Expat Travel Mom: Nepal — Chitwan, and the Baby Elephant Who Changed Everything

By no means was Nepal on my top 10 family travel destinations list, but after having recently travelled there, it will take a place in my top 10 favorite places visited list. I will now encourage families to seek out a vacation to Nepal, whether it be trekking to different towns or remaining in one location, for it has so much to offer the souls of young and old. Here are some things to consider when planning your trip to Nepal and Chitwan National Park.

Getting There — Dubai to Kathmandu

From Dubai, we had plenty of airline choices, but wanted to stay budget-friendly with five of us traveling. We narrowed it down to Air Arabia and Fly Dubai, both running around $200 roundtrip depending on the season, and landed on Air Arabia mainly because Sharjah's airport was closer to home. No frills with Air Arabia, you choose your baggage, seats, and meals during booking, and I'd strongly recommend ordering meals in advance, they carry very few extras onboard, and we learned that the hard way with hungry kids. No in-flight entertainment either, but honestly, the whole trip was about traveling light, so it was good practice for what came next.

Once in Kathmandu, domestic options include Buddha Air, Yeti Air, and Nepal Air, though we were strongly advised against the last one. We flew Buddha Air and were happy with it, a basic airline, hard candy at takeoff, pleasant staff. What caught us off guard was the price, we misread the website and assumed fares were roundtrip. They're not, one-way tickets add up fast, so do the math before you book. They'll also ask for bank details to book the ticket, that's normal there, no online payment option. Some hotels will book on your behalf if you'd rather handle it that way and settle up on arrival. Expect small planes and some turbulence given the mountain ranges. The cheaper alternative is a bus or hotel van straight to Chitwan, about five hours one-way.

The Lodge

We chose Sapana Village Lodge in Chitwan National Forest for one specific reason: a brand new baby elephant named Samrat had just been born there, and it promised to be a chain-free, ride-free, bathing-free place. Basically, ethical tourism.

Sapana means "dream" in Nepali, fitting, since the lodge itself started as one. Founder Dhurba Giri began working as a waiter in Sauraha at just 14 years old, and with support from a Dutch family he met along the way, eventually opened his first small hotel. He bought the land for what became Sapana Village Lodge in 2001, and built it into exactly the kind of place we were looking for.

As you may know from previous posts, my youngest is drawn to elephants in a way that's deep. I know most people love elephants, but her love for them just seemed like a strong bond...like she's meant to be with them. I know, I know, she's only six! But even at six, her collection of elephants in her bedrooms rivals any gift shop. So, we were especially excited to bring her on this adventure, making her dreams comes true.

Sapana Village Lodge was quaint, remote, and forced us to disconnect most of the time. It was perfect. The staff made it even better. Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and eager to share stories and traditions with us. Naran, in particular, made sure everything was taken care of for our visit...excursions, cooking classes, daily eating, and of course, elephant time. One staff member, whom we lovingly referred to as 'Happy' loved spending every minute learning more about us, where we were from, and really wanted to make the kids' visit special. By the end of the trip, we took 'family' photos with everyone, and exchanged Facebook accounts. It really was an unforgettable trip.

Chitwan National Park & Safari

One of the days here, we spent out in the national park on safari. Chitwan sits within the Beeshazar Lake wetlands, a protected Ramsar site since 2003, home to Royal Bengal tigers, greater one-horned rhinos, Asian elephants, gharials, and marsh mugger crocodiles, and more. The excursion wasn't rushed, it allowed us to take our time, walk in certain areas, and capture some stunning photos along the way. We saw wild animals everywhere we looked, up and down, and even had a rhino encounter that got closer than any of us expected. Thankful, deeply, for a fast jeep and an even faster driver! What I appreciated was the attention to the care of the national park, the respect everyone had for keeping it protected and undisturbed. You can see through the photos, just how special it is, but you'll really have to come here yourself to truly appreciate it.

Momos, an Evening of Dance, and Exploration

Back at the lodge, where we spent majority of our time, we enjoyed several activities. We learned to make momos from scratch, folding dumpling after dumpling under patient instruction. I think we ordered momos for meals every day we were there! One evening, we watched a traditional dance performance, the kind of thing that makes you put your phone down without anyone telling you to. The kids really enjoyed the performance, and it was a perfect way to wind down before bed.

