Day 9: Lumbini to Chitwan National Park

We are very near the Indian border here so we see many, many trucks on the road. Initially it is all very flat as we travel across the Terai plains but then there are another crop of hills and we see one truck that has driven off the road and is balanced precariously in a tree and a tanker whose tank has rolled off the edge of the road. Kishor says that the truck drivers mostly try to travel at night when the roads are less busy but sometimes they fall asleep.

There are a lot of road works and a lot of vehicles so it is very slow going. When we are nearly there we find the road blocked by a fallen tree so we have to go via the ‘scenic route’. It seems to us that the road is better here and the houses and neat gardens seem a lot more prosperous than we have seen elsewhere. We are heading for the Barahi Jungle Lodge right on the edge of Chitwan National Park.

We arrive just after 1.00pm and are welcomed with cool towels and a lemongrass drink. Our hosts explain the set up in our eco-lodge and we are shown our extremely lovely chalets that have verandahs overlooking the river that forms the boundary of the national park. Up to the restaurant for a buffet lunch and then a bit of time to sort ourselves out before our late afternoon activity.

We assemble and meet our naturalist guide Gobinda for a walk around the local village on the edge of the park. These are Tharu peoples and extremely friendly, all willing to share what they are doing in their local lives whether it be harvesting rice, separating seeds, tending their animals or vegetables, making baskets, grinding spices. The children are wonderful – coming out to give us flowers and wanting their photos taken. Although they are relatively poor, their farmlands look very prosperous and the people seem very happy. Their sections are neatly set out with house, kitchen area, sheds for tools and animals, plots of vegetables, and drying crops. They do own their land – we are told that at one time the government gave them a certain period of time to clear land in a certain area and whatever they managed was theirs.

Back at the lodge we have time for a much needed shower (it is very humid) before meeting to hear a talk and slide show about Chitwan National Park. Dinner is again a buffet with an Indian flavour tonight. Anne, Kishor and I share some Gurkha beer with ours.

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For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Asia with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more .

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