Nepal Jungle Safari: Chitwan & Bardia – 10 Days

You’ll get vistas of the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below as you soar into Kathmandu. After clearing customs, a representative will be there to welcome you outside the airport and help you navigate the initially disorienting tiny, winding streets of Kathmandu to your accommodation.

After you’ve settled in, go exploring in the city. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is an excellent site to start your trip because it is surrounded by tiny stores, historic temples, and neighborhood eateries. Swayambhunath, the white stupa standing above the valley, is the ideal location to watch the sun set over the valley if you want to get some exercise.

The evening is a nice time to eat, and Thamel, a popular tourist destination, offers a wide selection of eateries serving both Western and regional Nepali cuisine.

Take a quick flight of about 30 minutes from Tribhuvan Airport’s domestic terminal to Bharatpur. Transfer by automobile to the less populated section of Chitwan National Park’s western edge from there.

When you arrive at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge, the staff will greet you and provide a welcome beverage in the dining room. When you get to the garden, lunch will be ready for you.

The swimming pool beckons, and it would be easy to idle away a warm afternoon swimming and reading with a refreshing drink in hand. After lunch, you will have time to settle into your rooms and explore the lodge grounds. Later on in the day, we advise you to take a stroll along the Narayani River with the elephants and one of our naturalists and have some sundowners while watching the elephant family play and wash.

Before dinner, return to the lodge for hot baths and cold beverages.

The mahouts cut and gather grass for the elephants to eat during the day in the grasslands, so get up early and follow them there. You will enjoy a steaming cup of authentic Nepali tea while seeing the lovely sight of the elephants grazing in the early mist. The mahouts can teach you the rope-binding and grass-cutting methods.

A hearty meal will be ready when you return to the camp. You can spend the rest of the morning with the mahouts learning how to prepare kuchis (elephant sandwiches), watching the elephants relax in their corrals, or participating in other activities the mahouts have scheduled.

Around noon, lunch will be provided, and during the sweltering midday hours, you might want to unwind and take it easy like the elephants.

Take a stroll through the jungle with the elephants and their mahouts in the late afternoon when the weather is favorable. You will be wandering next to the elephants while observing their movements, eating habits, and trumpeting and rumbling sounds that they use to communicate. As you pass through a rainforest, grassland, and wetland along the trip, our naturalist will demonstrate and discuss the species and vegetation. Depending on the route, you may see tiger footprints, deer, several bird species, and possibly one or more rhinos.

Have breakfast outside under the shade of a mango tree before setting off on a Narayani River boat safari. The excursion starts with a stroll through the riverine forest on foot or in a bullock cart and ends with a leisurely float down the river.

Pockets of rapids help the boats move forward as they cruise down the broad river, lapping at the sides with soft waves. Keep a look out for various birds and other wildlife while sitting inside a hand-carved boat. The threatened fish-eating gharial crocodile and its more dangerous sibling, the marsh-mugger, are at the top of the list.

Back at the lodge, a Nepali-style lunch will be provided. Afterward, you might wish to go back to the pool for another afternoon of relaxation and sunbathing.

Meet your naturalist for a jeep safari in the national park later in the day. From the convenience and comfort of one of our vintage Land Rovers, explore the natural world. Our naturalists are quite informed about the creatures and the past of Chitwan National Park, so do not be afraid to enquire and learn all you can. You will see animals on the safari, including deer, birds, monkeys, the critically endangered one-horned rhinoceros, and perhaps even the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger.

Drive to Lumbini for three hours after breakfast. Without stopping in at Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary, no tour to the Terai would be complete.

Visit the magnificent World Peace Pagoda and the other temples constructed by pilgrims from all over the world, as well as the Maya Devi Temple, on a guided tour. You will feel as though you have seen all of Asia in a day because there are temples constructed using Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architecture. To see European wigeons, European marsh harriers, and booted eagles, use your binoculars.

Today, you will travel through border towns and Tharu villages as you cross Nepal’s southern flood plains. It takes 7-8 hours to complete the journey. Get a sense of daily life in the Terai as you travel through cities, farms, and forests. You will cross the Babai River close to the lodge, where marsh mugger crocodiles may be basking in the midday sun.

You will be welcomed by the personnel at Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge with a refreshing welcome beverage. Before supper, take a seat in your room and unwind with a book or take a walk around the neighborhood. Cocktails will be served in front of an outside fireplace before dinner is served in the Ghol Ghar (Nepalese dining room). The stocked bar is open until the last guest goes to bed, making it a great place for late-night conversations.

Today, have a more laid-back day. Take your time getting up and eating a substantial continental breakfast. Drive for an hour to reach the Chisapani Bridge, the beginning site of your river safari and the largest in Nepal. Observe a variety of aquatic birds, crocodiles, and perhaps even the highly uncommon Gangetic dolphin as you float down the Karnali River. Watch animals and monkeys graze on the river bank as you leisurely float through little islands where the river divides. You’ll be picked up and driven to the lodge for a late lunch after your safari.

Take a leisurely stroll through the nearby villages and paddy fields in the late afternoon or early evening to meet the locals and discover more about the Tharu way of life.

A full-day jeep safari in search of tigers can be undertaken after waking up early to the sounds of the plentiful birdlife. Your knowledgeable naturalist will lead you to different hides and lookouts while pointing out a wide variety of species. While you wait for a glimpse of the coveted orange and black stripes, have a packed lunch. You can visit the elephant and gharial (the rarest crocodile in the world) breeding facility at the National Park Headquarters before returning to your starting point.

In the early evening, return to the lodge for a delectable dinner and a well-earned cool beer or hot shower.

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, you’ll drive the two hours back to Nepalgunj Airport in time for your journey back to Kathmandu in a light aircraft. If you’re lucky, you might see more crocodiles when you cross the Babai River.

After you arrive in Kathmandu, take in one more meal in Thamel, buy a few last-minute gifts, or simply unwind at your hotel.

Three hours prior to your travel today, a transfer will take you to the airport. Bid Nepal adieu for the time being!