After our time in Pokhara - a true backpackers’ town with a beautiful lake and an endless stream of cute and delicious coffee shops (which Jet and I couldn’t get enough of) - we took the bus to Sauraha. Sauraha is a village in the Chitwan District and Chitwan Valley, often thought of as the main gateway to wildlife tourism and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chitwan National Park.
The hike in Chitwan
In the early afternoon, we arrived at Hotel National Park in Chitwan. After talking to the owner about our plans, we booked a hiking trip for the next day. A full day of hiking through the national park - read: from 07:30 until 17:00.
I wasn’t sure if I was actually looking forward to hiking for a whole day. We had just finished 12 days of trekking, and honestly? I was quite enjoying being a bit of a luxury queen again.
But since I’d be hiking with Jet, I figured: it’ll be fun. We survived 12 days together - what’s one more? Especially since there's no such thing as "Nepali flat" in the National Park.
Turn of events
But of course, life is a game of baseball. It throws curveballs, and you’re either hitting a home run or completely missing.
In this case, it was a miss. Jet was feeling quite sick and didn’t feel up for the hike. I asked the hotel owner if we could reschedule, but our permits were only valid for that specific day.
So after talking it over, we decided I’d go solo. Jet was happy to rest in bed, sleep, and chill.
A hiking snack
We started the day with a boat ride - on a crocodile-infested river. Apparently, there are two types of crocodiles: the fish-eating Gharial, and another type that, according to our guide, was called the “mass murderer.”
At least, that’s what I thought I heard.
As it turns out, my ears were just taking the day off. The actual name is Marsh Mugger Crocodile. I’m crying. I genuinely thought they’d given it a dramatic nickname because it was a wildly dangerous, human-devouring beast. But no - just my brain doing its thing.
Still, at the time, they were pointing out crocodiles in the river, and all I could think was: we are a boat full of tasty snacks.
About an hour later, we arrived on land. But before entering the jungle, the guides pulled us aside to explain the ground rules, “We’ll tell you how to act whenever we come across one of the dangerous animals” - and here am I thinking that we would be safe, walking through the jungle… What was I thinking?
The ground rules
Rhino - If you encounter a rhino, stand still and slowly back away. If it charges, run in zigzags. Rhinos are fast, but not great at turning. If possible, climb a tree - that way, they will not be able to reach you. No trees? Jump over a fallen log. Their short legs won’t make the jump.
Bear - If you see a bear, do not run. Stay together and fight back. Bears are fast and can climb, so there’s no safe escape. The guides carry sticks - we were told to make noise and try to scare it off.
Tiger - Whatever you do, don’t break eye contact. Never turn your back on a tiger or run. Instead, keep looking him in the eye and walk away slowly. Tigers are shy, so close encounters are rare — but deadly.
Elephant - If you see an angry elephant: back away slowly. If it charges: run. That’s it.
They even told us there’s one elephant named Ronaldo who has already killed quite a few people. With that in mind, I felt like a walking snack in the jungle. The two guys in my group were hoping for a tiger sighting. I love animals, but I wasn’t that desperate. Honestly, I would’ve been the slowest runner - and we all know what that means.
Animal ethics
The next day, Jet was feeling better, and we went on a morning safari in the Community Forest - an area where locals live among the animals and use what nature provides. The actual National Park is off-limits to humans.
Elephant tourism
While driving through, we saw people riding elephants - not just a ranger or two, but full-on families on their backs as a form of tourism.
Our guide explained he didn’t support this kind of tourism. He said most Westerners dislike it too, but many Nepalese and Indian families love it.
When an elephant passed our jeep, it stopped so a nearby family could interact. The elephant reached out its trunk, and - as advised by our guide - they placed money into it. The elephant passed it to its handler like clockwork. Seeing the little baby elephant following its mother, knowing that this will be its fate in the future, made my heart hurt.
Thinking out loud
It made us wonder:
How can it be that Westerners tend to oppose this, while the people living among these animals embrace it?
Jet suggested maybe it’s a matter of awareness.
Are animal ethics so culture-dependent?
Isn’t it ironic that many Westerners criticize elephant rides but still visit zoos, where animals are confined to tiny cages?
It didn’t make sense to me.
Many animals in the park are protected, yet elephants are used for entertainment.
Where’s the line?
What defines ethical treatment?
It’s something I’d love to learn more about - and I will let you know once I finished a piece writing about it!
Jitters under the covers
After all those impressions of life in and around the park, witnessing animals up close, and the ethical questions that came with it, we returned to the hotel. No more wild animals - at least not the big ones - but still a different kind of jungle: our hotel room. Because no matter how luxurious it felt compared to the previous weeks, staying at the edge of a national park comes with its own kind of adventure...
Of course, being next to the jungle, we expected bugs. But nothing prepared me for the ant invasion in my backpack. On the day Jet got sick, I opened my bag to find it crawling with ants. I dumped everything out - thankfully, they’d only gone for the snack pocket. Rookie mistake. I cleaned the bag, moved it off the ground, and they didn’t return.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The real horror came at night. Tiny green grasshoppers were jumping all over our bed. We’d seen a few earlier, but that night? They were everywhere.
In the middle of the night, I was half-asleep and itching like crazy. I kept scratching, but nothing helped. Jet woke up and gave me a very confused look -understandably. The next morning, I was dying for a shower. Just the thought of those little things still dancing on my skin gave me the ick.
They even left bite marks. We didn’t have any mosquitoes in the room, so… I’m blaming the grasshoppers.
Overall
Despite all of it, it was a great experience. It felt like we were part of the Real Girls in the Jungle - a Dutch TV show where girly girls are thrown into the wild, forced to leave luxury behind. It was an amazing experience and
In the end, despite the ants, the itchy bites, the murderous crocs, and the looming presence of Ronaldo the elephant, it was an unforgettable adventure. It truly felt like an episode on Real Girls in the Jungle- minus the camera crew and dramatic eliminations. Just two girls, trading luxury for grasshoppers and lattes for lianas, doing our best to embrace the wild. And honestly? We kind of crushed it.
