This is Day 6 of Nepal Travelogue (May 18, 2013)
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| An Indian Elephant Roaming Around Chitwan's Sauhara Town |
Yesterday we had a long day on the road so we slept really tight last night and
only woke up when the room attendant warned us that the laziness would cost us the
free live show; i.e. Elephant Bathing. So after having brief breakfast we
walked to the adjacent river where a herd of tuskers was having open-air wash.
It was still very humid out there but the cloud cover and sporadic drizzling kept us safe from melting out.
Elephants
are a part of routine life around Chitwan, however, they are not indigenous and
instead brought there from India and domesticized. They mainly transport
national park rangers in the deep inaccessible jungle maybe because these big
creatures move noiselessly, producing less sound than what even barefooted
humans would make, and without alarming other animals, or their poachers. Due
to their tiptoeing skills these giants are also used commercially for Jungle
Safari.
That bathing
also appeared rather commercial as mahouts were pursuing spectators for a
unique experience; you sit high on the elephant’s back while it fills its trunk
with water and then sprinkles that on you. Even watching that was amazing
especially for kids. At the same time I felt pity of those animals and their
caretakers both of whom did not look in great shape.
For the afternoon,
I had already set Jeep Safari, which was part of the excursion package I
negotiated with the hotel manager; Chaudhry!
Chaudhry was
a soft spoken, rather a lazy character; who was raising his young family on one
hand and on the other keeping his business updated through investing in the
solar technology. Similar to Pakistan, Nepal has also been facing acute power
shortage, which is forcing people to experiment alternative energy sources.
Jeep Safari
in Chitwan National Park
As per the
plan, we embarked on the much anticipated Jeep Safari around afternoon. It was
a group including a licensed jungle guide, a tourist each from Norway and the
US and their respective Nepali trek guides. There might be around 10-20 groups
in all but not more than 2-3 in one cluster. First we rode the traditional
canoe to crossover the same river where elephants were having a bath in the
morning. On the other side of the river, a jeep was ready to take us inside the
deep jungle.
During this
20km or so ride we could spot one-horn rhinoceros, deer of different kinds,
gray langurs, a variety of colorful birds, wild flora and fauna, and the
typical jungle silence! The feeling that wild bears and Bengal tigers would be
roaming around the same vicinity was spine-chilling, however, we were not lucky
enough to meet them! The whole safari lasted for 4 hours barely enough to get
an orientation of the wild life and kind of an appetizer for tomorrow’s
Elephant Safari.
Cultural
Show
In the
evening, we attended the Cultural Show showcasing traditional dances with the
overwhelming use of sticks and fire.
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| Mahouts Find Elephant Washing a Good Way to Make Mone |
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| This is How You Have Bath in Nepal! |
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| Elephant Fills its Trunk with Water |
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| It Can Hold Around 4 Gallons in it! |
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| Have a Good Time Dude |
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| Mikael Also Wants a Shower |
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| One of the Mahouts, Who Usually Belong to Impoverished Backgrounds |
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| Elephants are Literally Treated with Iron Hands |
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| One of the Elephants Even Fell in the Water |
Jungle Safari
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| Embarking on Jungle Jeep Safari |
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| First We Crossed the River in this Canoe |
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| Our Jeep was Ready Across the River |
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| Soon We Were in the Deep Jungle |
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| Where It Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere |
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| After Half an Hour We Spotted a Pair of Rhino |
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| Wish I Had a DSLR There! |
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| A Camouflaged Deer Herd |
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| Crossing a Wooden Bridge |
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| Then Passing Through a Water Stream |
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| Yesterday, a Tiger was Seen Here |
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| We Returned from the Crocodile Breeding Center |
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| One of the Ranger Camps Inside the Jungle |
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| All Alone! |
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| Out of Place |
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| Chitwan's Red Ant |
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| Jeep Driver Picked Rare Wild Vegetable |
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| Under Construction Dam |
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| In the Evening We Watched the Cultural Show |
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| Traditional Tharu Dance |
Today’s Bills – in Nepali Rupees
| 100 |
|
Food |
|
Bread, etc |
| 100 |
|
Food |
|
Water |
| 200 |
|
Sight Seeing |
|
Entrance Ticket -
Cultural Show |
| 5000 |
|
Sight Seeing |
|
Jungle Activities -
Advance |
| 5400 |
|
Total for May 18,
2013 |
|
|
| 16880 |
|
Total as of Today |
|
|
Traveler’s
Tip # 10: Accommodation in Chitwan National Park
Till the
recent past, visitors could stay right inside the National Park periphery in
one of the jungle camps; however, all such facilities have been closed lately.
