Nepal Part 2 - Diversity: Wildlife, Mountains, & More
This is the second part of my Nepal blog, leaving the Kathmandu valley and exploring the wildlife of Bardiya, Pokhara’s mountain views, and more.
As I alluded to in the first part of my Nepal blog I had such a vast selection of images to cover my time in this diverse country, putting them all in a single post would probably bring Squarespace (the platform I’m using to host this site) to its knees, so I decided to split them into two.
The first post is focused on the culture and architecture of the Kathmandu Valley (well worth seeing) and this is part two, covering everything from sub-tropical temperatures to snowy mountains, from tigers to other elusive creatures, and a few things in between.
Once again, credit goes to Ghanshyam, the owner of Tiger Encounter, who has been instrumental in helping me organise what you’re about to read, and is among the best operators I’ve ever worked with. For any type of Nepal trip, please consider them (not sponsored).
Bardiya National Park 🐅
I initially saw Nepal as an extension of my time in Bhutan, and only had a few ideas of what I wanted to explore, which quickly turned into a fully packed three weeks. From the Kathmandu Valley I made my way to the more remote western lowlands, landing in Nepalgunj, close to the Indian border after a 90 minute domestic flight (with almost no delays - which is not all that common…)
From here, it’s a 3 hour drive to the border of the Bardiya National Park. Why did I come here? It has become one of South Asia’s most rewarding places to search for wild Bengal tigers, so much so that the BBC series Tiger Island was filmed here just a few months before I arrived (and released a couple of months after I left). In fact, I had the chance to spend some time with one of its (human) protagonists, but it was the feline participants that were a bit less willing to cooperate…read on to find out.
I did have a few encounters of the non-feline kind on the way from the airport towards the park already.
Bardiya is surrounded by a large buffer zone where human development is limited, but a major highway runs right through it - we encountered this otter and the critically endangered Gharial crocodile with its long, narrow snout near a bridge over the Babai River, one of many that runs through the ecosystem. There were once just an estimated 200 of these reptiles left in the wild. Now the number is growing, and Bardiya actually has a breeding program for them, which I would get to visit later.
Community Conservation
After arriving at a small lodge on the banks of the Girwa river just on the border of the park, we made our way into the community forest, part of the buffer zone where humans and animals coexist - not always happily, as my guide Ram Raj (his nickname is Nana) would explain.
He’s only 24, but grew up in the area and has been involved in its human-wildlife management and conservation efforts since his teenage years. In fact, Nana experienced the challenges first hand: he broke his leg during a motorcycle accident when he encountered an elephant on the road, and his previous house suffered from elephant-related damage regularly, forcing him to abandoned the mud-walled home and move into a concrete structure.
It’s maybe through these encounters he dedicated his life to helping the community engage with wildlife positively, become part of the community-based anti poaching unit (CBAPU). He also has a role in the Rapid Response Team and sleeps with two phones next to his bed, responding to calls from locals whose crops are raided by elephants, to leopards entering village areas, and pythons in people’s living rooms - yep, he showed me pictures.
As we drove to the forest hoping for our first wildlife encounter, his helpful spirit became immediately apparent when we came across a jeep that had broken down.
The attempt to get the engine going again remained unsuccessful, and so we moved on after calling in more qualified help.
The area is of course home to much more than tigers - for instance, there are over 400 bird species to be found in the park. One of the more charismatic ones we encountered is the Spotted Owlet.
Beyond the birds, Bardiya is also a prime habitat for one-horned rhinoceros, the largest in Asia and a vulnerable species which I’d definitely hoped to see.
There are also a few animals I didn’t really have any hope to encounter due to their rarity, such as the fishing cat (yep, that’s a thing), rusty spotted cat, or the Gangetic dolphin (they are seasonal during the rainy times).
The One-horned Rhino
As we stood by the river bank of the community forest for sunset - a popular tiger crossing spot - Nana got a call that a rhino had been spotted a few hundred metres upstream, and we immediately got moving on foot through the bushes along the bank. Suddenly he stopped abruptly as we came around a curve, turned around and signaled for silence. A two-ton rhino, one of maybe around 4000 left in the wild, stood just 50 metres away, and had clearly noticed us - probably not seen (their eyesight is poor) but smelled and heard.
He watched us a for what felt like an eternity, then decided to turn, climb down the bank, and disappear into the thick grass across a small channel, not before giving us another disapproving look for disturbing his evening walk.
What a sighting - there are only said to be fewer than 50 individuals in the park and surrounding areas.
Day 1: success!
Into the National Park
Around sunrise on Day 2 we left the buffer zone behind and entered the actual National Park area of just over 1000 sqkm, established in 1988.
Owing to its rather remote location, it felt significantly less busy than many other parks in South Asia, although the lunch spots or major sightings can of course attract a few jeeps.
Among those sightings are deer: there are five species in the park (prime tiger prey…), the most common one, the spotted deer or Chital, seen here, watching us approach carefully.
Although the day didn’t bring any major sightings, it’s always enjoyable to observe other forest inhabitants such as these rhesus macaques and listening for their alarm calls that alert other animals - and experienced guides - to the presence of tigers or leopards nearby.
Even the flora is worth a closer look, such as these massive vines, which instead of investing energy in a thick trunk, climb existing trees to reach the canopy - sometimes smothering them in the process and giving the jungle a kind of Indiana Jones vibe.
Another interesting forest feature are these huge termite mounds, sometimes in excess of 2 meters tall. They represent the pinnacle of a deep tunnel network constructed over decades by millions of these tiny insects.
A different tiny insect positions their huge structures a little higher up - giant honeycombs, some more than a metre across, built by the Giant Asian Honey Bee.
