Riding Elephants in Chitwan

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Our trip to Nepal would not be complete without an obligatory excursion to the famous Chitwan National Park. Chitwan supposedly boasts a great variety of animals including a healthy population of rhinos and tigers, but it’s not known for being the easiest place to spot them. Especially at this time of year, the grass is so tall and thick that spotting anything is nothing short of a miracle. Our closest encounters with wildlife were a few spotted deer and the odd bird or two.

Really, the main reason to come to Chitwan is the experience of riding elephants through the jungle. And ride elephants we did, as we spent approximately 9 hours on the backs of these pachyderms over the course of 3 days. Riding through the forest was actually quite relaxing and tranquil. Jordan even got to try his hand at driving the elephant. Sitting on the neck of the elephant, feet through the stirrups to tickle behind the elephant’s ears, it’s a piece of cake (the elephants are so well trained). Really, it’s no different than riding a horse on a trail ride as the elephant pretty much drives itself. What was interesting is how warm the elephant was. It was like sitting on a heated leather seat turned up to the highest setting with built-in cheek massagers as the elephant’s shoulder blades rock up and down with every step. Not the most comfortable feeling, but interesting…

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Photos

Tiger prints
As close as we would get to any major wildlife sighting.