For years, elephant-back safaris were a signature of Chitwan tourism. You’ll still find them offered. We don’t, and we won’t. Here’s why — and what we offer in their place.
The line we draw
The training and keeping of captive elephants for riding routinely involves practices that are hard to reconcile with the conservation values we’re built on. We take the view that our wildlife should be watched on its own terms, not ridden — and that includes the elephants themselves. It’s a simple, binding rule in how we operate.
What we do instead
There’s no shortage of extraordinary, ethical ways to experience Chitwan and the wider Terai:
- Jeep safaris into the park’s core, covering ground the wildlife actually uses.
- Guided jungle walks with a naturalist and an armed park guard — the most intimate way to read a forest.
- Dugout canoe trips on the Rapti for gharial, kingfishers and waders.
- Hide and machaan sits in Bardia’s dry season, letting the wildlife come to you.
None of these depend on a captive animal, and all of them, in our experience, make for a richer, more honest encounter with the wild.
Ethics as the whole point
We didn’t build a wildlife brand to compromise on wildlife. Choosing how we travel — quietly, respectfully, and without exploitation — isn’t a constraint on the experience. It is the experience.
Wild Nepal, done right.
