Travel Guide to Sauraha

Indian Embassy in Sauraha

Embassy of India
P.O. Box. 292
336, Kapurdhara Marg, Lainchaur
Kathmandu, Nepal

Visa Process for Indian Visitors in Sauraha

Indian citizens do not require a visa to travel to Nepal. Indian citizens are required to carry their passports or voter ID card to travel to Nepal.

About Sauraha

Sauraha is a village in the Chitwan District of southern Nepal. It is located close to the Rapti River and the Chitwan National Park. The famous Chitwan National Park borders the village. People use Sauraha as a gateway to enjoy the pre-meditated jungle excursions which are one of the best things to do in Sauraha town visit.

Every year, thousands of tourists flock the destinations to enjoy its serene beauty. Sauraha village provides many budget accommodation options to the jungle safari tourists, specifically 3-4-star properties. The town today boasts of small and pleasant tourist life in its quaint surroundings, which consists of modern and comfortable hotels, resorts, restaurants and gift shops.

Places to Visit in Sauraha

Sauraha’s points of interest that tourists must visit include:

• Chitwan National Park holds the prime spot among the tourist places in Sauraha. It is a famous and the first national park in Nepal established in 1973. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1984. Chitwan National Park is a home to wide range of animals like Bengal tigers, bears, leopards, rhinoceroses, crocodiles and monkeys. There are many species of birds and butterflies. Chitwan National Park has over 20,000 lakes and the Dashajar Tal wetland area has bird watching around the lake. It is at a distance of 10 km from Sauraha.
• The Safari Park is at the height of 330 ft. in the River Valley. Between Sauraha and Chitwan is the Rapti River which is one of the famous places in Sauraha since people are permitted to swim in the river. During the summers, the river bed transforms into dunes given its shrunken size. Walking across the river is another interesting idea to tour the path and reach up to the rural Tharu Villages.
• Tharu Museum is another reason to visit the site. Tharu Cultural Museum is for people who seek information on the Tharu Culture with the museum displaying ornaments and a rakshi distillery pot as its prime highlights.
• Devghat is a Hindu pilgrimage destination and clearly a top choice for people who wish to spend time in the religious and cultural centres of central Nepal.
• The town has Seti Gandaki and Krishna Gandaki rivers as its intersection points. The twin rivers are revered as holiest places in Hindu mythology and are also a holy place for Hindu Gods. It is a must visit when in Nepal as it is about a 20 km distance from Kathmandu and 20 km from Sauraha. The area has many natural features like tropical forests, birds and wild animals.
• The largest wildlife reserve is the Parsa National Park. It is a protected area in south-central Nepal.
• Among the other things to do in Sauhara is the visit to the Elephant Breeding Center. Located at a distance of around 3 km from Sauraha, this breeding centre is situated on the Bhude Rapti River. It offers the magnificent sight of many elephants and the calves to an opportunity to enjoy elephant safaris at Chitwan. Elephant gazing and their mahouts alongside is a pleasant sight to observe. You can walk or cycle around along the Jungle pass road.

How to Reach Sauraha

Sauraha has good air connectivity through Bharatpur airport. One can fly directly from Pokhara and Kathmandu to reach Sauraha. The airport is at a distance of 15 km from the town. The tourists to Sauraha need to interchange bus, taxi, jeep to connect to Sauraha.

From Kathmandu, there are on-board buses to reach Sauraha. The cheaper Birganj bound buses will help you reach up to

Tadi Bazar and then, you need to take a local bus, pony cart, rickshaw or jeep.

The fastest route to Sauraha is the short 25-minute flight from Kathmandu to Bharatpur airport. The distance between Lumbini (the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha and a World Heritage Site) to Sauraha is 155km, and from Pokhara to Sauraha, the distance is about 145km. Sauraha- Kathmandu via Pokhara is a scenic drive of five-hours.

Travelling in Sauraha

Sauraha village can be best explored on foot. It is a small town and to hop on to the next village; tourists can use bicycles or enjoy the pleasant ride of a buffalo cart. There are taxis, tricycles and tour operated vehicles available too. Mopeds can also be rented.

