Discover Chitwan

Chitwan – back to nature

After a few days in Kathmandu, it was nice to leave the traffic of the city behind and continue towards Chitwan. I had really been looking forward to this part of the journey because I wanted to get closer to Nepal's nature and, above all, have the chance to see some of the animals that live here. As we got closer to the area, the difference was already noticeable. The landscape became greener, the pace became slower and it almost felt like we had left the hectic part of Nepal behind us.

Chitwan National Park was obviously the main reason we came here. I had heard a lot about the possibility of seeing rhinos, crocodiles, monkeys and lots of birds, but it was the tiger I was hoping for the most. Actually seeing a Bengal tiger in the wild felt almost too good to be true.

We headed out early in the morning for our safari. It was still fairly quiet and cool outside and the whole atmosphere felt different compared to everything we had done earlier during the trip. You sit and travel slowly through nature, constantly trying to spot something between the trees and grass. The guide stopped several times and pointed out things we would never have noticed ourselves.

We saw several different animals during the safari and it was really exciting just sitting there and waiting to see what would appear. We saw rhinos up close, different birds and other animals moving through the area. But the biggest highlight came when we actually spotted a tiger.

Seeing a tiger in real life was a completely different feeling from what I had expected. At first, it was almost difficult to understand what we were actually looking at. Everyone became completely quiet and tried to get the best possible view without disturbing it. The tiger moved through the vegetation and then slowly disappeared again. It was one of those moments when you almost forget to take pictures because you simply want to stand there and watch.

I actually think it was one of the most powerful wildlife experiences I have ever had on a trip. There is something special about knowing that the animal you are looking at is completely wild and that you do not know if you will ever see it again. We were lucky that day and it made the entire Chitwan experience even more memorable.

The rhinos were also a major highlight. They look almost unreal when you see them out in nature. We were able to get fairly close and simply sit and watch them walking around and eating. At the same time, it was important to remember that they are wild animals and that you need to keep your distance and follow the guide's instructions.

I also really enjoyed the birdlife in the area. There were birds everywhere and once you started looking for them, you realised how much life was actually all around you. For me, as someone who enjoys photography, it was almost like an extra bonus during the safari.

Outside the national park itself, Chitwan was also a very pleasant place. We walked around the area and took things fairly slowly between activities. It was a big contrast to Kathmandu, where there were almost always people, cars and motorbikes everywhere. Here, we could instead walk around and enjoy the greenery and the slower pace.

Food was also part of the experience. We ate at a few smaller restaurants and tried local food. After a long day outdoors, it was especially nice to sit down, order something to eat and talk about everything we had seen during the day.

What I liked most about Chitwan was really the combination of adventure and peace. During the safari, anything could happen and you never knew what might appear. Then you could return and simply relax for the rest of the day.

Chitwan therefore became a very good stop after Kathmandu. I got to experience a completely different side of Nepal and, above all, see animals that I had wanted to see in the wild for a long time. The fact that we also managed to see a tiger made Chitwan one of the stops I will remember the longest from the entire trip.

After a few days, we felt it was time to continue. The next stop would be Lumbini, a completely different kind of place. After jungle, safari and tigers, we would now continue towards one of Nepal's most important religious sites.

It felt almost as if the journey continued to show us a new side of Nepal at every stop. Kathmandu had given us the city and culture, Chitwan had given us jungle and wildlife, and now Lumbini was waiting. From there, the journey would continue towards Pokhara and eventually Annapurna Base Camp.