Experiences in Chitwan-national-park

While safari drives and walking safaris let guests see the larger and smaller animals respectively. A canoe ride is an excellent way to enjoy the unique eco system around the rivers and floodplains. Mugger crocodiles and Gharials basking on banks, storks, ducks, kingfishers along with otters, turtles and if lucky, even a fishing cat, are some of the creatures to watch out for. The comfortable wooden oar boats glide noiselessly, manoeuvred by expert oarsmen while naturalists explain the world around the water. The boats are equipped with life jackets and the boatmen are expert swimmers who also act as life guards.

Twice daily safari drives are conducted by expert naturalists in specially designed 4X4 vehicles with theatre style seating. Morning safaris at Chitwan starts shortly after sunrise. Along with the thrill of tiger tracking, is a memorable stop for a picnic breakfast. Afternoon safaris last a couple of hours and end at sunset. The dense jungles of Chitwan have large stretches of Sal with a closed canopy. A safari drive through these patches, with trees towering above and reams of sunlight breaking through the thick canopy is an enchanting experience. Seated in a specially designed safari vehicle, guests drive around the jungle, accompanied by a trained naturalist and an experienced tracker from the local community. The one horned Rhinoceros is the star of Chitwan and are usually spotted in open woods and grasslands. Along with mammals, the forest has 56 species of reptiles and amphibians, the most commonly spotted ones being the monitor lizards and pythons. The Gharial crocodiles are highly endangered and the park authorities run a breeding centre for these unusual looking creatures that can be visited while out on a safari drive

For the adventurous youngsters with a love for all things wild, our Budding Naturalist programme is an interactive curriculum. Usually spanning three to four days, the programme can be tweaked depending on the duration of stay. From early morning nature walks and safaris to late evening ‘frogging’ and star gazing sessions, this programme covers as many aspects of the wild to get the young brigade on the go early on. At the end of the programme, the children go back with a new appreciation of the natural world, a certificate, a plethora of adventure stories and a feather in their hats

The ‘Tharus”, are traditionally a forest dwelling community that have inhabited the Himalayan foothills and are found in the Terai region of Nepal and India. Meghauli is a traditional Tharu village near Meghauli Serai which guests visit along with a naturalist and a local guide to explain each aspect of this culture. The Tharu villages are characterised by homes made of locally sourced materials, usually bamboo plastered with mud and decorated with colourful hand prints. Typically the Tharus live in joint families in a single large dwelling. Each home usually has a cattle shed, pig sty and pigeon houses. The Tharu cuisine is quite distinct with dishes like duck curry, sticky rice and spicy snails. A popular rice based alcoholic drink is ‘Raksi’ often likened to the Japanese ‘Sake’. While this community was isolated for decades, and lived off the forest, a majority of them are now into agriculture, fishing and cattle rearing.

Chitwan is rightly considered a birdwatchers’ paradise. Exotic birds such as the highly endangered Bengal florican and the glorious paradise flycatcher, as well as a range of colourful sunbirds, kingfishers and jungle fowl, call this forest their home.

The gorgeous Chitwan National Park is home to a wide variety of creatures great and small, including the famed greater one-horned rhino, the majestic Bengal tiger, elephants, gharials, foxes, leopards and more. Head out into the jungle by dawn for the best chances of spotting these creatures of the wild.

A walking safari is ideal for adventurers looking for a closer communion with nature. Be it the nature trails offered in the buffer zone of the park or a leisurely nature walk, it is an opportunity to get acquainted with the smaller creatures. Butterflies, dung beetles scurrying about and multitudes of wildflowers are a few of the many delights best discovered on foot. One of the most exciting activities on offer in Chitwan is the chance to go on a walking safari in almost all areas open for tourism. The walking safari is conducted by the most experienced of naturalists and expert trackers. It is an adventure that requires average levels of fitness and depending on the participants a typical walk may cover a distance of five to ten kilometres. However, guests can request a gentle walk for a shorter distance too. A typical walking safari will be a cross section of dense jungle, grassland and a waterbody. This allows guests an opportunity to see animals and birds from various habitats.

In Tharu culture people live in joint family groups in a large family home or the ‘Bada Ghar’ (literally meaning big house). The Bada Ghar dining at Meghauli Serai is based on this concept of warmth and camaraderie over a meal. The large dining area comfortably seats all guests in the lodge. The a la carte menu offers a selection of options from traditional as well as international cuisines.

Authentic local cuisine and unvarnished native culture are prized experiences for any traveller. At Meghauli Serai, these two aspects are beautifully woven together in the Tharu village dining experience. A small village has been recreated within the lodge. An open courtyard with a veranda running parallel along its length serve the dual function of providing indoor and outdoor dining options. The entire structure is plastered with mud and decorated with traditional tribal patterns on the wall. The thatch roof, a bullock cart and a ‘kabootarghar’ or a pigeon house add a rustic touch. Traditional dishes like sticky rice, spicy duck and mustard greens are served along with other local delicacies. Tharu dancers moving in unison to a heady drum beat make the atmosphere festive.

An elevated deck called the Rapti Kinara (literally meaning bank of the Rapti) with a vantage view of the river below and the forest beyond is a most enjoyable alfresco dining spot. Guests sit down to a traditional ‘sekuwa’ barbeque dinner on candle lit tables to the gentle lapping sounds of the water. Vegetables fresh from the lodge’s organic kitchen gardens are mildly spiced and grilled. Often on a moonlit night, an odd rhino or a herd of deer can be seen coming down for a drink.

A sumptuous breakfast set up on the safari vehicle bonnet deep in the jungle. Freshly baked muffins and cookies along with sandwiches, fresh fruit and hot kathi rolls are washed down with freshly plunged coffee and a selection of teas. A perfect refuelling for the rest of the morning safari at Chitwan

The wildlife viewing deck or ‘Machaan’, on the river is the perfect vantage point to look out at the forest across and the river flowing below. A private dinner at this sweet spot, surrounded by wilderness and the open sky above is an experience to turn even a cynic into a romantic. Meghauli Serai offers multiple venues for private dining. The soft sandbanks of Rapti, the privacy of guest villas or under a tree by the light of oil lamps and candles. Irrespective of the venue, the meal prepared by expert chefs and private butler service remain the constants.