Rhinos have right of way

I did not know I had a latent talent for scaling trees until I visited Chitwan in Nepal. Several of my other fellow travellers, also discovered a nimbleness of limb they had never known.

About 146km by road from Kathmandu, the Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the wildlife sanctuaries that beckons — especially if you think you will be lucky enough to see a Royal Bengal tiger; or if you always wanted to sway atop an elephant and watch one-horned rhinos; or if you are convinced that scanning the river for crocodiles while sitting in a dugout canoe is great for the soul.

But you would never think the activities would include tree-climbing…

Heritage site

If you are there for a day or two, you can stay at one of the 60 lodges scattered in and around the park, which was once a hunting reserve for royalty and is now a World Heritage Site.

Given a choice, I would have eyed one of the seven forest cabins, but Air Arabia wanted us to feel at home and that meant a lodge overlooking a vast yellow field of mustard. Perhaps, they thought, we would be more comfortable in the only property to advertise air-conditioning.

Our first treat was a 90-minute jungle safari. A short dusty drive through a small village took us to the edge of the forest where village belles tried to tell us that a safari without bananas would be bland: "elephants want banana; elephants like banana" was the refrain.

Twenty-five elephants were readied for the ride. Till recently, each animal had to do two rounds every day, but with more and more visitors hankering for a peep into the heart of the jungle, the trips have been increased to four.

We apprehensively sized up the wooden contraption on the elephant that we would be riding on, wondering how it could seat four big-boned persons. We managed to squeeze in, after some effort.

A few minutes after the jumbo started heaving, it felt like we were tossing in a boat on a choppy sea. With no space to move, our bodies started aching, even as branches pulled at our legs and delivered an occasional slap on the face.

You see tiger if lucky, said our mahout, as we took in the pungent whiff of aromatic flowers, crushed leaves and elephant dung. But with a herd of elephants crashing into foliage and tourists yelling at the sight of spotted deer, it was unreasonable to expect that any of Chitwan's 100 tigers would venture out. Well, at least, the rhinos made a public appearance now and then.

At last count, there were 2,300 of these creatures on Earth, including about 370 in Chitwan. The myth that the horns and hooves of rhinos have medicinal properties has made the species vulnerable to poaching.

Our next stop was a community hall for a nightly dance programme staged by the villagers. Tourists are encouraged to dance and that is the most enjoyable part of the show.

Early next morning, we walked through a village to get to know a bit about the Tharu way of life. Like most villages, it is a cluster of small thatched houses fashioned from clay, cow dung, reeds and grass. There is no electricity, and water is available only through bore wells. The only unique point is that these people are immune to malaria.

The Budirapti River nearby is the bathing place for elephants. The water is waist deep and clean, and the elephants are happy to spray you with water if you can manage to sit on their bare backs.

Down the same river you can board a dugout canoe for a 40-minute paddle, a nice way to see crocs at close quarters.

You can then check out the nearby Elephant Breeding Centre. We saw bones with some significance, implements used by the trainers and wall charts with pictures and text. Interesting, but …

Dashed hopes

It was then that Brahma Mahato, our guide, proposed a bush walk; and that's when the prospect of climbing trees arose. As advised by Mahato, if we encountered a rhino, we were to a) run in a zig-zag fashion, b) hide behind a bush, or c) climb a tree.

Fifteen minutes of peering left and right served only to build up tension which was ratcheted whenever Mahato put a finger to his lips and paused. A puddle and wet pugmarks raised our hopes that a tiger was close.

Our hopes were soon dashed by three village girls who appeared behind us with bales on their heads. Their excited chattering would surely scare away any creature.

We were walking in a single file, when the ladies walking in the front suddenly charged back. There was a rhino on the path. Hearing the word rhino, the village girls dropped their bales and started running.

We panicked and scattered in all directions. I sprinted after the girls and when they climbed a tree, I followed suit, panting as never before.

Meanwhile, others were still trying to climb a tree. But the adrenaline rush was over. The rhino moved on and we were back on terra firma, with a story that will do the rounds till our next exciting escapade.

Go there...Chitwan National Park

From the UAE
Kathmandu is the nearest international airport to Chitwan National Park.

From Dubai: Gulf Air flies four days a week via Muscat. Fare: Dh1,300
Qatar Airways flies daily via Doha. Fare: Dh1,290
Royal Nepal flies daily. Fare: Dh1,200

From Abu Dhabi: Gulf Air flies four days a week via Muscat. Fare: Dh1,300
Qatar Airways flies daily via Doha. Fare: Dh1,300
(All fares exclusive of taxes)

— Information courtesy: Al Tayer Travel Agency

Information
All-inclusive packages are available. Contact www.danfetravels.com.np.