Nepal: Chitwan National Park

Weekend trip!

A fellow volunteer and I took a 3 day trip out of the valley to Chitwan National Park. The bus ride, advertised as 4 hours, actually 7 hours (the Nepali are notorious for optimistic time estimates), took us through the rolling hills southwest of Kathmandu and dropped us right on the border of India.

A little rhino friend <3

We checked into the Eden Jungle Resort, located just a five minute walk from the park entrance, where all of our activities were planned out for the next couple days. First, we were taken through a small sanctuary, where I got to pet a couple young single-horned rhinos who had recently been orphaned. We then continued on for a sunset stroll around the shallow edges of the 950 square kilometer park, which actually blessed us with four wild rhino sightings! The first sighting began as just two furry ears and a horn breaking the still surface of a lake, but just as the guide brought it to our attention, the huge, endangered creature rose out of the water and seemed to pose for us—this was literally steps from the entrance to the park.

A big, wild rhino friend <3

Not much later on, another rhino wandered across a distant field into plain view, and we encountered two more tussling in the foliage across the river towards the end of our walk. We also followed a large group of spotted deer (fawns in tow) along the Rapiti river for a while, watching them frolic as the sun sank. The Chitwan reserve is a humid mix of jungle and savannah, making for interesting landscapes teeming with wildlife, so different from the mountain climate I have been residing in for the last two weeks, and I was basking in the change of scenery all afternoon.

The sensational peacock dance

After returning from our hike, we were taken to a Tharu Cultural Performance, paying homage to the native Tharu people who first laid claim to the Chitwan land. The performance consisted of several unique dance styles performed in traditional dress, but, honestly, the audience was the half the fun. The room was packed with enthusiastic attendees (almost all Nepali) who would whoop and holler at every little thing, treating the event more like a rock concert than a reflective cultural tribute, and I got the distinct impression of a bunch of high-schoolers hyping up their friends on stage.

Dance party on stage at the Tharu Cultural House

Especially loved by the crowd was the peacock dance (pictured above)— that peacock could do no wrong. In the middle of the last song, much of the audience stood up and started moving to the aisles, much to my horror. Leaving a show during the finale is just plain rude. I quickly realized, however, that they weren’t exiting the building— they were rushing the stage. As the performers danced in a circle around two drummers, dozens of audience members joined them, dancing and clapping as the song went on, louder and louder with each refrain. It was like no cultural performance I have ever attended.

Collection of dugout canoes that each take 5 months to make!

Crocs that would eat me if given the chance (as seen from the canoe)

The following morning, I took a ride in a dugout canoe down the crocodile-infested Rapiti river. Thankfully, the guide was quick to point out which crocs only ate fish, and which crocs would eat me if given the chance. Needless to say, keep your hands and feet inside the canoe at all times. The ride ended somewhere deep in the park, from which we then hiked through the jungle to the Elephant Breeding Center. The trails, choked with hanging vines and bright leafy foliage, opened up to several marshy fields teeming with colorful birds, offering me an entirely new perspective of the wildlife preserve.

A momma and her 5 week old baby

The Elephant Breeding Center housed a dozen grown Asian elephants and several young, one baby only five weeks old. These huge creatures were a sight to see, however, it hurt my heart a little to know these elephants would never see the wild. Once born into domestication, there is no going back, and all of these elephants were being bred for touristic purposes. In an effort to avoid perpetuating this practice, I opted to forgo the offered elephant ride through the park, as much as I wanted that experience, and instead booked a Jeep safari for the afternoon. Regardless, the majestic giants were absolutely beautiful, and I only wish that I could’ve given one a hug before moving on.

Me getting sunburnt

After lunch, we took a canoe across the river and loaded into a top-seating Jeep. For the next four hours, we would be cruising deep into the preserve on the hunt for wildlife— and boy did we find it! In addition to countless unique birds, families of deer, and several wild peacocks, we also came across monkeys, rhinos, wild boars, a huge wild bull and four sloth bears!

A couple monkeys chillin’

Best pic of a bear I could get!

Unfortunately, due to the thick coverage of the jungle foliage and savannah grasses, quality photos were hard to come by, but my eyes will not soon forget. We took a break halfway through the ride to see the crocodile breeding center, which featured crocs ranging from one week to 40 years old. These creatures, especially the endangered ghaurial crocodiles, are being bred for numbers, and most are let back into the wild (not a super comforting thought, when you’re staring at all those teeth). On the last hour of our ride, as the sun sank, we kept our eyes peeled for the endangered Bengal tiger, hoping for a miracle. It was not meant to be, however, and the tigers remained elusive, so we had to settle for a couple more bears and a hulking gaur (the world’s largest wild cattle).

Roaming rhino, seen right outside of our hotel

We returned to the park entrance right around sunset, and enjoyed a meal of dal bhat back at the resort. After dinner, I went for a stroll through town with Yap, a new friend from Malaysia. We had heard that sometimes the rhinos leave the park and roam the streets at night, and we were hoping to get lucky. Though we didn’t encounter any hulking grey beasts in town, we did get to enjoy a taste of Chitwan nightlife, and it became apparent that the primary tourist crowd here was Nepali. The national park seems to be popular getaway trip for locals, just as Americans might flock to Yellowstone, and I found it refreshing to be in a “tourist” town not flooded with foreigners. Our dreams of a street-side rhino sighting were not abandoned, however, and that dream came true the next morning. As I stumbled downstairs for a 6:30 breakfast, I noticed a group of people standing across the field in front of my room. Just beyond their heads was a huge rhinoceros, strolling down the street on his way back to the preserve. He even came over to the fence to greet us before continuing on.

One of many lovely views on the bus ride through the hills

Following that exciting last encounter, we ate our breakfast in the garden of the resort and were driven to to our bus stop for the bumpy 7 hour ride back to Kathmandu. It was wonderful to escape the noise and pollution of the valley for a few days of nature therapy, and I can now say I have canoed with crocodiles, pet a rhino, and done a wildlife safari— all bucket-list items!

Though I had a fabulous weekend, there were a few somewhat disheartening aspects that have also stuck with me. First of all, the breeding practices in place on the preserve, though supposedly much improved, are certainly not in the best interest of the wildlife they swear to protect, and it seemed evident that tourism was the priority, rather than preservation. The grounds, while beautiful, were also dotted with military camps, put in place to discourage the huge poaching problem in the area— another sad reality. Perhaps the most frustrating note, however, was the litter. Even in this preserved national park, trash could be found floating in the river and lining the roads. Granted, the situation was not nearly as bad as what might be seen along the highway and in downtown Kathmandu, but the reality remained that a good amount of people have had no problem discarding their wrappers and water bottles in this wildlife sanctuary.

Domesticated elephants mid-ride

This cultural mentality was brought into sharp relief for me on the bus ride back to the city, during which I watched the man in front of me toss his child’s juice box right out the window while he tickled her. Another woman discarded an entire empty cookie package to clear her lap before taking a nap. I suppose when there is so much trash on the street already, one’s contribution seems negligible. In defense of all the kind Nepali I have met, perhaps in an underdeveloped country such as this, entertaining values such as natural beauty, cleanliness and moral righteousness (specifically pertaining to environmental conservation) is actually more of a luxury. Regardless, I hope it is a mindset that can be changed over time.

Just walkin’

Aside from these more depressing notes, my time in Chitwan was refreshing, enlightening and very memorable. Though I am still waiting on a wild tiger sighting, I had a great experience out there in the jungle, and left the park with a new taste of Nepali culture that will contribute to my ever developing perception of this fascinating country.

An overlook of the Rapiti river and surrounding park