In general, scanning trees often pays off - they’re home to everything from kingfishers, woodpeckers, and what I believe are a collared scope owl and a fish owl. Luckily, my guide for the park was a woman who would miss none of those animals: Sushila. She grew up around the forest and became a guide more than 10 years ago. Evidently, a good one: she worked with the BBC for months to film the aforementioned Tiger Island documentary, helping them track the animals and study their behavior to capture the most interesting scenes. I also got to meet one of her four sisters, who is also a guide in the park, working hard to correct the skewed male / female ratio!
Even with her and our amazing driver Harry, who has been here for 17 years as well and never shied away from pressing on the gas when there were signs of a tiger nearby, spotting these big cats is no easy task. But we did see another large animal that roams these forests…
The park is mostly sal forest area, with small parts of grassland, floodplains of the river system, and transition zones. It gets very hot during the dry season, which ends around the time I visited in April, with temperatures over 35C.
During this dry season, several waterholes are filled artificially to provide drinking water for the animals - in fact Nana learnt to be a solar system technician during Covid to help install the pumps required. The water holes provide some of the best opportunities to spot tigers, who rest close to them to cool off during the day. But it’s not only tigers who make use of them.
Asian Elephants
We spotted this herd of endangered Asian elephants roaming the forest, sometimes migrating huge distances in search of food and water. There is a population of around 120 or so in the area. You’d think that animals of this size, let alone a herd of 10+, are easy to spot, but no, in these thick forests even an elephant can hide quite easily.
As they come out in the open to drink, you’ll get a chance to have a glimpse at them though. I learnt to appreciate these animals and their social structure and behavior over the years and they became one of my favorite species - although I still have a slight preference for the African variant.
The groups all live in matriarchal herds, while the bulls mostly roam the forest on their own. Just a few hours later, we encountered one at a different waterhole, making sure he got his 150L of daily required intake (and here I struggle to drink 1.5L a day…). In a interesting representation of the role of elephants in human wildlife conflict, Harry refused to turn off the engine as we got closer to him, and felt visibly uncomfortable: elephants are not generally aggressive, but when looking for food they often enter villages and raid crops - reversely, humans walking through the forest areas may startle them, inevitably resulting in conflict.
Risk Reduction
Although for the time in the park Sushila was my guide, Nana gladly took me to another initiative after we returned. It tries to address one of the sources of human wildlife conflicts: people from the village searching for seedlings and young plants in the forest, so that they can use them to start a new harvest season. But every such walk through the thick bushes risks meeting with tigers, elephants, snakes, and other animals that may see humans as a threat, or a meal.
A project he supports was born out of this challenge: planting seedlings in small greenhouses around the community centre, where villagers can come and collect them for free in order to start their agricultural projects, making the forest visits moot and reducing the chance of such encounters.
Back in the park, the quest for the tiger continued - it had rained the night before, meaning it was cooler with more water around, reducing our chances to spot a thirsty big cat at a waterhole. We had signs, such as these huge claw marks on a tree by the dirt road, and the occasional deer calling in alarm. But no luck yet. After almost four days of searching with only a day left, I got a little nervous - none of the other guides we asked had seen a tiger in days either.
That said, we had another two sightings of rhino, with one crossing the river in the afternoon. Although there are so few of these animals left today, their situation looked a lot more dire 100 years ago, when numbers dropped to low triple digits, making this a conservation success.
Speaking of animals in the water, as the sun was low on the horizon we encountered this herd of swamp deer (Barasingha) in the river, with some of them literally submerging themselves to cool down.
As we left for the day, we got to observe another human intervention characterized by the dry season, aside from the water holes: the controlled burning of dry leaves and lower vegetation. This helps to maintain grasslands, encourages new growth, and reduces the risk of uncontrolled wildfires - so while it may look depressing, it’s a healthy practice. The fires are also slow burning and set in a way that allows escape paths for animals, often using the dirt roads as “boundaries”.
The Last Day
Since the park had not been our lucky territory, we headed back to the community forest, close to the area where we spotted the rhino on day 1.
A small group of people gathered at the river bank after sunrise, hoping a tiger would come out for a drink or to cross the water.
Even Sushila became a little anxious she wouldn’t be able to deliver a tiger in front of my lens, so a higher vantage point was necessary… but this was her area - the opposite bank was the island that gave BBC’s Tiger Island its name. She knew the individual tigers that call this territory their home.
In the background, I had already started thinking about extending my stay by a couple more days, with whatever logistical mess this would come with…
…but it wasn’t necessary. Sushila’s instincts were good, and her eyesight even better.
She spotted two subadult tiger cubs in the distant long grasses on the opposite bank, and quietly called for us to come down to the river.
Crouching and hiding in the grass so they wouldn’t get nervous - unlike the tigers in the busier Indian parks, most of the individuals here are apprehensive around human presence - we got a little closer on foot. And we got lucky - the two tigers went into the water for a quick drink, giving me the chance to get these photos. They had already spotted us and didn’t stick around for long, heading back into the grass after what felt like less than a minute. Nevertheless - mission accomplished, smiles and high-fives!
At this point, the rest of the small group decided to head back to the cars and go into the park, but Sushila had other ideas. The mother might be around, and she knew there are a couple of other tigers who regularly cross the river here. So we waited, just her, Harry, and me.
And she was right again. After an hour, a tigress appeared on the other side, once again giving us the chance to observe her as she waded into the river.
Once more, despite our best attempts, she had spotted us, and without much hesitation dove into the water and crossed the river behind a gentle bend, making it impossible for us to keep observing her. While she came to our side of the bank, we suspect she probably disappeared into the thick bushes of the forest quickly, making this another beautiful but brief encounter.
