Most people’s visit to Nepal consists either a trip down to Chitwan National Park or a hiking trip near Pokhara. Chitwan National Park is famous for country’s animals namely tigers and rhinos, and it is scarily cheap to visit.

How to Get There?

Once you are in Kathmandu, there’s a bus that leaves at 6:30 am (confirm with your hotel staff) to Sauraha (the small town at the entrance of Chitwan National Park). And you should reach there around 1-2pm. At the bus stop there will be agents/dealers just like the bus stop in Pokhara where they will try their best to make you offers to one of the guest houses, if you haven’t booked any. The bus will cost you at least NPR 800 ($8). But it really depends as prices in Nepal can change even over weeks of time.

How to Book Your Tour Package?  Much Does it Cost?

Better wait till you arrive in Nepal to arrange for this tour. If you book your tour ahead in Kathamndu, which can be really easy and cheap, the price ranges from $65 to $200!

It depends on whether entrance fee to Chitwan National Park is included (NPR 1500 per person per day), if the room has A/C, and how many tours are included.  So mine was $100. This isn’t the rock bottom price as I had non-veg meals, 2 nights in A/C room and a reasonably nice resort in Nepali standard.

What Does it Include?

Besides food (breakfastx2, lunch x2, dinner x2), and accommodation for 2 nights, entrance ticket to Chitwan National Park, the following activities were included

• A guided village walk (On the day of arrival)  Approx 2hr
• A Canoe Boat Tour (Early morning on the 2nd day) Approx 1.5hr
• A guided Jungle walk (After canoe boat tour) Approx 2.5hr
• Elephant Safari (In the afternoon on the 2nd day) Approx 2-3hr
• Folklore dance show (In the evening on the 2nd day) Approx 1hr

Elephant bathing was not included but it was only for…. NPR 400? I’m not too sure. It’s for 10 minutes only, more or less.

My Experience

Overall it was pretty good, let me show you what each activity is about (they are very likely to be included in your standard packaged tour!)

1.A guided village walk (On the day of arrival)  Approx 2hr

We went pass a small village but we didn’t go in. It didn’t surprise me as Nepal is mostly rural.

And then we walked near the entrance of Chitwan National Park. There was an elephant orphanage. With elephants who didn’t look depressed. (I’ve definitely seen more depressed ones)

And then we walked by the river, it was relaxing. We were a group of 6 people and we had a guide to ourselves. Our guide was the same for the whole trip. And he led us to a spot where we might see a rhino. And we did! There really was a rhino bathing! And most importantly, we didn’t see other tourists in this whole walk.

And a happy elephant eating his snacks.

And this was the end to our satisfying, peaceful and secluded walk.

2.A Canoe Boat Tour (Early morning on the 2nd day) Approx 1.5hr

This was my favorite activity as it’s not as controversial as elephant riding, and I really like these boats. And being so early in the morning, you’d hear the sound of the whole jungle waking up with you! The downside is the canoe is not so comfortable and you have to share it with other tourists.

Although the scenic ride doesn’t really surprise you (maybe it’s better that way), it’s very pleasant. And it’s a nice introduction to Chitwan National Park (this is inside the park) Water was very clear. You will definitely see some egret..? And sometimes there might be a crocodile.

And right after this trip I had a jungle walk.

3.A guided Jungle walk (After canoe boat tour) Approx 2.5hr

This was an easy walk, although it depends on how fit you are, the trip can be customized. And as we were regular people… we saw some jungles (more like bushes) which was nice but not so out of this world. I said it’s conducted after the canoe tour however it can actually be done in the morning on the 3rd day (but maybe you’d have to pay for park entry again). I don’t know if it’d be more economic to squeeze this activity on the 2nd day, but it’s time effective..

The naked jungle! Pillar of ants.

And more jungles. There was no animal so it was kind of unexciting. Our guide said if we came earlier in the morning then we might see some. Again we were the only group of tourists in this walk.

The end of this trip was another elephant breeding center with pretty happy elephants.

Let’s play a game! Let’s match nose with any foot… and one baby came out to meet us!

4. Elephant Bathing (Optional*) Excluded in the tour

This is an add-on activity. This can be done between jungle walk and elephant safari, or it can be done on the third day if you have time. You’d be taking a nap in your hotel if you don’t want to take part in this activity. I thought it was fun to sit on an elephant, and gently fall into water, and simply bath an elephant.

In my case, I decided in the last minute to take tart in this trip. It can be easily arranged. My hotel staff told me the timing and I walked to the river on my own. Just walk towards the elephants and negotiate. And a life jacket is available on the spot.

5. Elephant Safari (In the afternoon on the 2nd day) Approx 2-3hr

Some people have their safaris in the morning, but mine was in the afternoon around 4:30pm. I don’t know if this makes any difference. So, elephant safari is basically a different version of jungle walk, which in this version you sit on an elephant.

Each elephant is shared by 4 people. So if you aren’t traveling as a group of 4, you’d have to share it with other people. And definitely it’s better to sit the ‘front seats’. In this journey you’d cross a river, and some elephants really love water! And yes, you’d be traveling in a group of elephants! Sometimes it can seem crowded!

And then it’s jungle time!! We went to the jungle in the left. It’s a lot of fun going through the jungle on the back of an elephant because of the height. Although it’s actually not that comfortable. For a while you’d be in the forest, and elephants would walk on a very muddy path. When I realized that this place is probably accessible by elephant safari, I also realized there was no place to use the washroom….. you’d not leave your elephant till the end of this tour which is hours later.  At a place you’d see a plain and sky again.

This was an incredible moment when we saw a mother and baby rhino eating grass!  I was explained the difference of black rhino and white rhino… I guess these one were black rhino? :/ They didn’t mind us. I guess to them we were just an extension of the elephant.

Some deer were there too! We saw them again in the jungle. This is definitely better than our morning jungle walk.

Going home!

6.Folklore dance show (In the evening on the 2nd day) Approx 1hr

You can appreciate music, and dances. The performance hall has A/C and free wifi. It’s probably a chance to count the number of tourists in Chitwan as it seems to be the only activity at night. It’s not a bad experience, but it’s probably something I wouldn’t attend had it not been included in the tour package.

My Opinion

I was actually fine for signing up a packaged tour, even though it’s not so ‘backpacker-like’, but in terms of price, it is! You can rent a room as cheap as for NPR 300 a night ($3), but you still can’t avoid paying NPR1500 per day for the entrance fee to National Park. And food isn’t cheap in Chitwan (Sauraha) and your options are limited.  And as you can do most activities in one day, unless you are volunteering and will be staying longer, there isn’t much to do in Chitwan. And a packaged tour will save you a lot of time too. But if you have a free spirit, it’s possible to reach Chitwan and book activities from a local agent there. If I return to Chitwan one day, and if I have time, I might travel independently and pick n choose what I feel like doing (especially if the weather is bad!)