Jungle Safari in Nepal is one of the most exciting and adventurous trips you can enjoy. You won’t be disappointed because you surely will encounter some of the most exciting and wild animals you may not see in other parts of the world. There are several ways that you can enjoy jungle safari trips. You may choose to have comfort riding elephant and see through the forests. You can hire an experienced guide to take you into jungle. You may also take a four wheeler if you are really fond of taking pictures whenever you want instantly.
Nepal has 14 national parks and two of them are popular in Nepal and its have much moor opportunity to explore and experience of culture, nature and animals. The land is covered by almost 26 % with forests (about 36360square km). Hence, it makes sense to really ponder upon the fact and see what really these lands have to offer to visitors.
Jungle Safari in Nepal – Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the oldest and the most famous parks in Nepal. It covers the area of 932 square kilometers in mid-terai region of Nepal. Chitwan National Park is well known for one-horned Rhinoceros and Royal Bengal Tiger.
Lot’s of tourists come from worldwide to jungle safari in Chitwan national park to spend their holidays. Jungle safari in Chitwan is the main attraction of Chitwan national park. Rhinos leave elephants alone, as do tigers. Elephants make the safest mode of transport for a safari in the Royal Chitwan National Park.
Best Attractions of Chitwan National Park
There are about 43 different species of mammals in the park. The park is intended for protecting endangered species such as one horned rhinos, tigers, gharials etc. Some of the other mammals found here are gaur, wild elephants, antelopes, hyena, dolphin etc. There are more than 45 species of reptiles and aquatic animals in the park including, crocodiles, cobras, green pit viper etc.
You have lots of choices getting inside the forest. You can ride on an elephant that will take you through buffer zone where you can see animals like deers, rhinos, birds, monkeys etc. It is very unlikely that you encounter tigers in this buffer zone. You need to be very lucky to see tigers in this area. If you really do not want to miss seeing a tiger, the local people (guides) recommend you to stay for 3-5 days, take jeep safari inside the forest for few days, then you will not miss seeing at least a couple of tigers.
The most adventurous among trips as it may provide you an opportunity to view animals very close and take pictures. At night you will be entertained by the locals (Tharus) performing stage show with dances of their culture. You can expect to join them to dance and have fun.
The Nepali rhinoceros is a massive, lumbering creature. That stands at around 1.7m (5.6 ft) and weighs around two tons. Combine this with notoriously poor eyesight and a tendency to charge anything that moves, and you have a dangerous beast indeed.
If you find yourself in the path of a charging rhino, you are advised to make a dash for it (in a curve), dropping an item of clothing as you go. Better still, do your rhino-seeing on the back of an elephant.
Riding an elephant
Riding an elephant is the best form of transport in the park. The Royal Nepali Army, which polices the park and enforces conservation laws, makes its patrols by elephant and park workers move about similarly. It is not uncommon to see a small work crew resting in the shade of a clump of bombax trees around midday. The elephant’s trunks are relentlessly foraging. Their pahits, handlers, perhaps sleeping on their back with umbrellas raised as protection against the sun.
Elephants can usually be rented at the park offices or one of the lodges listed below. Each beast has its handler and individual gait. For most, these game rides are memories that will last the longest. The pahit, astride the elephant’s necks, brushes the lianas and giant ferns aside with his steel goad and the seemingly ungainly three-ton steed steps nimbly over fallen logs.
Is it OK to Ride an Elephant?
Jungle safari in Chitwan national park: The safest way to see Nepal’s animals’ life is on elephant’s back. An elephant is about the only thing a 300- kg (650-lb) rhino will leave alone. Fording the tals of the Terai (top), a favored rhino haunt, is not something bask in the sunny waters of Chitwan National Park.
Elephants themselves are curious enough, munching their way through up to 300 kg (660 lb) of food and quaffing 200 liters (52 gallons) of water per day. Not to mention resignedly diminutive human masters the Mahout, in Nepali pahit. But the real attraction of Chitwan and other national parks of Nepal’s lowland Terai is its wild animals.
Best Time for Chitwan Jungle safari Tour in Nepal
You can visit the park any season of the year but it is recommended that you visit this park in Feb-March when the grasses are lush and many animals are attracted to it. This is the season when you can expect to see most of the animals.