With a sigh of relief and joy we headed back up the river bank. We got a clear view of not just one, but three tigers, a sighting with no one else around, and a moment of these amazing cats swimming in the water - can’t expect much more!
Up on the river bank, I was once again reminded of how closely humans interact with wildlife here - as we walked back, we encountered the man on the left, who was just about to ride his bicycle to the spot where the tigress must have emerged from the river after crossing. When we brought this to his attention, he hesitated for a few seconds, then shrugged his shoulders, and continued his way along the shoreline.
On our way to the park where we planned to head for the afternoon, we passed a few women fishing in the very same river the tigress just swam, a few hundred meters upstream. Normal life in Bardiya, but not without its challenges - in 2021, several tigers killed ten people in and around the park.
Taking it slow now, we added a few more birds to our sighting list, such as this aptly named but, given the heat, inappropriately dressed, woolly necked stork, and the crested hawk-eagle on the right.
Although our main goal for returning back to the park was in fact visiting the crocodile breeding centre, another guide alerted us to something else: it was at one of the water holes where we would have a third tiger sighting for the day, after seeing none of them for five days. The other jeep had spotted it in the thickets, and it had come out briefly for a drink, and might do so again. Indeed, the young tiger appeared for a brief swim after an hour or so of waiting.
While still beautiful, this was both a more typical and more difficult sighting, for one reason because of the thick vegetation, and secondly because word had spread and five or so jeeps were around, trying to get into a good position, with people scrambling in front of the jeeps and on the seats. That is not necessarily a problem, but when the cub came out, a small frenzy broke out, including someone loudly shouting insults at other people to get out of the way, which of course immediately scared the cat away. One of the less pleasant things you might experience in these kinds of safaris - we left this mess behind, our tiger mission was completed already.
As the sun was setting we arrived back at the entrance of the park, where the crocodile breeding centre is located. It’s a small facility with a number of different ponds, where crocodiles are sorted by age and species. While there are a few more common marsh mugger crocodiles enclosures as well, the focus is on ensuring the hatchlings of the Gharial variant make it to adulthood and are able to survive in the wild once released.
This group is from 2023, so they have a few years to go until they’re ready for the wild at a size that makes them less vulnerable to external threats.
The facility is also home to a rescued rhino that has been kept here in captivity after its mother was killed by poachers - regardless, it was quite receptive to Sushila’s hand feeding. The centre also houses an elephant used for patrolling, and a tiger, kept here because it has become a threat to humans, making its removal from the park necessary.
After a successful day, Nana and I had one more small detour planned on the next morning on our way to the airport: he took me to the park management’s elephant stables, where they keep domesticated elephants, mainly for patrolling and other work in the forest. Since most of the park is inaccessible by vehicle during the monsoon season, this practice has survived for decades until today.
Indeed, Shushila’s father had been an elephant rider and keeper (mahout) for over 25 years in the park before his retirement. Although these elephants have grown up with their human keepers and been around them for years, it is a dangerous job - just a few days before my visit, a mahout was killed by this elephant, who now stands in shackles.
His companions are generally outside foraging in the community forest for most of the day when not being used in the park, but I am unsure of what his fate will be…
The morning routine of the keepers includes preparing small balls of mixed grains and grasses to feed the elephants during the time they're out on patrol or when they're back in the stables. On the right, parts of the padded saddle element that is used when the elephants transport people, which is still a common practice.
Pokhara - Gateway to the Annapurnas
After Bardiya - and a few hours delay owing to bad weather at the destination - it was time to head back north-east. Less than an hour flight brings you from the subtropical Terai lowlands almost at sea-level to some of the tallest mountain ranges in the world: the Annapurnas. The major city in the region is Pokhara with a population of just over half a million people.
Mountain Museum
The aforementioned bad weather was a little disruptive to my plans, so we used the rainy afternoon to visit the mountain museum, documenting the history of mountaineering in Nepal and around the globe.
As the conditions improved a little bit in the late evening, I took a stroll from my hotel along the shores of Phewa Lake, one of the main attractions of the area for its beautiful mountain views, boat rides, and boardwalk.
It’s an amazing setting.
There are hundreds of small non-motorized boats on the lake, many of which are produced and maintained by the local owners along the shoreline.
The boardwalk is lined with dozens of restaurants and bars and a few shops, as well as this little theme park which ambitiously called itself the Pokhara Disneyland. Fully licensed, I’m sure.
For the next morning, I had planned a quick helicopter trip to the Annapurna base camp, gateway to 3 of the 10 tallest mountains in the world. The early morning wake up call turned out to be in vain though - as we arrived at the airfield, the helicopter company told me they had to prioritise getting people down from the mountain. Yesterday's bad weather with thick clouds meant they could not fly, and it had caused a backlog of people stuck on the mountain for the night. Alternative plans it is, then.
Somewhat hidden but in the middle of the city lies a rather beautiful waterfall and canyon, which, owing to the drier months of the year, felt a little less impressive than some of the photos during the monsoon suggest.
The falls drop around 50 metres into a tunnel, which then runs another 150 metres under one of the city’s main road, only to end up…
… in an impressive cave, covering a total of 3 kilometers, although only a very small part is accessible. It’s connected to the canyon of the falls on the other side of the road. Maybe unsurprisingly, the cave has a religious meaning today - it is an active pilgrimage site dedicated to Shiva, with Nandi, the bull, serving as its guardian and companion.
Owing to its religious meaning, the cave has a rather impressive entrance: a huge spiral staircase leading down into the bedrock under the city.
