It’s an area settled on the banks of the Rapti River that borders the Chitwan National Park in Sauraha. The Park is famous, and in the flurry of elephant riding, jungle safari, cultural Tharu dances and many more of popular attractions, many miss out some unique experiences offered by the Rapti Beach.[break]
After missing it out in my two previous journeys to the Park, and because I didn’t want to go on an elephant ride for the third time to see the rhinos in the jungle, I decided to spend a morning there. And it turned out that I not only spent half a day there but I also returned for the evening.
Spending a day at the Rapti Beach begins with a lazy morning, perhaps another best part for many of us. There’s no need to rise early if one is staying at one of Sarauha’s resorts or hotels. The Rapti Beach is just a two-minute walk from the Sauraha’s market area.
Since there are a few hut-restaurants serving breakfasts in the beach-style sitting arrangement, a peaceful breakfast will supply the energy for the most interesting activity: the elephant bathing.
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Elephant bathing is riding on the beast to a deeper area of the river and showering with the water sprayed by its trunk! Isn’t that amazing? It’s more than amazing in my experience; it’s something too unique to forget.
Sitting on the back of the huge pachyderm and waiting for it to bend its trunk upward and spray the water on you gives you a feeling of being a royal.
A companion with a camera is a must!
After a few showers, there’s a challenge for you: standing on its back –well, the Titanic style is best if you’re with a beloved – for as long as possible. It’s not easy because the elephant will shake mildly, and the rider is bound to fall in the water.
The water is not deep; and even if one can’t swim, he can easily climb back on the elephant – to fall again, unless you decide not to return.
The second part of elephant bathing is using a stone, and rubbing the elephant with it. Although many find it quite interesting, I was too exhausted to do that. For the next time, surely!
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Next, I’m on board a long wooden boat – made of a carved log – enjoying the downstream and upstream ride on the river, stretching both my hands on either side of the boat and feeling the water.
Half an hour of boating isn’t very interesting unless one feels the boat is too narrow to stay in on the water, or that it could turn upside down anytime. It won’t, for sure, but that I only knew after I completed the journey.
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Rapti Beach also offers a brief guided ride on camel! Someone thought of the idea of bringing in two camels to Chitwan, and they have become an interesting addition. I wasn’t tempted other than to enjoying it by watching others ride on the humped artiodactyls.
Lunch is better had back at the hotel, and a siesta will complete the afternoon.
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The Rapti Beach is crowded in the evening with people enjoying the returning of birds in flocks that make interesting patterns in the sky, and the setting of the sun onto the jungle. The sundown becomes enjoyable with the flocks of birds flying against the backdrop of the sun and the darkening sky.
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The Chitwan National Park is a five-hour ride from Kathmandu, and the best part of it that it could be a destination for a weekend or a weeklong holiday. The Rapti Beach can be an ideal addresss for passing a weekend or a day of the weeklong holiday in a most memorable way.
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