About Sauraha
Sauraha is a village in Chitwan District of Nepal situated close by the Rapti River and the Chitwan National Park. It is the eastern gateway to Chitwan National Park and jungle safaris for budget, mid-priced and 3-4 star tourists. Beginning literally as small and very quaint Tharu village of mud and daub huts and houses, with a half dozen mud and daub hotels, it has grown into a small quiet town full of western style hotels and resorts, restaurants, internet cafes, and gift shops.
Jungle / wildlife safaris by foot, jeep and elephant. You are for sure to see the rhinoceros. Also many types of deer, monkeys, and Bengal tiger. Bird watching in and around the jungle. Especially Bish hajar Taal (20,000 lakes) wetlands area approximately 10 kilometers north west from Sauraha.
A quickly growing but still small village that caters to the needs of the visitors to Chitwan National Park, the best known safari park in Nepal. It is located 160 kms by road from Kathmandu, 155 kms by road from Pokhara and 160 kms by road from the Indian border at Sunauli. The Chitwan National Park (R500 entrance fee) is home to Bengal tigers, rhinoceroses, bears, leopards, crocodiles and monkeys amongst others, and hundreds of species of birds and butterflies. The village of Sauraha is separated from the national park by the Rapti River, which is safe to swim in. During the dry season one can wander the sand dunes of the shrunken river. It is possible to walk for miles along the mud roads west, north and east of the village to other, rural Tharu villages.
What to do: Watch the sun set over the National Park / Go for a ride on an elephant / Bird watch on the oddly-named 20,000 lake / Stay overnight in the jungle spotting wild animals from the lookout tower / Watch a Tharu cultural show/Hire a bike and wander about Tharu villages / Swim in the river and watch the elephants being bathed / Drink cool beers at one of the "beach" bars / Go for a jungle safari on foot, by elephant or by jeep / Go for a canoe trip on the river.
What you may not like: Mosquitoes at certain times of the year (nets are provided in hotels/lodges) / The overzealous hotel touts at the bus park (simply board any jeep that will take you the 3 kms to the village. If you stay in the hotel the jeep goes to the ride is free. If you don't like the look of the lodge, hand the driver R30 for the ride and choose another place).
How long: You might really like the laid back atmosphere and stay longer than you had originally planned. The small village has a few restaurants a la Pokhara and Thamel, but local-style eateries as well. There are no asphalt roads here, just dirt/mud tracks and hardly any traffic. Life is tranquil here. You will want to spend at least one day in the national park, and a couple more days to walk/bike around about. Give yourself at least a minimum of three days.
When to go: The dry season would be best (November-April) and March would be the ideal time. The daytime temperature is not too hot and the elephant grass in the national park has been cut, allowing for better animal spotting.
Where to stay: Twenty years ago when Sauraha was a one horse village, the only places to stay were the lodges inside the national park, and these are not exactly cheap accommodation.
Where to eat? Probably not in your lodge/hotel restaurant where the prices tend to be too high. Fairly basic meals can be had at the three beach bars.
When is the best time to visit Sauraha?
Spring February till end of April and fall Mid September till mid December.
Accommodation
The Chitwan National Park offers a wide variety of accommodation, not only in size, facilities and visual appearance, but also In price range. If you are looking for exclusive comfort with superior personalize service right in the heart of the park then visit Sauraha for a previews of private luxury and luxury and budget accommodation.
For anyone who visits Chitwan National Park, it sooner or later becomes an addiction. If you site back and think about it, sometime you wonder, why! Chitwan National Park has a long history behind it and also has the unique honor of being Nepal's first National Park. Established in 1973 to protect the wildlife of the low land Terai, this national park of 932sq.k.is unrivaled in the diversity of its life forms and a leader in advanced bio diversity conservation techniques and policies. Since then, there has been no looking back for Chitwan National Park-Nepal's first and richest national park.
As primary destination crowned as the World Heritage site in nature category. The Chitwan National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in the Asia. Truly the flagship of Nepal's national parks, Chitwan is the home to an impressive numbers of species. Mans interaction with the environment over many centuries-is very evident in the Chitwan National Park. This treasures represent the cultures, person and event that played a role in the making of the park and are conserved along with the parks nature assets. The most accessible amongst Nepal's national park, Chitwan is considered by many naturalist to be simply the best managed park in Asia.
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