24 hours in Sauraha

Here’s something about my 24-hour escape from Kathmandu. You can certainly do a lot of things in a day. From The Week published July 16, 2010.

Elephant bathing

It’s the small things in life that gives happiness. As cliche as it may sound, it actually seems to be true.

During a trip to Sauraha, the home to the Chitwan National Park, I’ve had the most fun in a limited time with such a little money for something that does not sound that lavish or entertaining. Elephant bathing!

On the bank of the Rapti River, getting on top of the elephant and then bathing along with him/her, it’s crazy fun. And all that for Rs 100 ($1.25). It’s so much better than McChicken for $1.09. Well, the experience.

As the elephant showers you with the trunk, it’s like someone throwing a bucket of water on you. And there are times when it will throw you on the water (not pick you by its trunk though). It will just slide and splash on the water and you get down with it. It’s like diving from a ten feet wall!

Other things aside in Chitwan–elephant safari, bird watching, rhino watching, camel ride, boating–elephant bathing beats everything, at least for me. It’s that 15 minutes of fun I remember than spotting the one-horned rhino or coming across the camels in Nepal, which is rare.

It’s the 15 minute with the elephants, the splash and the shower and only for that amount of money. Crazy fun!