Nepal Beyond the Mountains
Tiger Tops, our fantastic lodge in Nepal’s Terai Region, had been quick to dampen our expectations about seeing a rhino while visiting. “Rhino sightings” they’d said, “are probable but not guaranteed.” And, so, while we were pretty confident our three days in southern Nepal would yield a rhino sighting, or maybe even two, we were still unprepared to stumble upon a 4,000 lb rhino on our very first attempt. Placidly grazing, as a multi-ton horned beast is apt to do, the rhino casually eyed us for a few moments before sauntering into the woods, seemingly bored by our presence.
Our somewhat surprise encounter with a Rhino was just the latest in a series of surprises that we’d had during our time in Nepal, a country that’s been on my wish list for decades — ever since I’d read Shopping for Buddhas by Jeff Greenwald when I was 14 years old.
Greenwald’s account of his time spent traveling through Nepal burrowed deep inside me. I was enthralled by his depictions of a place so unlike my home in Minneapolis. He described a country that seemed simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary in a way that made me feel like traveling to Nepal would be both feasible and unforgettable. The country has loomed large in my conscious ever since, and I think I’d put off a visit for all these years out of a fear of disappointment. In fact, Nepal far exceeded my expectations.
Our entry to Nepal was via the capital Kathmandu, a necessary stop for most visitors as 99% of international flights arrive there. Seeking a more authentic, less touristy experience, we decided to base ourselves in Lalitpur just south of Kathmandu. Lalitpur is a small city in its own right, but for the traveler it blends seamlessly into its larger neighbor. We booked an apartment rental through Cosy Nepal a company with a few dozen properties clustered around the city’s main square.
Cosy Nepal is committed to restoring Lalitpur’s ancient Newar homes, preserving them for future generations, but also to ensuring that tourism enhances rather than overwhelms the city. To that end they provide each guest with a lovingly curated guidebook full of neighborhood recommendations; small businesses owned and operated by the area’s residents who equally benefit from tourist dollars.
Our first morning we headed out to the Farmer’s Market at La Sherpa in the north of Kathmandu. The Saturday morning market on the grounds of La Sherpa restaurant hosts about two dozen vendors hawking interesting foods like Himalayan yak cheeses and elaborate pastries and candies. It attracts a fun crowd of local residents, international workers and tourists. As we drank our hot chai from terracotta cups even a light rain couldn’t dampen my happiness at finally being in Nepal.
“Even a light rain couldn’t dampen my happiness at finally being in Nepal.”
Back in Lalitpur the narrow streets all seem to lead directly to Patan Durbar Square. Dating to the 17th century, the elaborate complex of temples and palaces was home to Malla Kings. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While steeped in history, the area remains very much alive, full of people both passing through on their way to work or home and others lingering for a time to say a prayer or just people watch. Along the edges of the square vendors sell incense and candles as well as vegetables and tourist trinkets. The Patan Museum is well worth a wander if for no other reason than to admire the stunning Newar architecture.
Although I was starting to acclimate to Kathamandu’s surprisingly laid back atmosphere we were in Nepal to see rhinos, and that required us flying to the southern city of Bharatpur. While Bharatpur is reachable by car from Kathmandu it’s a 7hr journey on nausea inducing roads. Better to take the 18 minute flight – the shortest flight of my life!
When you think of Nepal, its more than likely that you think of mountains, the Himalayas and Mount Everest to be exact. However, a good 20% of the country is actually lowland forests and grasslands called the Terai. This is where you’ll find Chitwan National Park. Ironically the park is the former hunting grounds for the now deposed Nepali Royal Family. The park’s status as a royal possession most likely preserved it during the rapid development Nepal experienced during the 20th century.
At Tiger Tops we were able to go beyond the traditional jeep safari and experience the area in more unique ways as well, including an elephant walk, a boat ride in search of the highly endangered gharial (a type of freshwater crocodile) and a village tour. Rhinos, were of course, the highlight and we saw them each time we went out, but we also saw loads of languar monkeys, spotted deer, peacocks and vultures. We also got lucky with a sloth bear sighting and saw wild boar, hog deer, barking deer and samba deer.
While the landscapes are stunning and the wildlife encounters unforgettable, it’s important to remember that with over 50% of Nepal’s people living in the Terai, conflict between people and wildlife does exist. The clean, prosperous villages around the lodge, full of mango and lychee trees are idyllic. However most residents do not earn their living from tourism, so when leopards or tigers eat livestock or rhinos destroy crops it creates a real hardship for the people of this land.
“While the landscapes are stunning and the wildlife encounters unforgettable, it’s important to remember that… conflict between people and wildlife does exist.”
On our last morning we were able to spend some time with the lodge’s resident elephants. Elephants have lived alongside the people of Asia for millennia, having first been tamed some 4,000 years ago. Unlike, horses or cattle though they were never fully domesticated. As our knowledge of elephants improved, it became obvious that people were treating them in a way that was often cruel and inhumane. Hotels stopped allowing tourists to ride elephants and dramatically improved their living conditions while still maintaining the traditional relationship between man and elephant.
A similar approach to conservation in the Terai can ensure that this unique landscape and the animals who call it home remain for future generations.
Nepal has been a magnet for tourists for decades now, that the country remains a place full of authentic and unique experiences is a testament to the Nepali people and their generosity of spirit. It’s become fashionable to tell people to go to a place “quickly” before it’s ruined by mass tourism. But with Nepal my recommendation is different. Go when you’re ready. Nepal will be waiting for you.
Jeep Safaris start and end with a river crossing between the park and the buffer zone.
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