At the end of our 1-month trip to Nepal, we decided to spend a few days in Sauraha, to visit the famous Chitwan National Park and have the chance to see wild animals like the Asian one-horned rhinos.
We loved our stay there and we recommend it to anybody keen to explore the wildlife in the jungle from a very close point. If you are backpacking around Nepal and have some days spare from hiking, make sure to include Chitwan!
Below you can read some info that we believe is valuable if you are looking to organize a trip there.
Chitwan National Park vs Bardia National Park
Nepal has several national parks, but two of them stand out from the others if you are eager to observe the wildlife in the jungle: Chitwan and Bardia National Parks.
We opted to visit Chitwan because it was more accessible and reachable directly by bus compared to Bardia.
Chitwan can be reached from Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, and India, making it a perfect stop if you are backpacking around Nepal.
We were slightly afraid of over-tourism and too many people, since we read online you should opt for Bardia if you want to escape the crowds.
This was not true at all: tourism outside of Kathmandu, Pokhara, the Everest and Annapurna circuit, is still very limited in Nepal. There were some people around, but it was not crowded and during our whole day jungle trip, we met only a few other groups.
Where to Stay in Chitwan
There are a few towns around Chitwan and we decided to go to the biggest one, Sauraha, for its accessibility by bus and the presence of some restaurants.
As written above, we expected it to be very busy and touristic, however, it was not the case: overall the atmosphere was very chilled and relaxed, with not so many people around.
If you are headed to Sauraha we recommend sleeping in the Happy Lemon Tree Lodge, a beautiful and small complex of bamboo huts on the river bank overlooking the national park. Cheap prices, great food, and drinks all in a stunning location: on our first day we got lucky enough to observe a rhino bathing at the sunset while relaxing with a beer: what else could we ask? We enjoyed the location so much that we extended our stay and took a day there just to relax, enjoy nature, and chill with a book in their beautiful garden. Overall we saw 4 rhinos on our 3 nights stay there.
The owner was very expert on wildlife and took care of organizing our jungle safari. We also had the chance to talk with the guides before deciding whether to organize the trip with them or not.
How to Reach Chitwan
We reached Sauraha (the biggest town at the edge of Chitwan) by bus from Bandipur. Several tourist buses are going there from Pokhara or Kathmandu. If you are headed to Chitwan from one of these cities you can directly book online on 12goAsia. Alternatively, you can ask directly at your guesthouse.
From Bandipur, we took a quick bus to reach the main junction road connecting Pokhara and Kathmandu and another bus to get to Sauraha.
For more info, check our detailed guide on how to get around in Nepal by bus
How to Organize a 1-Day (or Half-a-Day) Safari in the Jungle
There are many agencies in town ready at any time of the day to organize a tour customized for your needs on the next day. After strolling around the town, however, we were convinced by the knowledge and experience of the guides at the Happy Lemon Tree Lodge.
There are mainly 3 ways of exploring the park:
- Canoe: this is the most relaxing way and it is usually combined with the walking tour. You can spot several birds, rhinos, and crocodiles.
- Walking tour: this is the most thrilling experience. Since you are walking in the jungle with the possibility to encounter rhinos, tigers, deer, and many other wild animals. It is quite thrilling and a bit scary, so make sure to do it with very experienced guides.
- Jeep tour: perfect if you want to feel more relaxed and safe. You are not walking and you are covering more km on dirty roads. You are less likely to see some animals because of the engine, but on the other hand, you can cover more km so you can still have great encounters and even spot some elephants.
We ended up for a combination of 2-hour canoe and walking tour. It costs around 55-60 euros each including the park permits. It was a good price because it was a private tour just for the two of us, with two expert guides and a packed lunch.
Our 1-Day Experience: Canoe and Walking Tour
We started the day very early with a rower coming to pick us up directly in front of the lodge on the river at dawn. It was misty and humid and everything was slightly orange-colored like in an old movie. While having a quick breakfast we saw a rhino splashing in the water.
We jumped into the canoe, and we started flowing gently down the river, enjoying the beautiful start of the day. In the 2 hours that followed we were completely immersed in nature, with no sounds except for the animals surrounding us. We observed many birds, different types of kingfishers, and several crocodiles of 2 different species. It was magical.
After 2 hours we boarded the river, greeted the rower, and adventured in the jungle. Tip: We forgot to bring cash, so we couldn’t tip the rower, but that would be recommended. The hours that followed were very intense but beautiful, making it one of my favorite days in Nepal. We were constantly on alert, being in a jungle in which tigers, rhinos, bears, and leopards live and our guides were very knowledgeable to track down animals by looking at the footprints and smelling the odors of the jungle.
We ended up spotting and observing from a short distance a huge rhino, several deer, monkeys, and many insects and birds. We were not lucky enough to see tigers, but our guide managed to see for a second a leopard. Sofia was scared to meet the rhino in the wild, but eventually, everything played out well as our guides described to us.
We walked the whole day and stopped only for a packed lunch in a safe location in the jungle, with a couple of other groups and their guides.
Overall the day was very tiring but we loved it and we recommend it if you are in search of a thrilling experience and if you love wildlife.
Was it Dangerous?
Well, you are in a real jungle so we cannot say it is not dangerous. The guides had no guns but only some sticks, so having experienced guides is a must. There are not many incidents happening with tourists (mainly locals venturing alone in the jungle) however it is important to go with expert guides, or opt for the safer version with a jeep.
We hope you enjoyed this article summing up the most important info about Chitwan and our experience there. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us!