While by itself maybe none of the components of this sight would be particularly noteworthy, it’s the combination of the waterfall and its canyon, the cave, and the above ground temple entrance - all in the middle of the city - that make this quite an unusual place.
The Panorama
After the messy morning start and the cave, we then made it to what is probably Pokhara’s most beautiful viewpoint, with the massive Himalayan mountain ranges of the Annapurna reflecting in the calm river.
We did so just in time - only a couple of hours later, and the mountains would usually be fully engulfed in clouds during this time of the year - they had already started to form around the peaks and the viewing platform visible here on the opposite side of the lake.
The many rivers and gorges around the area gave rise to a number of suspension bridges used to connect different parts of Pokhara and surrounding settlements, saving people from having to take significant detours by road.
The hills on the southern side of the lake are home to relatively recent interesting temples. The Pumdikot Shiva Statue seen on the left is reachable from the city in about 30 min by car. Beyond its religious significance, the hill also offers nice viewpoints over Pokhara. On the right side is the Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda, one of many around the world which a Japanese Buddhist monk worked to establish in the second half of the 20th century - a 30min hike will get you there from the Shiva statue if you don’t want to drive again.
From the hill you’ll also be able to spot the Tal Barahi Temple with its small pagoda, situated on an island in the lake, making it reachable only by boat.
I spent the night in a hotel on the elevated ridges on the opposite side of the lake, known for its views of the mountains. It’s located just next to the viewing platform visible in the earlier images from across the lake. While the sunset was a rainy and cloudy affair, as is expected during this time of the year, the morning brought clear skies over the valley.
We were on a tight schedule for the reschedule helicopter flight, but I couldn’t resist the conditions and made my driver stop so I could run up the viewing platform as well, completely underestimating the number of steps. It was worth it though: a low layer of clouds slowly crept into the city in the east, and beautiful first light hit the mountain ranges just as I had to get going to not miss the flight.
Annapurna Base Camp
After the quick stop, we arrived at the city airport and got the go-ahead this time. Things still didn’t seem to be smooth, but after over an hour wait I finally got called to the helicopter as some clouds slowly engulfed the mountain tops in the distance.
The flight was spectacular and it was obvious why heavy clouds would not allow them to fly: you’re literally sandwiched in between steep cliffs as the helicopter goes deeper into the valley that is home to Annapurna base camp at 4130m. No chance to navigate here without clear visibility.
Once there, you’re surrounded by a near-continuous ring of Himalayan peaks rising above 7,000 and 8,000 metres - a 360-degree mountain amphitheater.
The infamous Machapuchare, also known as Fishtail Mountain, on the eastern side (the snow-less granite peak in the left image) is far from the tallest in the area but its summit has never been reached. It is considered sacred among Hindus for its association with Shiva, and after a British expedition stopped just below the top in 1957, Nepal permanently closed the mountain to climbers, leaving it one of the few major Himalayan peaks whose summit remains untouched.
Other parts of the Annapurna sanctuary are more accessible though, with treks in and out lasting 1-2 weeks making it a popular hiking destinations - can you spot the humans in the photos above? While thousands of hikers frequent this route every year, the peaks are a whole different story: Its highest summit, Annapurna I (8,091 m), became the first 8,000-metre mountain ever climbed in 1950 and remains one of the world’s most challenging peaks - its companions Annapurna II to IV and South (not all visible from base camp) are not much easier.
It’s difficult to convey the scale of these massifs, but one attempt is this image - can you make out the helicopter arriving in the distance? Zoom a little, or a little more…
And so after a good hour of looking around - frankly, there is not that much to do other than admiring the views - the helicopter came back to pick me up again, dropping off some supplies for which some of the base camp team eagerly waited, and picking up trash and other items to bring back down.
And I was off to the main airport of the city again, and back to Kathmandu - but just for transit.
In Search of an Elusive Creature
After arriving back at Kathmandu’s domestic terminal in the afternoon, my guide Lhakpa picked me up and we continued straight on by car towards the north-east, taking a good 4h to cover what was a surprisingly short distance. The further you moved away from the capital, the worse the roads got, with regular washouts, less capable cars getting stuck, and the occasional cow and goat traffic. Or destination was the Langtang valley, a well-known trekking destination. Trekking wasn’t what I came for though.
The drive through the valleys and hills was rather beautiful, with small villages and golden rice paddies lining the roads. But it also brought to light some of the destruction of the 2015 earthquake, and several floods that followed since. Many settlements that had been heavily damaged during the earthquake were reconstructed - this time with concrete structures - but as Lhakpa told me people were unwilling to use the opportunity to move away from the river fronts that are prone to flooding, resulting in further catastrophic consequences over the last decade and ultimately many abandoned houses, rendered uninhabitable by mud, rocks, and water.
We arrived at our destination, the small mountain village of Kutumsang at around 2500m altitude just around sunset time - although this image is from the beautiful sunrise of the next morning.
It was quiet. Not many trekkers were around - although it was not a bad time of the year, it had been unusually snowy in the region, and the disruption in the Middle East also caused several people to cancel, from what the owning couple of the tea house told us as we set around the fire place and had dinner. Lakhpa entertained us with a rendition of “Shalala Lala” by the Vengaboys on a very old traditional instrument (not a sentence I was expecting to write in this blog), and we were off to bed - early start tomorrow.
We had a three hour hike ahead, making our way into the Langtang National Park, and passing the beautiful Rhododendron forests in bloom on the way. As we registered at the national park office, the official sign will give you the reason why I made it all the way here: to find a red panda, an endangered small mammal that is native to the Himalayas.
