Chitwan, as pure as it is!

Helena Nijs
Jun 3
3 min read

Hello dear reader!

The advantage of traveling alone is that you do what you want and you determine your own rhythm. Isn't that great?!

The bus ride to Chitwan (Sauraha) was worth it. The roads may have been bad but it was so beautiful. I couldn't take it all in: hills full of green, wild rivers, waterfalls, typical houses, the sweet Nepalese, the children on the street, the traffic... I loved it!

Upon arrival, Sauraha already radiated peace and purity. I immediately felt that this would become my favorite place. It didn't stop raining that day. So it became blog time.

The next day the sun was back. Finally I could go outside. I visited a local school where I was given a tour by a teacher who showed me all the classes. From 3 years old to 16 years old they go to school here and then move on to college. The school days run from Sunday to Friday. Saturday is 'holiday' for the Nepalese.

Wonderful stay in Sauraha. There was hardly a car or moped to be seen on the road. In this friendly place a cycling culture prevailed. On the way I walked through Tharu, an authentic village where the houses were still made of clay. At ArtCafé I ate chicken sodaka and drank my coffee at Gypsy Cafe . Chilled by the pool for a while before I went to see the typical Tharu dance. That was nice to see and moreover I supported the local population with it 😀.

On Friday I had an active day. That morning I met Lydia. At half past seven we left together on the Budhi Rapti River with a kind of canoe. That canoe could hold ten people. We placed ourselves in the middle of the boat on low mini-stools. That way we sailed through the jungle. Wonderful, apart from the sounds of nature it couldn't be quieter! During our two hour break we had lunch on the bank. Around 1 pm that afternoon our safari tour through National Park Sauhara started. According to the guide we would see tigers. Haha, that was of course the joke of the day. We saw some beautiful birds, two rhinos, reindeer and a lot of the untouched jungle. Four hours in that jeep was a long time but that didn't spoil the fun. We also caught a sunset during our dinner and so the day flew by again. Thank you Lydia for that super fun day, I had such a good laugh with you.

That Saturday was already over. Bye bye beautiful quiet Sauhara! It was time to drive back to Kathmandu. There I met the people with whom I would do a trek. We were with a nice small group and our two guides. I would not recommend a trek without a guide in Nepal. There are quite a few things that can make a route difficult. The altitude meters ascent and descent play a major role. The air can become thinner and you need time to acclimatize. So preparing yourself is an absolute must. Definitely check https://wanderworld.nl for more information.