Presumably part of the aggressive conservation strategy Nepali government has
been pursuing to protect the endangered wildlife.
However,
this is no let down for nature enthusiasts as there are lots of accommodation
available in the adjacent town of Sauraha, which also serves as the hub for
various jungle activities.
Rooms can be
booked then and there after haggling around; however, in this case nobody will
be there to pick you up from Sauhara Bus Park located a couple of inconvenient
kilometers from the settlement. In the absence of a proper transport and amid
all the heat and humidity it is difficult to walk around the dirt roads. For
hardcore independent travelers though, it might be part of fun to hail a
passing by vehicle, an animal cart or perhaps an elephant, to reach to the
center of town, aptly called Rhino Chowk.
On the other
hand, booking in advance, either through internet or in Kathmandu, definitely
means that there will be multiple agents involved, and obviously their
commissions too, and then one can also end up at a place which might not suite
their preferences.
In this
catch-22 situation, I instead called one of the hotels I googled only after we
were in the Chitwan bus. Consequently, the gentle owner-cum-guide of Crocodile
Safari Lodge was there at the Bus Park. The accommodation was situated right in
front of the jungle fence and had a genuine atmosphere, polite local staff, and
reasonable rates; however, the available room had trivial issues which they had
little interest fixing in until we searched another accommodation around, Holy
Lodge, on the riverfront.
Both these
places, and many other similar ones, were basic and inexpensive and will suit
to Indian and Pakistani travelers in addition to backpackers. Nonetheless, a
walk around the town suggested that options for a splurge were not limited too.
Either
no-frill or high-end, in Chitwan it is considered the prerogative of the hotel
to book jungle activates for their clients. And before we could even settle
down, they started throwing various packages towards us, which we did not mind
actually because this was why we were there and then Chaudhry gave us decent
rates, maybe because we could break the language barrier thanks to our beloved Urdu.
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| Crocodile Safari Lodge, Sauhara, Chitwan |
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| Inside of the Crocodile Safari Lodge |
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| Holy Lodge: Where We Finally Settled |
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| Backup: Cottages are Powered by Rooftop Solar Panels |
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| In the Room it was Hot and Humid |
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| Mikael was Happier Outside |
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| Misha Made Friends |
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| A Biker Group Was Also Staying at the Same Place |
Traveler’s
Tip # 11: Water
Keeping
hydrated is important to avoid traveler’s diarrhea
and other illnesses but in Chitwan it cannot be overemphasized, mainly due to
the extremely humid weather, Nepal is not famous for.
It is highly
recommended to keep a bottle or two of water all the time and have plenty of
liquids, especially while going for jungle excursions, where facilities will be
more limited.
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| While in Chitwan, Have Plenty of Water |
Traveler’s
Tip # 11: Masala Tea
For tea
lovers, there is a twist in Nepal. Ask for masala tea, which is the same milk
tea with a pinch of spices. Initially you may find it a bit tangy but after a
couple of cups I was thinking why I came to know it this late. We got so addicted to this variety, which is the favorite among
locals without any tourist trap, that we could not resist buying a few packets
for home. So you are most welcome at our place should you like to get introduced
with something original from the mountains. Asterisk: This offer is valid until
stock lasts!
Traveler’s
Tip # 13 Tin Food
This tip
might be more valid for Pakistani travelers, especially due to Halal
constraints, but keeping one or two tins of homemade food can be a life saver also
especially when one is tired after a long day of excursion.
In Karachi, food
can be tinned from Burhani located near Bahadrabad. They insist on bringing
oven fresh food, otherwise it could spoil, and take 4-5 hours to process that.
I have also noted the readymade tins in their shelf.
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| Burhani Specialized in Food Tinning |
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| It is Located in Bahadurabad |