As we have ascended higher the forest slowly disappeared into the clouds, engulfing us in chilly mist, until we reached the snow-covered peaks of the mountain range, approaching our tea house in Mangin Goth at almost 3500m altitude.
The tea house would be home for the next few days, although we were not planning to spend a lot of time inside.
The goal was to go out every morning and afternoon for several hours to find the elusive red panda. For that, we had to venture off the beaten paths and into the forest.
That's not to say it wasn't a cozy tea house. The owners were amazingly kind and even joined in on our search at times.
The weather however was less kind - snowy forest floors and clouds made the search challenging, both because it meant every step along the steep slopes was slippery and your shoes were soaking wet after half an hour in deep snow, but also because Lhakpa had predicted that our best chances to spot a panda would be when they are sunbathing in a high tree branch - not exactly promising conditions for that.
But we had another ace up our sleeves: Karsang, Lhakpa’s uncle (or as I rightly suspected, some kind of distant relative from the village that he called uncle). He has been living in these forests his whole life, and by that I mean not just that he is from a local village, but that he practiced pastoralism, moving his cows and yaks (or their hybrids) through the lands, building small temporary animal pens and a hut to stay in over night for months at a time.
His experience and ability to explore this terrain would come in handy - while I stumbled through the thick vegetation and slid around on the snow-covered forest floor, he was graceful and quick up and down the slopes - and up the trees, if needed.
One way to ascertain the presence of these little creatures is looking for what they leave behind, such as the little black excrements here on a thick branch, which may have made for a comfortable red panda bed for the night. Unfortunately, this bed was empty. Well, almost.
Just like with our tiger search, the evidence for the red panda’s presence was all around - from the bamboo shoots they prefer to eat, the hollow tree trunks the females often use to build their nests, the little piles of poo in the trees, and their prints on the snowy floors, shown here in comparison to my own footprint for size.
For now though, our search was not successful. As the days went by we found increasingly creative, but effective ways to avoid wet and frozen feet (although I burnt my shoes in the process of drying them by the oven…), but that didn’t quite take away from the growing anxiety that this trip may not end with a success.
Despite that, we seemed to get closer: During one of our searches we had split up to cover more ground, and Karsang called us down a steep ravine to a small river with heavy bamboo vegetation, where he seemingly spotted a red panda foraging on the ground. But by the time Lhakpa and I arrived, it had disappeared.
We kept going, but the nightly -5C temperatures without heating, the permanently dirty clothes, freezing cold water and therefore no showers, various scratches all over the body, a torn pair of trousers, ten hours a day carrying a bag of heavy camera equipment up and down the steep slippery forest slopes through thick vegetation… it was all starting to take its toll by the time the last day arrived.
In the meantime, the owner’s wife did her best to keep everyone happy with food and hot tea - spending time near the traditional oven in the kitchen was a welcome distraction and way to stay warm when we were not out in the forest. Once again, there were barely any trekkers around - just a few people stopped by for lunch or a tea break.
The Last Day
As I woke up on the morning of our departure, clear skies greeted us, and we could see the mountains in the distance after what felt like an eternity.
After four unsuccessful days I was getting anxious - these were the last few hours. We had already discussed an extension - but as much as I enjoy a challenge and my guides and hosts were amazing, I wasn't that keen on carrying my camera over the forest slopes while twisting my neck upwards for another day.
Luckily, I didn’t need to. As I sat down for breakfast just after sunrise and got ready to go out, the owner of the tea house stumbled through the door and gesticulated me to get dressed (his English was not quite at a fluent level). He got a call from Lhakpa, who was apparently as anxious as me to make the last day successful and went out early without my knowledge. And what a good choice that was: he had spotted a red panda.
Of course my camera bag was always packed, and this time I didn't really care what I was wearing and whether it was appropriate and would get wet or cold or hot or dirty or torn. We rushed into the forest and down the slopes in a way that it can only be called a miracle that neither of us broke an ankle, and heard Lakhpa whistle in the distance.
He had to leave the spot where he saw the red panda in order to call us, as there was no network in most of the forest. Once we met up we carefully traced back his steps to the area where he had found it - if it was still there.
And it was. As he and his uncle expected, looking up was the way to spot the elusive creature, and indeed the clear skies had helped: it was enjoying the early morning rays of sunshine after mostly cloudy days, high up in the fork of a thick tree branch.
A Happy Guide
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The Red Panda
Despite their name, they are not closely related to the Giant Panda, and thus also not a bear - their place on the evolutionary classification chart has been debated, but they’re more closely related to weasels, skunks, and raccoons.
The remaining estimated 10,000 individuals in the wild live at elevations of around 2,200 - 5,000 meters, covering the Himalayan mountain ranges of Nepal, Bhutan and China, with small populations in India and Myanmar.
Adults measure just over half a meter in body length, but they have a long bushy tail which they use to warm themselves. They are solitary and largely arboreal, primarily coming down to feed and find mates.
We spent a good hour with this individual, who didn’t seem that bothered by our presence, just occasionally looking down as it heard the leaves and snow crumble under our feet while we tried to find good positions for a photo in between the branches.
With a cheerful vibe we headed back to the tea house, having finally accomplished our mission. To give you a final idea of this expedition, here’s a quick video of the behind the scenes and the resulting moments with this beautiful red panda.
One last group picture with the owner of the tea house before we left to make our way down to the birth-village of Lhakpa and his uncle, where our car would pick us up for the drive back to Kathmandu.
Once more, there is a community aspect to the national park - red panda education and conservation is carried out directly by people like Lhakpa in collaboration with the official channels. Poaching remains a major problem and of course habitat loss is also a threat, despite the fact the species is protected in all its range countries.
