Where the Sal forest of the Chitwan
jungle meets the wide and beautiful
valley of the Rapti river, the world is
wild and splendid. Broad grassland
sweeps north to the Mahabharata range
and virgin jungle extends south to the
Churia hills. For centuries the dense
jungle bordering on the foothills of the
Himalayas formed an impenetrable
barrier, keeping Nepal a hidden and
mysterious kingdom. The last three
decades have seen that barrier breached,
but the jungle of the Royal Chitwan
National Park remains a world apart.
Here the spirit of great
explorer-adventurers still lives.
With the opening of Machan Wildlife
Resort a new chapter is being written in
adventure and exploration in the Chitwan
jungle. The perfect beauty of its
setting allows one to realize a fantasy
most of us have cherished since
childhood: the spirit of Mowgli in the
world of Rudyard Kip ling.
Location
Machan Wildlife Resort is located 190 km
southwest of Kathmandu in the eastern
edge of the Royal Chitwan National Park.
Getting There
By Land
Our vehicles will drive you there on the
same mountain road which originally
revealed Nepal’s hidden beauty to the
outside world. The road crosses the
Mahabharat Range at 2500 m and follows
the Trishuli river most of the way.It
offers splendid views of the Himalayas
in clear weather.
By Air
There are two daily flights from
Kathmandu to Bharatpur airfield, the
nearest to Machan Wildlife Resort, and
from Bharatpur guests are transported by
Land-Rover to the resort which is 40 km
from the airfield.
By Raft
You can opt for a raft trip down the
Trishuli river which follows the road
down into Chitwan National Park, with
our trained rafting crew, and bivouac at
camps on riverside beaches. This is
Nepal’s most popular rafting river, for
its impressive gorges, exciting rapids,
and some easier sections. For many
people it represents the ideal
compromise trip: just the right length
of, exhilarating rapids, and not too
difficult.
Services & Facilities
Accommodation
The accommodation at Machan Wildlife
Resort is in timber-framed bungalows
having private bathrooms providing
modern toilet amenities. To blend with
the environment, lighting is by kerosene
lanterns which we place outside your
rooms at sundown. The main building with
the dining room and bar and the pathway
to the rooms are lighted by electric
bulbs, and the power comes from a
generator.
The paintings on the walls and the
curtains also have a peculiar charm of
it’s own. They were created by the women
of Nepal’s Methyl culture. These women
live in villages near the Tear town of
Janakpur, where Sita, the heroine of The
Ramayana, was married to the God, Ram.
The villages once belonged to a Kingdom
called Mithila and today the women
continue to maintain the rich ancient
traditions of their culture.
Food & Drinks
The Resort restaurant offers both
Nepalese, Continental, Indian and
Chinese cuisine, hygienically prepared
with concern for your health. Our bar
offers a wide variety of imported and
local liquors, beers, soft drinks and
exotic cocktails.
Clothing
Located just outside the tropics, the
days in Chitwan are generally warm for
most of the year and require only light
clothing. However, from November to
February the early mornings and evenings
can be very chilly, requiring a warm
sweater or jacket. Early morning
elephant rides can be particularly cold
before the sun rises and warms the air
enough to dispel the damp morning mist.
Light weight, loose-fitting trousers and
long-sleeved shirts are recommended for
elephant riding as they give protection
from cuts and scratches while moving
through the tall grass and forests.
Canvas shoes or lightweight boots are
ideal for walking or elephant riding as
they give protection from thorny vines,
insects and prickles. Bright colors are
very conspicuous in the jungle and we
advise that you wear neutral-colored
clothing. A sunhat or light neck scarf
and sun cream are necessary for
preventing sunburn and perhaps insect
repellent for use out of doors in the
evening. You may wish to bring a swim
suit for a dip in the swimming pool in
our grounds.
Activities
At Machan Wildlife Resort, a team of
expert naturalists has been formed under
the leadership of Dr. Charles Ramble, an
anthropologist and naturalist with wide
experience of Nepal. They will share
their knowledge of the jungle’s flora
and fauna as they guide you on elephant
back and in Land rovers, on nature walks
and bird-watching excursions Canoeing is
done in traditional dugout canoes which
will give you a tranquil crocodile’s-eye
view of the jungle, and a few miles
drive upstream to the villages of the
Danwar tribal community will allow you a
glimpse into the lives of the jungle
dwellers of Nepal.
When the spirit of the
explorer-adventurers is strongest, we
will trek with you into the dense
forests of the Churia hills, the last
domain in Chitwan where wild elephants
still roam. Hidden in this remote region
are the remains of ancient settlements
that the jungle has reclaimed. To
appreciate MACHAN fully we recommend a
visit of not less than 3 days.
Introduction