“If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise…” and as the song says, you really could be in Nepal. With two big National Parks set in thousands of acres of jungle, you’ll never know what you’re about to bump into! Tigers and leopards and one-horned rhinos are allowed to roam in vast protected areas and with the Nepal Army running anti-poaching patrols there are plenty of people looking out for them. Sadly poaching still happens and the majority of endangered wildlife trafficked body parts are destined for an expensive Chinese medicine that doesn’t actually do what it says on the tin (Unlike Ronseal!).
It’s also very simple to visit Nepal and to get to the jungle. Really – you only need a long weekend holiday to make the trip and the range of wildlife you can experience in that time is enormous.
The most popular area for visitors is Chitwan National Park which was established in 1973 by Royal Decree. It is set in sub-tropical lowlands that range from 110 to 850 metres in height and is fed by three major rivers which means you have plenty of opportunities to see crocodiles, turtles and riverside birds. You can do this by either taking an elephant back tour (and they walk in the water too), or a dugout tree trunk canoe trip. The dugout canoe is the most stable platform if you want to photograph riverside birds (like kingfishers or painted cranes) but you can’t really stop. The elephant back trips allow you to pause at good spots to watch for longer but they are a much less stable platform when moving to take pictures from.
If the river is a place you want to spend more time then you can also go down in the mornings after the elephants finish their group rides, and help them to wash themselves. This usually involves a lot of water getting sprayed so make sure you wear swimming clothes to get wet in!
Getting to Chitwan from the UAE is as simple as taking a return ticket with one of the country’s budget airlines which will set you back around 1500 AED per person. The flight there and back is just under four hours each way and with a departure on a Wednesday evening that gets you to Kathmandu for 8:00 p.m. and a return flight that leaves Nepal at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday and gets back to the UAE at 1:30 p.m. the next morning you can get at least two and a half full days in Nepal from a four-day weekend. Most nationalities can get their visa on arrival in Nepal and this includes the passport photo which is done automatically when you get there. A four-day trip needs the shortest visa which is 10 days and costs just 25 USD. Below is a sample itinerary for you to get an idea of what you can do in that timeframe:
Wednesday Night – Arrive Kathmandu between 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Visa at airport (Take 10kgs hand luggage only to avoid the congestion at the luggage carousel – this is a 3rd world country and sometimes your luggage doesn’t arrive till the next day) Airport transfer to your hotel (Thamel is the tourist sector with all the shops and restaurants and entertainment in one main place), dinner, bed.
Thursday – Have breakfast, after walking the Thamel streets for an hour. Then take a taxi to the domestic airport for a 10:00 a.m. flight to Chitwan. Arrive at Chitwan and most big hotel/tour companies in Chitwan (if you pre-book) will send a car to collect you. Drive to Sauraha which is on the banks of the Rapti River and the main tour village just outside the park gates (You can’t stay in the park anymore). Here you will find most of the hotels and lodges. Some of them back onto the jungle but have electric fences to deter marauding wildlife. Others line the banks of the Rapti River and are great for bird watching. After you are shown your rooms you’ll be given lunch and then you’ll head out for your first trip into the park. Usually this is a walking tour around the river’s edge and the Elephant Breeding Centre. Be sure to take a small pair of binoculars with you and if you want wildlife pictures you’ll need a telephoto lens of some sort. It’s also a good idea to wear drab colors like greens and browns so you blend better into the background and surrounding jungle. Your guide will give you a briefing on what to do if you encounter a rhino or a big cat and the guides are very highly trained and experienced so listen to them!
When you return to the lodge you’ll take dinner and this is followed by a walk into town to the Cultural Theatre to watch the Tharu people put on a display of local dances and entertainments which is a really fun evening that usually ends in everyone getting up and dancing on stage too!
Friday – Wake up at 5:00 a.m. with a coffee and slice of toast and head out either for an Elephant back safari or dugout canoe safari. The early morning is a great time to see wildlife at the watering holes and along the river banks. When you return to the lodge you’ll have a proper breakfast and then head down to the river in the centre of the village to watch the elephants being washed (and take part yourself!). Usually people then take a stroll back through the town centre to look at souvenir shops and maybe walk around the traditional village areas to see the painted houses and the elephants in their stables (VERY BIG stables!).
Back at the lodge you have time for lunch and then there is normally a vehicle to take you to the airport for the flight home.
You’ll reach Kathmandu and your hotel by late Friday afternoon and most people then just want to chill out in a café and catch up on emails or walk the Thamel streets to see the little hidden temples in peoples courtyards and to buy knock off outdoor clothing, pashmina shawls, jewellery, books or any one of the myriad items available in all their colours and smells on the streets!
Saturday – This is the perfect opportunity to head out and get some culture in! You can usually fit in two locations and these can include; Swayambhunath Buddhist Stupa (also known as the Monkey Temple due to all the moneys hanging out there!). The steps up one side are long and arduous but well worth it for the views of Kathmandu valley from the top and this is the biggest Buddhist stupa in the world outside Tibet. You can then take lunch and head on to Pashupatinath Temple which is the Oldest Shiva temple in the world and is where all the dead are taken to be burned before their remains are pushed into the Bagmati River to continue with their circle of life. It’s a very evocative place especially in the evenings and you’ll meet many wondering Sadhus (monks) and Yogis there who for a small tip (around a dollar) will tie themselves into intricate knots for you to photograph!
You’ll need to get to the airport three hours before your flight to get through the long process of checking in (often aggravated by a lack of electricity due to load shedding). The departure lounge has a few souvenir shops (at inflated prices) and a couple of places to get a coffee and slice of banana bread.
If you take a package like the one described here for two days and one night then all your accommodation, food, activities, park entry and guides / drivers will be included for anything between 75 USD per person to 500 USD per person depending on how luxurious you want your trip to be. Most people aim for the 110-150 USD range. Your domestic flights are around 99 USD each way and you need to carry money for drinks, souvenirs and tips as well.
Nepal is recovering from the two major earthquakes and is now designated as safe to visit again by the major embassies around the world. It is a beautiful destination full of wonderful people, delicious food and interesting things to see and do and it’s cheap! Now is the time that Nepal really needs our support through tourism coming back to help them rebuild their economy so every dollar you spend in Nepal will help achieve this. Please tip generously, buy things to take home and take part in lots of activities! Nepal is the sort of place that you will return to again and again so go on book a trip there now and see what you can bump into in the jungle!
Words + Photos By: Dan Wright
