Nepal: The Heart of the Jungle

The view from the drive to Chitwan National Park

Nepal is more than just mountains when it comes to landscape. Just five hours south of Kathmandu, close to the border with India, is the Chitwan National Park. It's near 1000 square kilometer jungle is full of forests, grasslands, and marshes. Chitwan actually means "the heart of the jungle" and it's one of the best places in Asia to see wildlife.

We spent a quick two days here hoping to see some of the protected animals. We also learned a bit about the Tharu people and took in a cultural show.


The evening we arrived, we saw the traditional homes the villagers live in, round thatched roofs and walls made from bamboo and mud. Then, we were treated to an hour-long traditional dance performance. The highlights were the stick dances. For men, this dance prepares them for fighting their enemies, and for women, it celebrates the end of the rice harvest. There was also a dance to honour the wild peacock that's found in the park. It was entertaining and the costume was exquisite.

Then early the first morning, we set out by canoe on the Rapti River. The air was chilly, but the river water was warm, meaning that mist formed and hung above the water. It was absolutely magical. Our guide pointed out many birds, deer, and crocodile found around the river's edge.

                   

All was silent except the early morning sounds of the animals as we paddled down stream. Around the bend in the river we made out a figure on the pebbled cove of a small island. It turned to look at us, and through the mist, we saw a Royal Bengal tiger. With a flick of its tail, it sunk down into the tall grass and disappeared so quickly we aren't able to get a picture, but we were incredibly fortunate to have seen this shy and rare creature!

In the afternoon, we headed out on a jeep safari, where it was less magical, but we were able to see more of the forest. We stopped at the breeding centre for gharial crocodiles, which are endangered. They breed them here and release the young ones into the wild. They have long snouts mashed full of teeth for catching fish.

In the jungle, we were also fortunate to find endangered one-horned rhinoceroses, especially this mother and her baby!

And we didn't even need to go into the forest to see this python that had wandered into someone's home right beside our hotel bungalow! The villagers worked together to capture it into a bag and return it to its natural habitat.

Another Magical Nepali Experience