Chitwan?

[energy]

Any opinions on what to do, where to stay and so on would be greatlty appreciatted. I return from Island Peak on the 10th of Novemeber and fly out on the 15th so was hoping for a little jungle action before I left.

Mnay thanks, J.

[into-thin-air]

Personally I love Chitwan and have been there 5 out of my 7 trips to Nepal – Admittedly it is more of a place to go and relax post Mountain / Trekking that a pure Jungle experience, but it is still a lot of fun and the activates include in the packages represent good value for money.
Typically prices for a 3 day – 2 night trip including Food (3 meals per day), Accommodation, Park Entrance Fee, ALL Activates (Jungle Walk, Dug-Out Canoe trip, Bird-watching, cultural show and elephant ride), Transportation by tourist bus to and from Kathmandu or Pokhara and all activities is less than $100 (As little as $75 for one of the budget lodges)
My own favourite is “Tiger Residency” (http://www.tigerresidency.com/)– The staff there are Really good – Ask for Laxman the guide as his knowledge is awesome, he can recognise the birds by sight, there silhouette and there call and knows all their names in Nepali, English and Latin !!!!
Good Luck
Rob

[energy]

Thanks Rob, that is extremely helpful. As it is post trek I am after a bit of relaxation and maybe celebratory drink or two. Is there anything there that may not be worth doing? I would like to use my time wisely.

J

[zemmo]

Personally I love Chitwan and have been there 5 out of my 7 trips to Nepal – Admittedly it is more of a place to go and relax post Mountain / Trekking that a pure Jungle experience, but it is still a lot of fun and the activates include in the packages represent good value for money.
Typically prices for a 3 day – 2 night trip including Food (3 meals per day), Accommodation, Park Entrance Fee, ALL Activates (Jungle Walk, Dug-Out Canoe trip, Bird-watching, cultural show and elephant ride), Transportation by tourist bus to and from Kathmandu or Pokhara and all activities is less than $100 (As little as $75 for one of the budget lodges)
My own favourite is “Tiger Residency” (http://www.tigerresidency.com/)– The staff there are Really good – Ask for Laxman the guide as his knowledge is awesome, he can recognise the birds by sight, there silhouette and there call and knows all their names in Nepali, English and Latin !!!!
Good Luck
Rob

That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for after the AC. I'm a pretty avid birder, too. Can one then arrange a "Tiger Residency" inclusive tour from Pok or Kat? Thanks, Alan.

[zemmo]

I did get down to Chitwan after my AC trek, and enjoyed it immensely! Wish I'd have had a few more days to spend there. It was quite hot in late April, 37-38 Celcius in the heat of the day, but I did ok with the heat. The birds were great, as were the mammals. Chitwan has some of the best remaining habitat on the Terai.

I stayed at the Tiger Residency, and the people there could hardly have been nicer or more helpful. The guide really went out of his way to show me some of the local birds; the food was great; the room and grounds were quite nice. I spent one afternoon on the "jeep safari", mostly because I really wanted to see the Gharial breeding center. A lot of this trip is an uncomfortable waste of time, as it covers a lot of kilometers, and there's not much activity in the middle of the day during the hot months. The bird walks in the AM and PM were very rewarding, and the elephant ride is terrific. The rafting on the Rapti River was great, too, but not long enough, IMO.

I arranged this trip thru Nirmal Nakarma at Himalayan Magic Adventures, and he did an excellent job putting everything together, accommodating me when I changed my mind on dates, and suggesting the Greenline bus which was astonishingly plush and comfortable if one is tired of riding the regular buses, which I was by that time.

If you had the money, I'm sure it would be great to stay at one of the lodges inside the Park, but it's a LOT more expensive than staying in Sauraha.