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Chitwan National Park
Area Code: 056
This very popular wildlife park is 120km southwest of Kathmandu, in the center of Nepal. This is one of the best wildlife parks to visit in Asia. It is a great experience going on an elephant safari in this first-class park. It is relatively easy to get to and can be visited cheaply. It is a popular park to visit so can get crowded. If you want seclusion you may want to visit Bardia National Park or Sukla Phanta, which are much less crowded.
There are many wild animals in this park, which include one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, leopards, wild boars, sloth bears, wild buffalo and crocodiles. These animals can all be seen on the back of an elephant. It is unlikely to see a tiger, but you can be almost certain to see a rhino, monkeys, different species of deer, and many species of birds.
During their visit in 1911, King George V and his son the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), during their hunting expedition 39 tigers and 18 rhinos were killed. In 1973, when Chitwan became a national park, the amount of rhinos was down to 100 and the tigers were just 20.
At the present time the park has around 460 rhinos, 80 tigers, over 50 other species of animals, and over 450 species of birds.
From Kathmandu it takes a day to get to Chitwan and a day to get back to Kathmandu, so you need at least three days for this trip. For most people two full days at the park is enough. As it is a pleasant place many people will want to stay longer. You can also do a river raft trip there, spending three days on the river Trisuli or Seti Khola.
The best time to visit the park is from October to May. There is a wide assortment of birds in the park. The best time to view migratory species is from December to March.
The park can easily be visited from either Kathmandu or Pokhara. If you are traveling between Kathmandu and Sunauli, it is a short trip of the route to the park. If you are going between Kathmandu and Pokhara and the Indian border town of Birganj, you pass Chitwan.
There are many places to stay here ranging from Rs 100 up to $350 per night.
Geography
Chitwan is 932 sq km and the adjacent Parsa Wildlife Reserve is 499 sq km.
Chitwan is in Chitwan in an area known as the Inner Terai. It is surrounded by the Someshwar Hills. The north park of the park is a narrow strip of flat land running along the Rapti and Narayani rivers. It is the most visited part of the park. The east part of the park is connected to Parsa Wildlife Reserve, which is not usually visited, but this is valuable land for the wildlife. The Someshwar Hill going up to 735m are in the south section of the park. Visitors do not usually come here.
There are several lakes in the park, which are good for bird watching. A lake is known as a “tal.” The best lakes are Devi Tal near Tiger Tops, Bis Hajaar Tal (20,000 lakes), and Lami Tal near Kasara.
Flora
The Terai area, where Chitwan is located is subtropical. The park is made up of grassland (20%), hardwood forest (73%) and riverine forest (7%). The hardwood forest is mainly sal trees (Shorea ribusta), and there are also kapok, pipal, palash, strangler fir and shisham.
In the grassland over 50 species can be found. Elephant grasses (the saccharun family) grow up to 8m high. The small species such as khar are useful for thatching.
Sal, which is the main tree in Chitwan, is a valued hardwood, which is used for building and woodcarving. It is known for its strength and durability and this can be seen because many of the ancient buildings in Nepal were constructed by it. It grows in well-drained soil to an average height of 30m.
In wetter area there are shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), Simal trees (Bombax ceiba) and khair (Acacia catechu). Simals have large red flowers in the spring.
Wildlife
There are over 50 species of mammals, 450 species of birds, and 65 species of butterflies. The most interesting animals to see are the tigers (rarely seen) and the rhinos (usually seen).
Tiger
It is unlikely to see a wild tiger in the park. Tigers usually travel and hunt at night, which makes them hard to spot during the day. Tigers need a large area for hunting. A male used about 60 sq km and a female around 16 sq km. The male have their own area, but they may overlap with some females. There has to be at least 50 breeding adults to prevent interbreeding.
Rhinoceros
Rhinos (gaida) are often seen in the park. There are two species of rhinos in Africa and three types in Asian. The one-horn rhino found at Chitwan is smaller than the African white, but is larger than the African black rhinos. It weights up to two tonnes (tons) and can grown up to 180cm at the shoulders. Rhino are normally solitary animals, but several may stay in the same area.
They have poor eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell. The poor sight of the rhinoceros is why they are known to be dangerous. Because they can not see very well, when they see sometime they assume it may be dangerous and then charge it. They are amazing quick. If you catch one by surprise, especially a mother with a child, they can immediately charge.
Many of the parts of a rhino are considered to be valuable and therefore they are subject to poaching. To mark their territory rhinos drop their excreta in mounds. They are easy prey for a poacher because they approach their mounds backwards. Their horns are used as Arab dagger and are believed to be sexual stimulant.
Rhinoceros are found in the grasslands in Chitwan National Park and Royal Bardia National Park.