Best Time to Visit

Sauraha is situated on the Nepal plains, and thus, the climate is mostly warmer than the rest of the country. November to February is the winter season. During the winter time, the mornings and the nights are cold with an average temperature of around 10 degrees. However, the weather is clear and pleasant during the day.

March to June is hot and humid especially during the day hours, thus, making it difficult to indulge in outdoor activities.

July to September is monsoon season, and the jungle and roads are full of mud and leaches. So, one needs to be wary of the treacherous route.

October to November has clear skies overboard. Because of the warm months, the autumn period makes the peak tourist season of Sauraha. This is the time when many people together undertake the trails in the Everest, and the Nepal accommodation is overall busy and expensive.

March to April is also the best time to visit Sauraha. Spring is the bloom time in the jungle. The monsoon season is the low season. However, under the heavy rains, Sauraha looks mesmerizing. Jungle safaris can be initiated in confidence, and the accommodation is also cheap at this time.

What to Pack?

• Rain gears like raincoat, umbrella, etc. are important.
• Make sure you carry your sun gear including sunglasses, sunscreen, etc., any time of the year
• Water bottle
• Day backpack
• Hand sanitizer
• First aid supplies and medicine
• Insect repellent
• Always carry a passport copy and Nepal Visa copy with you in a small bag

Top Delicacies

There are several river-side restaurants in Sauraha which offer local Nepal Terai delicacies served by the local community (Tharu) prepare the delicious traditional food palate. Great hospitality is a bonus. Some dishes one must try are:

• Ghonghi is a delicacy made of snail, and a preparation relished hugely by the Tharu community. The snail is served with the ground linseed soup. The snail needs to be pulled out of the shell
• Taas is a spicy goat-meat fried dish with Bhujia or Cheura add-ons
• Nepali Thali which consists of roasted soya bean), potato fried, soup, are served as starters with the thali. Then, there is rice, lentils, chicken gravy, wild boar roasted, saag, vegetables and pickle on the served plate. The desert includes sikarni- thick yoghurt loaded with dry nuts and cinnamon powder
• Tandoori Chicken is chicken marinated in yoghurt and local spice and roasted to serve you deliciously

Indian Restaurants in Sauraha

• Kc's Restaurant and Bar
  Location:Chitwan National Park, Sauraha 32909, Nepal
  Contact: +977 985-5066352
• Jalapeno Restaurant
  Location:Sauraha, Nepal
  Contact:+977 56-580256
• Accoustica Shisha
  Location:Sauraha-2 | National Park, Sauraha 00977, Nepal
  Contact: +977 985-5046238

Shopping List Essentials

The main bazaar area has many gift speciality shops. You can buy Tharu wares like dhokiya-woven colourful baskets made at home using rice straw.

Pasa Store in Chitwan National Park offers you unique products to shop for. You can also spend on home maintenance products like paints, electric items, and glue. Moreover, there are also cooking spices, chocolate and cookies to shop at very affordable prices.

Healthcare Centers

Some of the best healthcare centres to contact during an emergency include:

• Chitwan Hospital Pvt. Ltd
• Bakulahar Ratnanagar Hospital 
• Om Sairam Hospital

Tourists can buy a to get the best services during an emergency. In case of an accident or ailment, tourists need to inform the insurer who would suggest some good nearby hospitals where they can seek treatment.

Currency

The local currency is called Nepalese Rupees and is available in the denomination of five, 10, 100, 500 and 1,000 rupees. Smaller units are called paisa and are found in both coin and banknote form. It is managed by the central bank, the Nepal Rastra Bank. The paisa is available in the denominations of one, two and five paise.

It is recommended not to buy the local currency from the airport as the service charges can be high. Lower rates are offered in the city. Private bank rate is much more generous. There are ATMs to withdraw cash instantly.

Basics of Local Communication

Nepali is the most spoken language in Nepal. In places close to Kathmandu, the traditional language was Newari even though Nepali has replaced most of it. Newari is spoken only by few or at home. Hindi is also spoken by the locals, while English is slowly gaining popularity. Here are some simple phrases to be familiar with: