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> Wildlife Sanctuaries in India
> Royal Chitwan National Park |
| Chitwan National Park |
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Best Time for Viewing |
| Dawn and dusk are traditionally the best times
for viewing. This is when animals are on the move and so this
is your best chance at spotting them. The afternoon is too hot
for the animals and they take shelter under the shade of trees
and are generally not visible. Even during the winter and especially
during the summer, the jungle can get hot and muggy. It is extremely
uncomfortable for the elephants to take visitors around during
the afternoon.
If your hotel faces the Rapti, and a lot of hotels in Sauraha
do, look out for the convoy of elephants wading across the
river. They form a wonderful silhouette with the setting sun
as a backdrop.
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Best Time to Visit |
October to March, when the weather is cool and
dry, is the best time to visit. For even better viewing come
during late January, when the locals are allowed inside the
park to cut the grass for domestic use. With the grass cover
lopped off, this is your best chance of sighting rhinos, tigers,
leopards, elephants and other animals. During this time, water
is available only at the water holes inside the park and animal
sightings are generally possible at these places. In the monsoons
the park changes to a beautiful green and truly comes to life
after struggling to make it through the winter. But the weather
is hot, humid and often uncomfortable. Also the rising river
levels make it impossible to tour the park by jeep, and elephant
rides are the only option. The vegetation, specially the tall
Elephant Grass springs back to life so furiously that, viewing
rhino becomes difficult. The upside is that tourists are few,
you can bargain room rates down and roam Chitwan without feeling
as thought you’re part of a herd.
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Getting There |
Air
Fly to the Meghauli village just north of the Rapti river from
Kathmandu. Meghauli has a small private airstrip, which links
Chitwan to the world outside. The flight takes 30 minutes. There
are no flights during the monsoon. The village is a short ride
from Chitwan and if you are on a package, there will be a vehicle
to pick you up. Other airports that feed Chitwan include: Bharatpur,
near Narayanghat, about 20 km from Sauraha.
Road
Regular roads connect Chitwan to other places in Nepal. It
is 120 km south-west of Kathmandu. The nearest bus stop is
at Tadi Bazaar on the Mahendra Highway, 6 km north of Sauraha.
Most buses don’t terminate here, but will certainly
let you off here. The buses arrive and depart from the village
of Tadi Bazaar. If you have your own transport, remember that
due to an unspanned river crossing, you will have to get off
at Chitrasari, about 2 km short of Sauraha town. The bridge
is being constructed and should take about a year or so. Cross
the slightly rickety bridge on foot. If you are booked with
a package, there will be a jeep to pick you up. If you are
not part of a package, you can still get a lift in one of
these jeeps for Rs 30 per head. You could also hire a cycle
from Tadi Bazaar or hitch a lift on a horse cart. The journey
is slightly bumpy, but it gives you a leisurely introduction
to Chitwan. There are buses to Kathmandu (5 to 6 hours depending
on the kind of buses), Pokhara (4 ½ hours) and to Sunauli
(4 ½ hours).
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Getting Around |
Walking
If you are staying in Sauraha, it is easy enough and probably
a good idea to walk around the place. Though the roads are unpaved,
and turn to slush when it rains, they take you through most
of Chitwan. This is a very interesting way to spend your time
when you have little else to do. In the sanctuary itself, it
is mandatory to walk with at least two guides - one to guide
you and the other to man the rifle. Going it this way is undoubtedly
the ‘closest’ you can get to the forest and its
life. It compulsory for all guides to be licensed. Do not even
think of venturing into the forest without a guide as tall grass
can very easily hide a rhino. Make no mistake, a charging rhino
can cause fatalities.
Elephant ride
Within the sanctuary, elephant rides are by far the most popular.
It is the recommended way to visit the park during the rains
when the elephant grass is at its highest and the there are
small pools of water all around, that cannot be traversed
by jeep. Each elephant carries four people who sit facing
four directions. All lodges offer elephant rides, but generally
share elephants. Ensure your legs and hands are covered or
you can be badly scratched. The rides cost approximately Rs
650 per head for a ride of between one and one-and-a-half
hours. Rides are organised each morning and afternoon; timings
differ with the season.
Jeep
Jeep tours in the park are only possible in the dry season,
from late December until mid-June. The Rapti breaches its
shores and the water bodies all over the park makes navigation
by jeep impossible.. It is best to do a recce of the park
with a jeep safari and then target the areas you want on elephant
back. The best months for a jeep safari are in mid-February
when the elephant grass has been cut allowing virtually unimpeded
views. Jeep safaris are priced at Rs 650 per head, but usually
last at least twice as long as an elephant ride, and therefore
well worth the price.
Canoeing
You can canoe along the Rapti River. This is really more for
the thrill of manoeuvering yourself into the hollowed trunk
of the silk cotton tree and getting up close to the muggers
in the Rapti. Canoes are rarely used to get you around the
place. Most trips start from close to the park’s entrance
and you canoe about 3 km to the west, or as far as the elephant
breeding centre. Again, canoeing is only permitted in the
low season. The rising Rapti is not safe during the rains.
Cycle
If you can cycle, getting around in Sauraha on bike is a great
idea. The road surfaces may not be tarred but permit a comfortable
ride. Cycles are not permitted inside the park, but Bishazaar
Lakes are within cycling distance. Cycling is really the best
way to get a feel of the place once you are done with the
sanctuary itself.
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