Other Mammals
Leopards (chituwa) and night prowling sloth bears (bhalu) are found in the park, but they are rarely seen. There are jackals, civets, wild dogs and various types of mongoose.
T he black-faced gray langur monkeys and the brownish-red rhesus monkeys are the most common animals to see. The smaller macaque monkeys are often seen at temples. The Nepali name for monkey is “bandar.”
There are four species of deer in the park. There are spotted deer (chital), big sambar deer (jarayo), hot deer (laghuna) and small barking deer (mirga). You can often get a quick view of them.
Gaur, which are wild cattle, are in the park. You may also see the blue cow (nilgai), which are the large antelope in Asia, but they are not usually seen.
There are wild boars, hares, squirrels, porcupines and bats.
Freshwater or Gangetic dolphins can sometimes be seen in the rivers in the park, but they are rarely seen.
Reptiles
There two types of crocodiles. The gharial crocodile grows up to 7m, is found in rivers, and eats fish. It was in fear of extinction and is very rare. They are harmless. There is a successful gharial breeding center near Kasara, near the park’s headquarters. Marsh crocodiles are found in lakes, marshes and sometimes in rivers.
There are snakes (sarpa) in the park including some interesting pythons. There are also turtles. Some poisonous snakes found in the park are cobra, viper and krait.
Birds
More than 450 local and migratory species have been sighted in the park. There are storks, eagles, cranes, owls, herons, parakeets, hawks, kingfishers, falcons, cormorants, osprey, ducks, woodpeckers, flycatchers, sandpipers, ibis, kites orioles, swallows, gulls and many more.
Package Tours
Package tours are usually three days and two nights. A standard tour usually includes transportation, accommodation, food, an elephant ride, and park entry. There may also be a jungle walk, a canoe trip, a Tharu folk dance and a visit to a Tharu village. If you do everything and stay in a middle class place, a tour costs around $100 if you travel by bus and $150 by car. If you stay in a luxury place the price is much higher. If you do the same thing yourself, you can do it much cheaper. If you take a budget tour its costs around $60 if you stay in a room with common bath and $70 with bath. This includes a bus ride from Kathmandu or Pokhara to the park, meals, and activities.
There are rafting and Chitwan trip, which includes three days rafting on the Trisuli River, and then you stay at Chitwan for two nights. They can begin as low as $150. These trips usually go only to Narayanghat and not all the way to the park, and from there you have to get a bus or taxi to the park.
Many people do not find this long enough time as travel time to and from Kathmandu is six or seven hours each way. This leaves just one day to visit the park.
Many travels agents in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and in foreign countries arrange package tours of Chitwan. If you plan to stay at one of the expensive hotels a package tour can be a good idea, because it often is cheaper than paying the standard rate of the hotel.
If you plan to stay in a budget hotel, it is usually not a good idea to take a package tour. The travel agent has to make money and that will be tacked onto the price of the tour. Also you are committed to a particular hotel and you are then forced to follow their time schedules. Plus you only spend just a day and a half at the park. It is easy to arrange things yourself in Chitwan, so a package tour does not really save you any trouble.
It is usually not such a good idea to arrange a budget package tour in Kathmandu or Pokhara, because you then may not have a choice when and how you visit the park, or where you eat. It is best to arrange a budget package tour directly with the hotel’s office in Kathmandu or Pokhara, who therefore can be held accountable versus a travel agent, who you may never see again and can also make excuses. You can get the address and phone numbers of the hotel’s representatives from the brochures that the travel agents hand out for the tours.
Local People Situation
Over 1000 soldiers protect the park from poaching and woodcutting. Many of the locals believe the parks takes up valuable farming and wood collecting land. Also often the animals leave the park and damage crops from the local farms. The rhinos leave the park in February and March and eat the wheat and mustards plants and in November they damage the rice crops.
Each year in February, the local villagers are allowed to come into the park and harvest some of the grass. Grass is used for roof thatching and other uses. Tourism also gives many jobs for the locals.
What to Bring
Insect repellent is a necessity.
For better viewing binoculars are extremely helpful.
Except for during the winter it is quite hot in the Terai, so you need to have clothes for the weather. There is not much shade on the back of an elephant, so a hat, sunscreen and a long sleeve shirt are a good idea. During the winter from late-November to February it can be quite cold, especially in the morning, so a warm sweater or jacket will be necessary. A swimsuit is good for swimming.
It is best to have neutral color clothing because bright colors scare the animals. Yellows, reds and white in particular should be avoided.
Warning Leeches (jukha) can be a problem during the monsoon. There are still some leeches one or two months after it stops raining.
Practicalities
You can combine a trip to the park with a raft ride. They do not go all the way to the park, but usually stop in Narayanghat.
The closest bank is Nepal Bank in Tandi. Some hotel in Sauraha change money and there are some legal money changers that change many currencies and travelers’ cheques. Usually they give a worst rate than the book.
T here are some small bookshops in Sauraha selling used books.
You can hire a bike for Rs 70 to Rs 100 per day.
Motorcycle rental is around Rs 700 per day, plus extra for fuel.
The phone connection is not very good to Sauraha village. Hello World Communication Service in Tadi Bazaar is one of the better places to make a phone call. There are email services, but the rates are usually much higher than Kathmandu or Pokhara.
When to Go
The best time to come to Chitwan is October to February. The average daily temperature is 24ºC. It can be quite cold in the morning, so it is recommended to have a sweater or jacket. In October it can be fairly uncomfortable because of heat and humidity.
From mid-January to the end of February, the villagers go into the park and cut the grass. What is left of the grass is then burnt. While the villagers are in the park, the animals are scare and they are hard to find.
From the end of February through May is the best time to view the wildlife because the grasslands have been burnt away. In April and May it can be very hot and therefore uncomfortable.
The worst time to come to the park is the end June to mid-September during the monsoon. During this time there are leeches, the ground is muddy, visibility is bad, and flooding of the rivers closes some of the park. Many of the hotels are closed at this time.
Park Practicalities
There is no actual park entrance. You enter the park by taking a canoe or wading across the river.
Entry permits are Rs 1000 and are good for two consecutive days. Free for children under 10. If you are staying at a hotel inside the park usually the entry fee will be added onto the cost. You get them at the Ranger’s office left of the visitor centre. Open 6 to 9 am and 2 to 4 pm. As the wait in the morning can be long, you may want to hire someone at your lodge to wait for you (Rs 50 to Rs 100). You book an elephant ride when you purchase your ticket. You should book an elephant ride as early as possible. If you have someone else purchase your ticket you should check it before entering the park as sometime they give you a counterfeit one. Guides may also bring you places in the forest where a permit is not needed and still charge you for a park ticket. The visitor centre and ticket office are open daily from 6 to 9.30 am and 1.30 to 4.30 pm.
The visitors’ centre has a small museum with displays on the park (open daily 6 am to 6 pm). There are some good maps of the park on the walls. Maps sold in are not as good.
The headquarters of the park is at Kasara, west of Sauraha. There is a crocodile breeding place there.
There are maps of the park which can be purchased in Sauraha.
Guides
Guides are very helpful when entering the park. Everyone must have a guide with them to enter the park. When hiring a guide you should ask them how many years experience they have in the park. Often if they have fewer years in the park, they may not speak English so well.
It is not a good idea to enter the park without an experience guide and it is not unusual for people to be attacked by rhinos or other wildlife in the park. For safety reasons, guide take no more than four people into the park at a time.
Guides are certified as junior, senior and advanced. The more advanced guides have more years of experience and speak better English. Guides often have great knowledge about the wildlife in the park and are expert and identifying birds. If a guide is good it is a good idea to tip them, as their salaries are very low.
Each lodge has their own guides, but if you sign up to go with one you may be forced to go with a package tour at their schedule. You should check on this in advance. If you want to go on a non-standard walk you should hire a senior or advanced guide. There are several independent guide services, which usually have more experience than lodge guides. United Jungle Guide Service is a group of guides working together. Ask other travelers what guides they recommend.
WARNING People have been killed on jungle walks by rhinos. Before beginning a jungle walk guides should explain should be done in case of an animal attack. Many of the guides consider these walks risky.
The main danger is from a charging rhino. Before charging a rhino will take a step back and put its head down. If a rhino charges you should climb up a tree. If you can’t do that run in a zigzag path, as rhinos run fast and throw off some of your clothing, as the rhino may stop and smell it.
Places In and Around the Park
Kasara Durbar, built in 1939, is the royal hunting lodge.
At the Gharial Crocodile Breeding Project, the endangered gharial crocodile’s eggs are incubated under controlled condition, therefore increasing the survivor rate. It was started in 1977 when there were only 1300 gharials left on earth.
Lami Tal Lake is good places to view mugger crocodiles and birds.
The Elephant Stables, at the southeastern border of Sauraha, is where many of the Chitwan elephants live. A good time to visit is in the afternoon when the elephants are fed.
At the Elephant Breeding Program, 4km west of Sauraha, elephants are breed and trained. The best time to visit is in the afternoon.
Bis Hajaar Tal is a group of marshy lakes west of the Elephant Breeding Program where deer, birds, monkeys and sometimes rhinos can be seen here. It is best to have a guide to do a day walking tour here.
Getting Around the Park
Elephants Rides
An elephant ride in the park is the highlight of a visit to Chitwan. An elephant is the best way to see the wildlife, especially in the summer and autumn when the grass gets very high, up to 8m high. Riding on an elephant doesn’t scare the wildlife away, because the scent of the elephant masks your scent.
