July 2018 – Bon Voyage

I wanted to do something wild on my birthday, so I arranged a meeting with deers and rhinos at the Nepal’s famous Chitwan National Park. I crossed the beautiful Rapti river to reach the main entrance of the Park, which is a World Heritage Site.
There I joined a group of eight tourists and a guide, on a jeep safari. The bumpy ride began in the hot and humid climate and we saw huge trees and an array of vegetation.

But no one looked excited for not being able to spot any wild animal. After almost one hour, our patience paid – we saw a couple of rhinos and deers. We also came across some very beautiful and colorful birds and langurs, much to the delight of my co-travelers.

There was a Crocodile Breeding Center too inside the park, but I chose to skip that as our jeep safari had already taken around five hours.

At the end I bid everyone goodbye and returned to my hotel at Sauraha Village, few meters away from the park. The whole area is replete with hotels, resorts, cafes and bars. So advance booking is not required even in peak season. I stayed at a small hotel and its owner had arranged everything for me, including the safari trip to the park.

Besides, many tour operators provide other activities such as bird watching, hiking and cycling. Two days are enough to explore the whole place. In the evening, the place becomes more lively and soothing. I reached Chitwan from Kathmandu via a deluxe bus. It took approximately five hours to reach there. If you are an avid wildlife photographer do carry a zoom lens. Also, do not forget to carry water bottle, sunscreen lotion and a hat.