Captivating Chitwan

The stifling heat of the savannahs and the distant call of the wild elephants was our warm welcome to Nepal’s Royal Chitwan National Park.

A winding dirt road past vast green pastures, lead us through a small village to our hotel. It seemed absurd to Deep and I at first that we were situated in the very heart of this renowned wildlife sanctuary, buffalo grazing outside our hotel window and yet daily life continued as per usual for the town's people, who would dodge a herd of elephants walking down the main street and not blink an eyelid.

Our four-day wildlife adventure allowed us to get up close and personal with many animals, you normally only get the opportunity to see behind a glass wall at Australia Zoo. So to experience a real jungle safari, with our vantage point from the top of an elephant was a dream come true for both of us. Walking through the national park on this enormous creature, our eyes remained peeled for any sign of wildlife, in the hopes of spotting a rare Asian Tiger or rhino. After a few minutes walking through the dense jungle we were soon surrounded by the calls of nature and the faint squeals of excitement from foreign tourists who didn’t quite grasp the concept that to see a wild rhino, you needed to remain silent, otherwise the only one they would see was on a mural in the hotel reception. Silence has been a godsend for us after two months travelling through the hustle and bustle of India.

Thousands of tourists from all over the globe flock to this part of the world in an endeavour of getting a glimpse at a wild beast though as we soon learnt it really is a game of luck and being in the right place at the right time. On our second day in the national park we began our day by paddling down a fresh water river in a traditionally made canoe, spotting the odd freshwater crocodile sunning itself on the bank. After our canoe ride we ventured into the jungle as wild deer bounded past as at record speed. Everywhere you looked, the jungle consisted of some form of wildlife or rare species to be marvelled at.

One of the highlights of this trip was our visit to the elephant breeding centre, the second biggest of its kind in the world. We were fortunate enough to see two curious baby elephants who walked right over to Deep and I, demanding a good old back scratch. They walked up and down the fence that separated us from them, lapping up every bit of attention they could get.

By the afternoon, the jungle heat had taken its toll on us and we were led to the river bank where fully grown elephants waited for us to join them for bath time. This was an extremely unique and exhilarating opportunity, climbing on to their backs as they splashed us with cold spurts of water from their trunks. It was the perfect way to cool down after a day trekking through the jungle.

By day four, we had walked, cycled and rode an elephant around the entire national park and were even lucky enough to see a rare glimpse of a wild rhino bathing in the river. One of my fears when venturing into the national park was coming in contact with a hairy jungle spider. I made Deep check our room from top to toe, making sure there wasn’t one hiding in the bathroom. Luckily it wasn’t until we were leaving the national park that I saw one in the hotel restaurant, I guess he just came out to bid us farewell.

By Kerryn Anker

Picturesque Pokhara

It took an overcrowded local bus in stifling heat to get here, but the picturesque town of Pokhara was well worth the journey.

Lush rolling mountain ranges meet the fresh water lake shore, with trendy upmarket restaurants and cafes lining the main street. Pokhara is definitely a hub for international visitors who begin their trekking expeditions here. The town also offers a vast spectrum of activities from white water rafting and paragliding, to the simple pleasures of hiring out a row boat and exploring the many Buddhist temples (known as a Stupa) on the shore front.

This is exactly how Deep and I past the time, paragliding one day from the mountain tops to cruising down the lake the other. Our welcome to Pokhara began with a severe thunderstorm, including some heavy hail. Through the drizzle of rain we saw the outline of the lake, though it wasn’t until we woke to sunshine the next day that we saw why this town was a hot spot for holiday makers.

 After enjoying the highs that Pokhara had to offer with our paragliding experience one our second day, we decided to experience a bit of the night life that evening. We were pleasantly surprised by the array of musical talent the locals provided with a number of pubs and bars offering live performances. But it wasn’t until we ventured into a Nepali night club that we were really given the local experience.

To all my girlfriends back home who know how hard it is to drag a man on to the dance floor, well this place is the opposite. The men love to get their dancing shoes on and dance to…. remixes of Taylor Swift.

On our last day in Pokhara, Deep and I decided to relax and unwind by hiring out a row boat on the lake. Half way around the lake is a mountain climb to a Buddhist Stupa which overlooks all of Pokhara. From the shoreline it didn’t look too far, though two hours later we made it to the top, gasping for air. That’s right we are the couple who are meant to be conquering Everest Base Camp in a few short weeks.

 So we left behind Pokhara with wonderful memories and plenty of beautiful photographs. We now embark on our two week trek though Nepal so will be out of action from the blog until we return. We look forward to sharing our trekking stories with you all then.

By Kerryn Anker

Through the thick smog you find the real beauty.

Only three days in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu and already the pollution is so intoxicating to our lungs, we are literally gasping for some fresh mountain air. With an estimated population of 700,000, it has been quite surprising to Deep and I that a city surrounded by the Himalayas could be so smog infused.

Kathmandu was always just going to be our base for our trekking expedition to the Annapurna conservation area, in central Nepal, though I must admit through the murky haze there has been some specks of beauty. The town centre is lined with stores filled with a colourful array of scarves, woollen socks, hats and jewellery and I was definitely in my element here.

The Buddhist temples and hill top shrines are breathtakingly stunning, laced in gold and Tibetan prayer flags. Though the stand out of this city for me was the people, who would continually greet you with a smile, offer assistance at every corner and not seem to want anything in return (this was a completely foreign concept for us). It hasn’t just been the men, the women are just as friendly wanting to know everything about us including where Deep and I met and whether our relationship is a “love based relationship” or an “arranged relationship.” We couldn’t help but laugh when we were asked this question by our taxi driver.

Even though we both don’t practice the Buddhist philosophy, monks were more than happy to explain their way of life, their prayers and meditations. Despite the cloud of thick smoke surrounding this city, you don’t have to dig too deep to find the pure beauty of the people. Deep and I hope that this is a sign of times to come on our travels through Nepal.

We are now off on our trails through the hills of the Himalayas and will hopefully update you in a week.

By Kerryn Anker