A tour of the surroundings of Sauraha

Nepal is characterized mainly by endless mountain ridges. However, the south of the country is characterized by a narrow zone of the Terai lowlands on the border with India. Surprisingly, even here on clear days you can enjoy a beautiful view of the main ridge of the Himalayas, which stretches more than a hundred kilometers as the crow flies. This is exactly the landscape in which Chitwan National Park lies south of the town of Sauraha.

If you go on a bike trip, just a few hundred meters away from the tourist city of Sauraha and around you as if time had stopped. The scattered farm buildings located next to the rice fields are really very simple and their architecture has not changed for decades.

The local small houses usually stand on small stilts, as protection against large water. The walls are plastered with mud and the roof is often made of natural materials.

During the reconstruction and improvement of the dwelling, corrugated iron is already used on the roof here – the more practical it is, the less nice it is than the original material. Of course, the dream of most young people here is to move to Kathmandu for a „better“ life.

As in other parts of Nepal, cards are very popular with local men.

Apart from rice cultivation, cattle behavior is very widespread here. The pimp must be careful that the herd does not wander somewhere inside Chitwan Park, because even a tiger could enjoy his cow or buffalo.

A popular activity is an evening ride on a canoe associated with watching birds and gavials.

You will definitely see a number of birds on the ride – the most beautiful of them is, of course, the peacock, which is very often seen here. Better guides also have a pocket encyclopedia of birds available to help you get closer to what you see.

It is also possible to see critically endangered Indian gavials growing into adulthood even a few meters.

The Chitwan forest is full of swamps – it's no wonder that the Terai plains used to be a hotbed of malaria. However, you should only go to the surrounding forests with a local guide. Meeting a rhino or a tiger should not be pleasant.

Sunsets in Chitwan are listed by most travel agencies as interesting in their itineraries, but they are not so hot. Anyway, at least a reason to have a drink by the water.

Far more interesting is the view directly to the north – the Himalayas. However, you will also need a good camera for quality photos – a tripod and a powerful telephoto lens. Himalchuli (7,893 m above sea level) seems to be the highest tower directly against you. The 8,000-foot Manaslu is more to the left.