Part of the local community-based initiatives include for example the installation of educational signs like these along the trekking routes. Evidently and unsurprisingly, funding is always a problem, making it difficult to replace the fading one here, as Lhakpa shares with a sigh, but not without losing his ever-present smile (especially after our successful sighting).
The way down didn’t bring many surprises, other than this interesting crack in the landscape, which appeared during the 2015 earthquake as Karsang pointed out.
A reminder of the disastrous force of nature and the lasting impact on the landscape this catastrophe had.
In Lhakpa’s village, I got to meet his aunt and grandma (or so he called them) and we hung out a bit together while waiting for our pickup, which took us down a questionable mountain road.
We dropped off a few villagers that had joined us to head to a nearby wedding which took place that evening, and then finally arrived back in Kathmandu by the evening.
Janakpur
But my time in Kathmandu was short. For the next morning I had one more final destination on the agenda before leaving Nepal: the city of Janakpur, or rather, its most-well known temple. A 45min of domestic flight (with a 2 hour delay) brought me to one of the southern-most and hottest parts of Nepal for a one night stay.
Even in the late afternoon, it was a toasty and humid 35C in the city of around 200,000 people, located less than 50km from the Indian border.
Janaki Mandir
The city is not exactly famous for tourism, or at least not among westerners.
But it does feature one rather interesting attraction: the Janaki Mandir temple, built over 100 years ago.
It’s quite different from the traditional Buddhist, Hindu, and Newar temples of Kathmandu, and to my (untrained) eyes represents a kind of architectural amalgam of Hindu, Nepali, and Mughal styles.
The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita and built on the spot where the founder of modern Janakpur is said to have found a statue of her in 1657.
I got to witness the devotional chants by these sadhus inside one of the temple rooms, where they play on traditional instruments as a form of collective prayer and meditation.
The inside contains several shrines (including a rather odd underground one) and a small central hall, where followers can pray, give offerings, and receive blessings.
Just beside Janaki Mandir stands the Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandap, the ceremonial pavilion marking the legendary wedding of Rama and Sita.
By coincidence I got to witness a wedding ceremony there myself, and was allowed to take this photo of the couple and their families as they made their way around the pavilion.
Aside from the temple, the many small lakes are one of the defining features of the city. More than seventy sacred ponds were once woven into the city’s design, serving as pilgrimage sites, water reservoirs and gathering places. That is partly still true today, but some of them suffer from neglect and are only slowly being restored again.
The streets around the city got busier after sunset, and I walked around a bit to get a feeling for the local vibe and the markets.
I also came across this store selling local art in the style of the Mithila Kingdom, said to go back 2000 years, making it one of South Asia’s oldest painting traditions.
Strong black outlines, bright colors and dense flat patterns of motifs from daily life characterize the paintings, although they were originally applied to the walls of the city and its houses for celebrations.
Nowadays a nearby Women’s Development Center works to keep the tradition alive, educate local women on the craft and how to turn it into a living.
I returned to the temple as the sun had set, when it was fully illuminated by colorful lights - whether tasteful or not shall be up to interpretation.
The crowds enjoyed it regardless, and spontaneous dances broke out in the courtyard, with loud music from speakers not meant to be turned up that far.
I went back to the temple for another quick visit in the morning, when things were quieter, and a couple of cleaners compiled shoes that were left behind by the worshippers entering the temple the night before. This was also a moment to take a closer look at the details of the structure. While its white stone, marble accents and colourful decoration are impressive, the craftsmanship focuses more on the building’s overall composition than on the elaborate inlay, lattice work or stone carving seen at some of South Asia’s most ornate temples.
And with a quick visit to the Ramananda Chowk entrance gate to the city - often described locally as the tallest entrance gates in Asia, but I’m unsure as to the veracity of this record - my time in Janakpur ended.
And so did my time in Nepal. Maybe I’m ignorant, but I did not expect this level of diversity, with its mix of architectural styles, cultural richness, landscapes, wildlife, and more. Of course I knew it had more to offer than the Himalayas, but it feels like I barely scratched the surface and I enjoyed my time here more than expected. Another place to add to the growing “would return” list, whether it’s for another visit to Bardiya or the eastern Himalayas to get a glimpse at Everest. Not the summit - I did manage to do Kilimanjaro but that might be as high as I’ll ever go. Probably.
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Nepal Part 1 - Culture of Kathmandu Valley
I came to Nepal with a pictures of mountains in my head, and left with so much more - so much in fact I decided to split the blog of this trip into two parts. This is the first one, covering the Kathmandu valley.
After my original travel plans had been disrupted by the war in the Middle East, I decided to head to Bhutan, a place that has been on my list for a while, and what better extension than its near neighbor (they do not share a border in fact): Nepal!
Even during my (very short notice) planning, I realised that there would be a lot more to explore here than the country’s famous mountain landscapes, and what was meant to be just a few days slowly turned into a full three weeks.
As a result, this blog would turn out quite extensive, and so I decided to split it into two entries. Even so, I had to cull my photos quite heavily and feel l barely did each place justice, let alone capture everything this country has to offer.
A shoutout goes to Ganshyam, the owner of Tiger Encounter, who organized the whole trip for me - maybe the best operator I worked with, amazing guides, super flexible, always ensuring everything is going to plan. For any type of Nepal trip, please consider them (not sponsored).
Iconic Approach
If you arrive in Kathmandu, the country’s capital, from the east, pick a window seat on the right side, and Mount Everest - the world’s tallest mountain - might make an appearance if the weather is clear. Mornings have better chances, and luckily my arrival flight from Bhutan was an early departure.
Everest’s 8,848m peak is (unsurprisingly) the tallest on the right side, with Lhotse and Nuptse just beside.
