below should explain what I am talking about.

Chitwan has some of the great resorts to relax, some amazing food joints to satisfy your taste buds and amazing people to interact with. In short, it is a lovely getaway for a few days away from the urban life into the wild.  

 We roamed around the park on foot to reach the internal areas which are difficult to see in an open jeep. We really wanted to see a one-horned rhino close up. However, we were not able to spot one in our 4 hour safari. To our pleasant surprise, one of the baby rhinos came to visit us in our resort instead. It was unbelievable. The rhino probably lost his way and was super scared to be surrounded by humans, till one of the hotel staff shoed him away so that he can get back to the wild.

 Another unique thing to do in Chitwan is getting a shower by the elephants It seems weird and hence I could not do it. But Sidhi did it, and in her words, it was worth it.

The Juice:
1. Chitwan boasts of a cultural show in the evening. Don’t waste your money and time there. It is just a way to lure tourists but was not really worth it.
2. The canoe ride is just amazing. Don’t forget to carry your binoculars and a 18-55 mm lens if you have one. More than animals, you will see amazing birds there.
3. We met an Indian immigrant in Nepal (from Bihar) )selling the best Pani-puris we have ever had. Give it a shot, when in Chitwan.