We did several walks from the lodge, wandering into local neighborhoods, coming across local animals, and really appreciating the surroundings. While sitting on the deck of the lodge, enjoying a glass of wine while looking out over the landscape, we found ourselves water color painting. Chitwan has a way of making you disconnect without even trying, the sights and sounds of it are enough.

Giving Back

Before this trip, my classroom back in the UAE had spent time collecting school supplies and writing letters for kids at a local elementary school in Chitwan. I had been in contact with Naran prior, asking about needs and what we could do to help before our arrival. This also got our kids involved, prior to the trip, asking questions, researching the area, and getting excited to do some good while there. We took our kids to the school to drop everything off in person, talked to the kids the best we could...a full-circle moment that meant as much to us as, I hope, it did to them.

Samrat

I know, the part everyone is really curious about...our time with Samrat. Samrat and his mom live on the lodge premises without chains. A corral is available to them, and it keeps them safe, but they weren't confined to it all day. Their lovely mahout stayed with them around the clock, gentle and kind the entire time. The love and relationship between a mahout and their elephant truly is special, when you see an authentic one. The three of them, mom, baby and mahout, wandered the fields, the river, and the lodge grounds together, daily, completely free to just be elephants. Watching them move through the property like that was genuinely magical.

Because Sapana Lodge was just really getting started with proper eco tourism advertising, no one was there. Our group of nine basically had the place to ourselves for the week, with other couples dipping in and out for maybe 1-2 days at a time. So our visit was literally whatever and whenever we wanted to do, as Naran and his team wanted it to be special. We spent afternoons learning how to make kuchi, elephant food, from a mahout, but not because it was a structured class or something we had to sign up for, but because we were just there and were invited to join in meal preparation time. We watched as Samrat played in the hose water, went on walks with mom in the fields, relaxed in the river with their mahout, and just enjoyed life. Nothing infringed upon their happiness. No riding, no bathing...just walking alongside and enjoying time together. (Please read an update below)

What to Pack (March/April)

Lightweight clothing for daytime, long sleeves and pants for the cooler mornings and evenings, it genuinely does get chilly, and we were glad we packed the warmer layers for the kids. Nothing fancy needed here, leave the nice clothes at home and expect to get dusty, dirty, sweaty, and possibly wet.

Mosquito repellent is non-negotiable. Mosquitoes find me wherever I go, we're talking 80-plus bites after just two days somewhere. Toward the end of our trip we found burning mosquito coils in town, harsh chemicals, but effective, we set one under our table during open-air dinners and had no issues after that.

Sunblock, even though we traveled in March/April, the daytime heat and sun caught me off guard. Bring it for safaris and treks alike. Also pack hats, water bottles, anti-diarrheal medication, your camera, chargers or batteries, and power plug adapters, some hotels provide them, but don't count on it.

More on Elephant Advocacy and Ethical Tourism

*I'm coming back to update this post from way back when. Our daughter, Ellie, went on to become a real advocate for Samrat as he got older, as she wanted to make sure both he and his mom were still being cared for properly (no riding, no bathing, etc). At 11, she wrote a book about Samrat, Ellie's Elephants, and went on to speak publicly and raise money for elephant welfare organizations, created Save Ellie's Elephants, and participated in speaking events. You can read more about her work with Samui Elephant Haven and these features on her advocacy (1) and here.

Since our visit, the lodge has started offering several elephant experiences, including bathing, to help fund the care of the elephants. While we don't agree with the bathing experience, everything else really is hands off. Ellie sent messages, asking them to stop the bathing, and thought she'd been heard, but it still continues. Let me be clear, it does take LARGE sums of money to care for just one elephant, and the lodge really does need financial help and support to keep their elephants safe and well cared for. Samrat is now a teenager, needing more space, and since he's a male, he needs his own fenced enclosure. They are trying hard to find the financial and manpower resources to build this fence to keep him 100% chain free. If you can help, you can reach out to me and I can connect you.