Kathmandu Valley
This first blog covers a part of Nepal I had originally mainly considered for rest days & stopover while visiting other areas of the country: The Kathmandu Valley. In hindsight, I can’t say those days turned out particularly restful (surprise!), which was completely my own doing - I had underestimated how interesting this area would be. Aside from around 5 million people, the Kathmandu Valley (which extends beyond the actual city) is also home to seven sites that collectively make up a UNESCO World Heritage entry. Many of them are covered here, while the second blog will explore the diversity of the rest of the country.
Swayambhu Stupa
After my arrival, one of the first early morning destinations was this large beautiful stupa situated on a hill overlooking the city, and reachable by climbing a few hundred stairs.
By chance, our visit coincided with the full moon Uposatha, one of Buddhism’s most sacred monthly observance days, making it a busy affair of pilgrims performing kora, the clockwise walk around the stupa while spinning prayer wheels, chanting mantras, and making their offerings.
For reasons that became obvious quickly, the stupa is nicknamed “monkey temple”, but it is an ancient pilgrimage place considered the home of the primordial Buddha.
The first recorded stupa on the site was built around the 5th century, but its history seems to go back even further. It was rebuilt several times and underwent major renovation in 2010, where the huge (spot the monkey for scale!) shrine was re-gilded using 20 kg of gold plating.
Unlike much of the surrounding buildings, it survived the devastating 2015 earthquake that heavily affected the whole area largely unscathed.
There are over 100 different ethnic groups in Nepal, and a similar amount of active languages, but in this region the Newar people have been the dominant civilisation for hundreds of years. I encountered this elderly couple at the temple and they happily posed for photos. The elaborate gold jewellery and distinctive nose ring might reflect their Newari heritage, but I didn’t get a chance to ask - I was going to have a chance to document parts of the Newari culture a bit later though, read on…
The way down at the back of the hill provides some moments of quiet green relief from the - at least on this day - crowds, sights, smells, and noises around the stupa.
Amideva Buddha Park
At the base of the hill you’ll find more recent statues of three Buddhist masters (one of them Padmasambhava – known as Guru Rinpoche in Bhutan as I had found out a few weeks earlier).
In many pilgrimage sites of Nepal Buddhist and Hindu practices intertwine. Swayambhu plays a major role in Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) - the second largest religion of Nepal - as well as the Newari variant, but is also an important site for Hindus, who make up almost 90% of the country.
From here we made our way to the city of Patan - in effect, Patan and Kathmandu have converged into a single urban centre separated by the Bagmati river, and only the ceremonial gates like this one will indicate you’re passing from one to the other.
The “Nepal Era 1146” painted on the right refers to the traditional Newari calendar, which began in 879 AD, so it corresponds to 2025–2026.
Whether Kathmandu or Patan, the roads can feel chaotic at times: narrow alleys, lots of scooters, power line chaos, the occasional cow, no sidewalks, potholes, informal merchant stalls…I’d find it less enjoyable for the long term, but during a visit walking on foot is a worthwhile experience nonetheless.
In between the chaos you’ll see amazing temples, and - hidden to the side of many of the small alleys in the city centre - interesting courtyards like this one, with wood-carved balconies that are often hundreds of years old.
They are known as bahals, and were originally built as Buddhist monasteries, but now serve as residential shared spaces - sadly many of them have been heavily damaged during the 2015 earthquake, and building owners often lack the funds to repair them.
The Kumari
A fitting representation of the intertwined faith are the Kumari, the centuries-old tradition of the so-called Living Goddesses. Chosen from a Buddhist Newar family, she is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists as the earthly embodiment of a goddess.
A Kumari is usually picked at around three to five years of age with a rigorous selection process, and occupies the spot until puberty - an interesting way to spend your childhood I imagine.
There are several important Kumaris in the Kathmandu valley, and I happen to visit (and be blessed without waiting in a long queue!) the lesser-known version of Patan. She kindly allowed me to take her photo, something that normally isn’t possible, but the guardian saw I was a photographer and encouraged me to use my phone to get a quick picture.
Durbar Square of Patan
Patan is home to one of the three famous Durbar Squares of the valley, all part of the UNESCO entry.
The phrase translates to ‘Royal Palace Square’ - before Nepal was unified in the 18th century, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur were independent kingdoms, each centred around its own palace complex.
When Shah, king of nearby Gorkha, looked to widen his reign, he captured all three of them and made Kathmandu the new capital. Nepal remained a kingdom until 2006 when the monarchy lost power, and became a republic in 2008.
What is particularly interesting in the Durbar Squares is the diverse architectural blend, covering the indigenous Newar pagoda style, Indian Hindu stone temple designs, and the Newar Buddhist monasteries with their courtyards and wooden elements - all three are visible in the above photo.
The wooden struts supporting Patan’s pagoda roofs are great examples of Newar craftsmanship; every beam is hand-carved with intricate floral motifs. Even the doorways are works of art, with gilded wood and decorative iconography all around.
Walking through the alleys occasionally comes with surprises. While you’d expect a fruit vendor, I didn’t really have a sword and knife shop on the radar: the Khukuri is one of Nepal’s most recognisable cultural symbols - the hand-forged forward-curving blade has for centuries been used for farming, ceremonies, and as a weapon.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
The second Durbar Square I visited is in Kathmandu’s city centre. Construction of the original square began in the 3rd century, but many of the current buildings originated around the 16th century - and of course, some had to be rebuilt several times owing to the various earthquakes over the years - restoration work is a constant activity here, as seen on the left side.
