Chitwan, Nepal
Elephant munching on a sweet treat in Chitwan
The lowdown
Mountains, lakes, cities, what else does the remarkable country of Nepal have to offer you might ask? How about a jungle and opportunities to spot wildlife!
When we were doing our initial research on Nepal, we learned about Chitwan and decided that we had to go. Though our plans were almost derailed by the Nepali elections (we had to shift our dates as all public and private transportation is shut down on Election Day), we couldn’t be happier that we decided to stick with it.
Nepal, similar to its neighbor India, has a nefarious history with elephants. Elephants have been (and in some places continue to be) used as working elephants to carry insane amounts of goods, transport tourists and locals, etc. Over time, many of these elephants have ended up in the Chitwan region in Nepal. When looking at accommodations, we wanted to make sure that we stayed at a place that supported the ethical treatment of elephants and other wildlife. We were lucky to come across the Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge – an ecolodge that has pioneered ethical treatment and rehabilitation of elephants in the region. Though it was still uncomfortable to see elephants in captivity (you can’t release elephants back into the wild once they’ve been domesticated), we know that the lodge is doing groundbreaking work and helping support a handful of elephants that have been traumatized by their previous lives.
Day 1: Arrival and Sundowner
We only had 36 hours in Chitwan and certainly made the most of it. Upon arriving in Bharatpur (a six hour bus ride from Pokhara), we were picked up by Pushpa, one of the naturalists at Tiger Tops, who wished us a happy honeymoon and offered us a fresh orange. Great start! We embarked on the 90-minute journey to Tiger Tops lodge. The road was abysmal, as are most of the roads that we experienced in Nepal, so the journey was slow and bumpy. The landscape started to change as we were driving – green, lush, secluded.
We arrived at Tiger Tops around 2pm, were welcomed by a handful of staff members, and were told that lunch was waiting for us outside. We weren’t starving, but we happily obliged. The setting was beautiful and so quiet – we could definitely get used to it here… Lunch was rich and delicious with a seemingly random assortment of dishes brought to us one by one – Thai papaya salad, paneer / chicken satay, fresh vegetables, baba ghanoush, and homemade chocolates with mixed fruit for dessert.
After lunch, we were shown to our tent for the next two nights. There weren’t too many frills (pretty much just a bed, lanterns, and some space to change), but it was comfortable and perfect for two nights in the jungle. The bathroom was just outside the tent and was unexpectedly lovely with an indoor/outdoor shower.
We walked back to the dining area and were quickly escorted to an open top Jeep with a few companions – an English couple and an Aussie man. We drove for fifteen minutes before reaching the river which had two enormous elephants bathing in it! It was such a fun sight to see – two elephants splashing each other with water, almost like kids – as the sun started to set in the background. We could have watched them for hours! A perfect way to end a long day of travel and kick off our brief time in Chitwan.
We took the Jeep back to the dining area and gathered around the fire with the other guests there – three older couples that we became fast friends with – as we were fed popcorn and delicious pakoda as appetizers. Though we weren’t hungry at all, we were excited for dinner and the food did not disappoint. Pesto pasta with a kick, potatoes, grilled vegetables, and delicious orange glazed chicken / tofu all made an appearance.
At the end of the meal, we saw a few staff members carrying a cake with candles over. We were excited to sing happy birthday to one of our new friends, when the cake made an unexpected turn towards us. “Happy honeymoon!” It read. It was such a thoughtful gesture!
Day 2: Elephants and Rhinos, oh my!
Tiger Tops offers a menu of activities for its guests which was reminiscent of summer camp for us. With our only full day, we opted to do an elephant grass walk in the morning, followed by a visit to the elephant camp, and a Jeep safari in the afternoon. It was all awesome!
We woke up early in the morning, had a quick coffee, and made our way to the elephant grass cutting. Elephants consume 150+ kilos (330 lbs) of grass A DAY – an astonishing amount of food. We came to watch the elephants graze and “help” cut down some grass for their treats later. We weren’t much of a help in the grass cutting department, but we loved watching the elephants take down bundles of grass and branches. Neither of us had been that close to an elephant and it was amazing to observe them from afar – they’re such beautiful, strong, and intelligent animals.
After grass cutting, we went back to the lodge and had a scrumptious breakfast (everything we ate in Chitwan was unbelievable). Then, it was time for the elephant camp. We walked 10 minutes to where the elephants spent a lot of their time and had the opportunity to make kulchis for them. Kulchis are sweet treats for the elephants to help supplement their diet of grass. They basically look like grass burritos with molasses chunks, salt, dry rice, and dry chickpeas in the middle. The elephants absolutely loved the kulchis. We got to feed them (awesome experience) and each elephant tried to get the next kulchis out of our hands with their trunks before they had finished the one they were working on. Happy elephants, happy Jessie and Doug.
For lunch, we had an upscale version of dal bhat, complete with brown rice, mango chutney, and fresh vegetables. It was one of the best meals we had in Nepal. We had 30 minutes to digest before setting off for the next and final activity: the Jeep safari.
In spite of the name of the place we were staying at, tigers are elusive and incredibly rare to see. We weren’t expecting to see one and we didn’t. We were hoping to see birds and monkeys and crossing our fingers for a rhino. After an hour or so of not seeing much, we came up to a grove where Pushpa (our naturalist) told us to stay in the car as he scouted out the area. He came walking back quietly and motioned for the Jeep driver to move the car up – there was a rhino over there! Over there soon became within 10 meters of our Jeep… It was awesome to see the rhino – a massive, gray, leathery animal. As we progressed on our safari, we spotted three more rhinos – two walking in a pair and one no more than 15 feet away from the Jeep. We were in awe!
As the sun started to set, we turned back towards the lodge for our last night. Again, we gathered around the fire for conversation and appetizers with the other guests – the British couple from the night before and a mother and daughter who had just gotten there. We enjoyed popcorn over a fantastic discussion about humor, politics, and television amongst other things before breaking off for dinner. Per usual, it was delicious.
Day 3: Breakfast and bye bye
Our “day” was really only a few hours in the morning, but we would be remiss not to mention Tiger Tops’ parting gift – a delicious breakfast before setting back on the journey to Kathmandu. We went to the mess tent 15 minutes before we were meant to leave, hoping to take advantage of a cup of coffee (and mayyyybe a biscuit). As we walked in, we saw our table set for two – could it be for us?! And indeed it was. The staff had baked one last breakfast into our departure plans – the best surprise.
After a delicious last meal, we said our goodbyes and headed back on the seven hour journey to Kathmandu. We’ll miss the serenity, wildlife, and the service in Chitwan – it certainly felt like a honeymoon!