Jungle & Nature exclursions and safaris in Chitwan National Park – Nepal – “To Do” in planning your trip to Nepal

Some useful facts about Chitwan National Park

– Date of establishment – 1973 A.D.( The first established National Park in Nepal)
– Entire Area of the park – 932 square kilometers
– Headquarter – Kasara ( Near Crocodile Breeding Farm)
– Catchment Districts  – Chitwan, Parsa and Nawalparasi
– Three different categories of forest – 70% Sal Forest, 20% Grassland and 10% Reverie forest
– 56 different spices of mammals, 569 spices of colorful birds, 21 reptiles, 600 different spices of herbs and plants, 350 spices of butterflies and 125 types of fish are found in the park.
– Declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984 A.D.

Jungle and Nature excursions

PARK PERMIT (1500 RUPEES PER PERSON PER DAY)

To enter Chitwan National Park, you must purchase a park permit.
This permit is valid for the whole day, so you can use it for different excursions on the same the day.
The permit costs 1500 rupees per person and per day.
We can arrange you this permit when you book your programs with us.
The money from park permit is being used to preserve the national park from poaching and deforestation.

Royal Elephant Safari
15,500 rupees + Park permit needed

• Included: Elephant safari, making elephant candy,
• Bath with elephant, elephant make up.
• Duration: half day program
• Maximum: 2 people on one elephant

Some questions:

• Are you concerned about the welfare of elephants?
• Are you looking for a unique, off the beaten track safari experience?
• Do you like to connect with an elephant in a more intimate manner?
• If so you might like to try our Royal Safari.

This unique elephant ride reconnects with the rich past of Nepal, when elephants were the vehicles of the royal family, and only the king could name a new born elephant. The Royal Safari returns to the traditional ways of elephant riding: two people sitting on a soft padding.

We do away with the heavy howdah, which is unsuitable for the sensitive elephant back. This enables you to literally come closer to this highly intelligent animal, which can teach us so much.

The Royal Safari takes you to Kumrose Buffer zone area which is the home of around twenty rhinos, an unknown number of tigers, and countless deer, bear and leopard. Halfway the safari we take a break to stretch our legs.

Elephants that take part in our Royal Safari conduct only two trips per day, early morning and late afternoon. We instruct the mahout, or caretaker, to feed and treat the elephants well as we want to set an example for better welfare and management of the majestic Asian Elephant.

ELEPHANT JUNGLE RIDE
2130 rupees per person, + park permit needed
Duration: 1,5 hours
Maximum: 4 people on one elephant

Visit the jungle on the back of a five tone elephant. This thrilling elephant ride provides a great vantage point for viewing the abundant wildlife in the area, and a great chance to spot a rhino or tiger from high above the tall grass. Surprisingly, elephants get very close to the rhinos as if they are neighbors. “Who cares, I’m not bothered,” says the rhino.

It is also possible to hire one elephant for two people as a private ride for your comfort, the price for this reservation is Rs.6000 rupees (two persons).

VISIT A THARU VILLAGE ON AN ELEPHANT
1440 rupees per person, No park permit needed
Duration: 1 hour
Minimum: 2 people

A very special way to get to know the Tharu people and their ancient culture is being on the back of an elephant. You ride through the rice fields and across the river. Arriving at the village, you have time to wander around and get to know the Tharu. The elephant will safely bring you back to Sapana Village Lodge.
FOOD CANDY MAKING FOR ELEPHANT
404 rupees per person
Elephant candy is taking place at Sapana Lodge
Duration: 1 hour

Fruits, leaves, small branches of trees and tall elephant grass are considered as the food of elephants. They need hundreds of pounds of food a day and drink up to 200 liters of water.
Sitting beside the elephant driver, you can make the candy – kuhchi in Nepali – for elephants using straw, rice, sugar and salt. An hour program provides you a wonderful opportunity to feed such an amazing creature of the world.

ELEPHANT MAKE UP
635 per person
Elephant make up is taking place at Sapana Lodge
Duration: max 30 minutes
Maximum: 3 people with one elephant

The elephants are loveable and friendly animals. They look amazingly beautiful on decoration with harmless color especially during festivals. So these elephants can be your friend and you can have a wonderful experience and personal moment to decorate them. Being with the elephant’s driver, approximately 30 minutes elephant painting program provides you much fun and pleasure.
Our elephant Chanchalkali had won the first price on “Elephant Beauty Contest in 2011” among 45 elephants.

ELEPHANT BATH
635 rupees per person
Elephant washing is at 11.30 am at Sapana village, river side
Duration: 1/2 hour

You will get a feeling of childhood wonder as you help bath an elephant. You’ll be rewarded with a refreshing trunk full of cold water. This is also the best way to cool off on a hot afternoon. And a whole lot of fun!!!

