Standing eye to eye with the impressive Asian One Horned Rhino is like time travelling back to the Triassic period. The rhinoceros’ massive armored plates seem to have been the inspiration of those used in human battle during the Middle Ages.
Their phenomenal large neck folds and fantastic black-curved nasal horn make this wild animal a truly amazing creature. Despite the fact that each body part of the Asian Rhino is so big and bold, they move gracefully, slowly browsing through the riverine forest in Northern India and Southern Nepal.
You will be taken on an exciting tour into the heart of the One Horned Rhinos’ habitats; Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Kaziranga National Park in north India. Both these national parks are renowned for frequent sightings of this gracious animal and TfT’s local expert naturalists will take you on the back of an elephant, in a jeep, or on foot (at a safe distance), to give you an idea to just how great and impressive these large mammals are.
Besides spotting the One Horned Rhino on your safari through Chitwan National Park, you may see other rare wildlife such as leopard, spotted deer, sloth bear, crocodiles, and last but not least, the iconic and endangered Bengal tiger.
Kaziranga National Park is one of the most remote parks in India. The park sits on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam and is famed for the One Horned Rhino. The location of Kaziranga National Park and its proximity to the river provide plenty of water pools that attract a variety of fishing birds including pelicans, Pallas’s fishing eagle and is of course ideal habitat for the rhino.
You will be arriving in the ancient city of Kathmandu. Nepal’s capital was created through the coming together of three historic kingdoms: Patan, Kathmandu city and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu’s culture and history go back centuries with much of it shown in the rituals taken place by the Nepali people today. You will be staying overnight in Swotha House in the southern part of Kathmandu. Swotha House is a small but charming, family-owned boutique property. Breakfast is included.
This morning you will wake up and enjoy a hearty breakfast before transferring across to the domestic airport for your short 20 min hop to the second biggest city in Nepal, Pokhara. On arrival in Pokhara, you will be met by one of the lodge staff and transferred up the hill to the award winning Tiger Mountain Pokhara lodge. The lodge is situated on a spectacular hilltop ridge a thousand feet above the Pokhara Valley with panoramic views of Machhapuchhare and three of the world’s fourteen 8,000m peaks, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu. The eighteen elegant and spacious rooms are arranged around the hilltop in thirteen individual hand cut stone bungalows, blending naturally into their surroundings.
The coming two nights you will be staying in the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge on a full board basis.
Activities available from the Lodge include a ridge-top walk visiting local villages; short hikes and naturalist-guided nature and bird watching walks; or relaxing in Col. Jimmy’s (founder of trekking in the Himalayas) Library reading about some of the more famous mountain expeditions. A beautiful swimming pool is located in a strategic site at the end of the ridge and reflects the high mountains which drop away to the Bijaypur River far below.
An early start and the TfT Travel team will begin your decent from the mountain region to the flats in the south, known as Nepal’s Terai. The drive from Pokhara to Tharu is approximately 5 hrs, a great way to see the unique topography and diversity of the middle mountains to the southern flats. Tiger Tops Tharu lodge is a family friendly charming property built on the outskirts of Chitwan National Park. The location of Tharu could not abode better for seeing the Asian One Horned Rhino.
The coming three nights you will be staying at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge on a full board basis.
Today is yours to enjoy the wonders of the park and its wildlife in the surrounding buffer zone. You will have the chance to experience the jungle on elephant back, bird watching, boat rides, jeep safaris inside the national park or to relax by the pool enjoying a cocktail from the onsite organic fruit and vegetable garden.
The lodge is situated on high ground overlooking the lush forests of the park and styled after the traditional `longhouse’ of the Tharu people. The tranquil garden setting offers all modern facilities including a swimming pool and a tennis court. The setup is ideal for children, with stunning grounds for them to play, whilst you read up on medicinal plants, exotic butterflies and over 450 species of bird. The activities can be a real learning experience for the children, both the local wildlife they will see but also the traditions that have been practiced by the Tharu people for thousands of years. A great opportunity for both you and the kids.
Today will be a leisurely breakfast amongst the butterflies in the lodge grounds, followed by a 2 hour transfer to the nearest airport of Bharatpur. On arrival at the airport, we will check you in and wave you off on your 20 min flight back to Kathmandu. The last night you will be staying again at the Swotha Traditional Homes on a B/B basis.
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