Then we leave Pokhara to reach the village of Sauraha, the main “town” near the Chitwan National Park, very proud on our rafting (trip lasts for 2 days and 1 night)! We enjoy discovering the magnificent Nepalese landscapes from the waters coming from Himalaya and switch to another world, not anymore a buddhist and traditional Nepal but a more dynamic and vibrant one near the Indian border, as Indian influence can be felt strongly in these areas.
Rafting trip until Sauraha
And yes, it is the bonus of this transport from Himalaya mountains to tropical jungle, a 2 days trip in rafting! You can book that in Pokhara, just ask for a French guy who has been living in Nepal for years to rent kayaks or do rafting and you will find it. Rafting in Nepal is pleasant as you have quite a lot of “freedom”. Safety rules are more “flexible” than in New-Zealand where we also did rafting for example and here you can enjoy rougher and quicker waters, or even swim if you are too hot (almost) whenever you want! Of course do not take any risks but be sure that professional guides are with you anyway so no worries 🙂
Here, temperature is warmer and more humid than in the north of the country or in Kathmandu as we really feel we are in India. And it is near by that Bouddha is supposed to have born. Sauraha is a quiet and calm village where some local transports are still using horses. Traditional quiet Indian atmosphere, we love it! During our stay, we are careful to mosquitoes as paludism is still active in the region. But we enjoy touristic activities like “elephant baths” where it is possible to “swim” with the big animals is the “not very clean” waters of the local river. But quite funny to see, positive atmosphere.
Looking for exotism in Chitwan National Park
The next day, we begin our first activity in the park, we rent a jeep with a local guide in order to try to see wildlife in the park. This national park is very important to stop the spectacular decrease of number of big animals in wildlife in the region: rhinos, tigers, bears…trees cutting and poaching are devastating in Nepal as everywhere in Asia. National parks like this one are extremely importatns to protect the biodiversity and wildlife. As we do our jeep tour in the afternoon, we try to see some animals without much successes (just a few deers and birds) as the noise of the jeep is not helping. As we leave the park we are a bit frustrated but we have spent an enjoyable time with our very lovely guide who explained us doing this kind of job as a woman in Nepal is still a challenge. Driving in the park at sunset is an amazing memory however as you can hear the birds and the red sun giving a romantic atmosphere in this green environment. To conclude, we loved it! But as we would like to see more wildlife, we decide to do an elephant tour in the park the next morning: The advantages are you are more likely to see animals (elephants can go everywhere and do not have to stay on roads and are not as noisy as a car) and the “driver” know more or less where you have more chances to see wildlife. The bad thing is you are not alone as many elephants tours start at the same time and it is a more popular activity than the jeep one. However, we succeded in seeing some rhinos (no tigers nor bears then), which is sufficient to our happiness as we made the most of the park. A good moment in Chitwan National Park!
Our third day in the region is quieter and it is a good opportunity to walk around local villages and countryside…always nice to see what locals’ daily lives look like and take some time to go off beaten tracks. The night, we can watch a traditional show organized by our hotel, as the story is the Ramayana, the classic buddhist tale. On the next morning, we take a bus back to Kathmandu where we finish our Nepalese trip before catching our flight the next morning. Namaste for everything!