Hotels inside the park have their own elephants. Elephants safaris usually begin at the hotels in Sauraha have their own elephants.
Around ten elephants go out into the park around 7.30 am and 4 pm for 1½ hours and cost Rs 700. During the high-season the demand is greater than the supply, so elephants should be booked as soon as possible. Usually people start queuing up very early in the morning, so it is most likely a good idea to pay to pay around a Rs 100 for your lodge to arrange the elephant for you. On major Nepali holidays the elephants do not go out.
Several of the hotels in Sauraha have their own elephants. They usually charge between Rs 400 and Rs 600 per hour. The elephants from these hotels can only go to the Baghmara Community Forest, a few kilometres west of the park. This area is used by many of the villagers for grazing animals, which has a tendency to scare away the animals. The private operators say you are just as likely to see wildlife here, as within the park, but in actually it is much better in the park. Some people have seen rhinos here.
When booking a package tour to the park, you should make sure to find out if the elephant ride is inside or outside the park. You should ask to see your park entry ticket. Sometimes people are told that the elephant ride is in the park and it is actually outside the park.
Elephants do not go out on important holidays such as the eighth or ninth days of Dasain.
Jungle Walks
Jungle Walks are a good way to sight wildlife and is great for bird watching. Walks begin between 6 and 7 am. Half-day walk goes for three hours Rs 250 to Rs 450 depending on the experience of the guide. A full day walk goes for six hours and costs Rs 400 to Rs 700. Many of the hotels have their own guides and there are some independent guides.
They can be a dangerous, which is a good reason to have an experienced guide with you. A half-day walk will visit grassland and riverine forest. To get into the jungle a full day is needed. There are also longer two day jungle walks. It is best to go with a senior or advanced guide on longer walks. The best time for a jungle walk is in the spring, at which time the grass is shorter. It is possible to take a jungle walk along with a canoe ride.
Jeep Rides
Jeep rides last three to five hours and can cover a greater distant than an elephant. Jeeps depart at 7 am and 1 pm. There is a better chance of seeing wildlife in the afternoon. It is normal to see a rhino on a jeep safari. The best months to see wildlife are February to April, after the grass has been cut. Jeep rides normally go to Kasara Durbar, the park headquarters and the gharial crocodile breeding project, about 20km west of Sauraha. Jeep rides last three or fours hours and costs Rs 700 per person. Often jeeps can not get into the park until the water level of the rivers decrease after the monsoon, until November or early December. During this time shorter and not as good trip will be done outside the park.
Most lodges have their own jeeps. You should book early with your lodge to guarantee a seat in a jeep.
Canoe Trip
Canoe trips usually go down the Rapti or Narayani rivers one-half hour to one hour and then from there you take a guided walk two or three hours back to Sauraha. As many people walk on this trail, it often scares the animals away. Trip usually begin near the Baghmara Community Forest and go down the Rapti River to the Elephant Breeding Project. You can also take a jeep ride back.
Canoes depart at 8 am and 2 pm. You have a better chance of seeing something if you take one of the first canoes departing in the morning or afternoon. During the high-season they should be booked a day in advance. The canoe rides are around Rs 200 per person and the guide charge around Rs 200 person for the walk back. The canoe rides are peaceful. During one, you will see water birds and may see gharial crocodiles, the rarely seen Gangetic dolphin, or a mugger crocodile. The mugger crocodile like the marshy areas.
Bicycle Rides
You can also take a bicycle ride to Bis Hajjar Tal (20,000 Lake) in about 1½ hours. You may see rhinos, gharials and birds at the lake. You should get to the lake early in morning. A bike should be reserved the night before. Bicycles are not allowed in the park. Bikes can be hires for Rs 70 per day at Tadi Bazaar and Sauraha.
To get to Bis Hajjar Tal you first go to Tadi and then you turn left (go west) on Mahendra Highway. You then go 3km until you cross a bridge that goes over the Khageri Khola. You cross the bridge and take the dirt road on the left (go south). After going over another bridge you come to a fort in the road. Take the right fork for 5km and the lake will be on your right.
Tharu Villages and Tharu Stick Dance
Originally the people of this area were Tharus and there are Tharu villages in the area that can be visited. The nearest Tharu village is Bachauli, east of Sauraha. Some hotels arrange village tours. There are two-hour guided walks through the Tharu Village for Rs 75 per person.
Tharu stick dances are worth seeing and several hotels have performances nightly during the high season (Rs 50 for non-guest). During a dance, performers slap their sticks together. You lodge should know where a performance is taking place.
Tharu Cultural Program Hall, north end of Sauraha, has a nightly cultural show with traditional music and dance (Rs 50).