SPECIAL BIRD WATCHING TRIP
2875 rupees per person, + park permit needed
Duration: Half day program
With guide

Either early morning or late afternoon would be a great time to spot about 500 different species of birds in the Chitwan area. With an expert Naturalist, your approx. 3-4 hours bird-watching trip around Grasslands Rivers, lakes and forest will be very exciting and will teach you a lot about the birds.

When you really love birds, the special bird watching tour can be 2 or 3 days as well (price on request).

TWENTY THOUSAND LAKE VISIT

By jeep 1440 rupees /per person
By bicycle 750 rupees per person
Duration: half day trip, No Park permit needed
Minimum 3 people
With a guide

The lake is a magical natural lake situated in middle of jungle forest.
After a ride into a typical Tharu village you reach this place famous for spotting birds and many other animals like rhinos, the special Gharial or Marsh Mugger crocodile, deer and other species. You can visit this lake as a morning or afternoon tour by bicycle or jeep.

CANOEING AND
VISIT THE ELEPHANT BREEDING CENTRE
2015 rupees per person + park permit needed
Duration: 2 hours, morning or afternoon program
With guide
A relaxing way to explore the jungle is to take a canoe down the Rapti River.
The canoe trip takes about 45 minutes, during which you can spot various water birds and two different types of crocodiles, called Gharials and Marsh Muggers.

After the canoe, it’s a short walk to visit the Elephant Breeding Centre where you can enjoy watching the elephants and their babies.

BIRD WATCHING ON THE LONG CANOE TRIP AND VISIT THE CROCODILE BREEDING CENTRE
6325 rupees per person, picnic lunch included + park permit needed
Duration: Full day program
With guide

Float along the river on a long canoe trip for about 3 hours enjoying spotting various water birds and crocodiles. Once back on land, we take a jungle walk stopping for lunch in a jungle tower.
After lunch we continue the walk until we reach the Long Lake in the middle of the park. Here you visit the Crocodile Breeding Centre.
Finish the tour with a jeep drive back to Sapana Lodge.

JEEP SAFARI
Jeep rent full day 20,125 rupees + park permit needed for each person
Picnic lunch included
With guide

Jeep rent half day 14,125 rupees+ park permit needed for each person
With guide

It’s possible to share a jeep with up to 6 people

Jeep safari is a very popular way to explore deep in the jungle of Chitwan National Park. Set the route to include a range of attractions from a visit to Long Lake, Tamor Lake, the Crocodile Breeding Centre or the Park museum.
A great way to see the natural beauty of the jungle and spot wildlife.

JUNGLE WALK
2990 rupees per person, picnic lunch included + park permit needed
Duration: full day program
Maximum: 8 people
With guide

2015 rupees per person + park permit needed
Duration: half day program
Maximum: 8 people
With guide

A fantastic way to get close to the wildlife with two local professional guides is a jungle walk. In this exciting jungle adventure you enjoy the green harmony of tall trees and an impressive range of animals.
Keep an eye out for tigers, crocodiles, wild elephants, monkeys and rhinos that all inhabit this area. It’s possible to see all of them, if you are lucky.

Multiple Day Jungle Treks with Home stay in Remote Villages near Jungle like Madi and Ghatgai are possible. (Price on Request)

JUNGLE TOUR PLUS (+ extra 230 rupees per person)
Our jungle guide will together with you collect the food he collected when he was a young man living in the jungle. The local people know the jungle like it’s their garden. Spot the best of wildlife and nature, collect food from the jungle and have it prepared on your return to the lodge as an appetizer.

OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE JUNGLE
4025 rupees per person, + park permit needed
50% of price goes to the village
Dinner included
Stay overnight in the jungle high above the ground in the Jungle Tower, where two rooms are available. Spot jungle animals from your elevated position and listen to the sound of the jungle at night as birds sing and monkeys frolic.

In the afternoon you walk from the Jungle Tower to a Tharu village. You collect your dinner along the way as you learn from the Tharu villagers to pick edible vegetables in the jungle.

Then you learn to prepare your own dinner in a Tharu house. After dinner the Park Guide will escort you to your jungle house, where you spend the night.
The guide will keep you safe and secure during this wildlife escapade. In the morning, a jeep picks you up at 7 o’clock to bring you back to Sapana.

NIGHTWALK
750 rupees per person, No park permit needed
Duration: around 1, 5 hours
With guide

An exciting night nature walks to come across great animals watching place. Guided by Naturalist, this silent, but extraordinary experience will be your unforgettable trip. Enjoy beautiful blue sky with full of stars while relaxing on canoe point.