What I found quite interesting is that it’s very common to see people sitting under the shade of the pagodas to rest and chat, or carrying their shopping in between the temples. While these squares hold significant cultural and historic relevance, they are also interwoven into the fabric of regular life - only some sections are fenced or dedicated museums.
One such museum contains the royal residences seen here, featuring the nine-storey Nautalle Durbar tower, which you can climb up for a view of the nearby public square with its many street vendors - my guide Lhakpa looking out on the right image.
An unexpected sight on the square is the white neoclassical Gaddi Baithak. Built in 1908, it contrasts sharply with the surrounding architecture, as European influences took hold during this period.
People receiving their blessing at the colourful Hindu Shrine Kaal Bhairav. According to legend it was found at a paddy field and later placed at the Durbar Square by King Pratap Malla, one of the most important figures of pre-unification Kathmandu.
Speaking of temples around the square, one curiosity I discovered is this interesting structure that was either built into a tree or the tree was planted around it (unsure of the sequence), requiring worshippers to become one with nature to access it.
Not far from the square lies the white Dharahara Tower, first built in 1832 as a watchtower but destroyed by the 2015 earthquake (for the second time) before being painstakingly reconstructed. It reopened in 2021 as both a memorial and one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.
Pashupatinath Temple
Moving on from the Durbar Square, on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River lies the oldest Hindu temple in the city, going back to the fourth century, and now one of the most significant religious complexes in South Asia.
The primary temple structure follows the Newari pagoda style, but the surrounding buildings - excuse my ignorance - seem like an eclectic mix of all kinds of architectural expressions, possibly due to the ongoing expansion and renovation works over many centuries.
The complex covers a huge area, and is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus for its association with Shiva, but Buddhists consider the temple sacred as well.
One of its most prominent features are the cremation spots along the river bank, where funeral pyres burn throughout the day. Being cremated here is meant to help the soul on its journey toward liberation, particularly as the Bagmati river finally joins the Ganges, increasing the status of the site.
If you're so inclined, it's possible to observe the full process from across the river: starting with preparation such as washing the body and wrapping it in cloth, followed by the purification with river water, placing it on the pyre, final rites and lighting of the body, and cremation before the remains are consigned to the river. It’s an intense spectacle, and the wailing cries of family members of the deceased often echo through the compound.
Among Pashupatinath’s temples wander saffron-clad sadhus - Hindu ascetics who have renounced worldly life in search of spiritual liberation (but of course would still appreciate a small donation to pose for your photograph…)
Stupa of Boudhanath
As we moved on I was keen to get a blue hour photo of this amazing stupa - luckily my guide Sushil knew all the possible rooftop spots and after what probably qualified as a sprint and climbing up and few floors, we made it to this one in time, which turned out to be my favourite.
The current structure built in the 14th century is one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas and was surrounded by rice paddies up until the 1950s, which is difficult to believe now but you’ll find some incredible photos online.
The origins of the site go back much further than that and it is seen as the embodiment of the enlightened mind of all the Buddhas, closely associated with the spread of Tibetan Buddhism.
Taragaon Museum
While there are a few examples, Kathmandu isn’t home to a lot of contemporary buildings, or at least not particularly significant ones. One example I wanted to visit is the Taragon museum, featuring a modernist design with traditional Nepali brickwork. It was originally built as accommodation for visiting artists, researchers and UNESCO experts in the 1970s and is home to a number if interesting exhibits and art pieces centred around the early exploration of Nepal.
Bhaktapur
Another place I wanted to see lies just an hour outside the capital: Bhaktapur, maybe one of the most architecturally interesting and well-preserved cities in the country, and also part of the UNESCO complex in the area, significant for its Newar culture.
The city’s Durbar Square completes the set of three in the Kathmandu valley - hard to pick a favourite! Once again, the architectural diversity is stunning, and once again looking at images of the destruction from the 2015 earthquake shows the enormous reconstruction effort these historic sites have since undergone to bring them back to their original glory.
It was by far not the only time significant reconstruction was necessary: in 1833 and 1934 similarly destructive earthquakes destroyed almost the entire square. Through sheer coincidence (or maybe because it’s been a nice angle for the last 100 years) I took a photo with almost the exact composition as a pre-1934 image hosted on Wikipedia that allows to see the difference and similarities since then. Despite best efforts, dozens of important monuments were lost during these earthquakes. The historic royal residence with its palace of fifty-five windows is visible on the left.
Even today, not every building is in its best state - restoring and preserving these structures is an ongoing effort. Since the 2015 earthquake, restoration has been supported by governments from around the world, with visitor entrance fees also helping to fund ongoing conservation. Most of the work is still carried out by Newar craftsmen using traditional techniques, but sometimes “modern” tools like steel bars have to support their efforts - literally and figuratively.
Pottery Central
Beyond its architecture, Bakhtapur is also Nepal’s most famous centre for traditional pottery, a craft that has been practised here for centuries by the Newar community.
People collect clay from nearby riverbeds, shaping it by hand or on foot-powered wheels, and dry them in the sun before they are placed in large communal kilns and then sold in local shops or exported.
The Peacock Window
Somewhat hidden within Bhaktapur’s many alleys is the city’s most famous architectural treasure: the Peacock Window. Carved from a single piece of wood in the 15th century, the bird represents purity in Hindu and Buddhist culture.
While the peacock window represents the epitome of local wood craftsmanship, there are plenty of other examples to be found all around the city - you can literally look up in any alley and find balconies like this one, very typical of the Newari architecture.
& The Peacock Shop
Just opposite the famous window lies an incredible house behind a very simple entrance. I was lucky to encounter the owner, Ram Narayan Prajapati, who spent decades conserving Nepali heritage, and turned his home into a sanctuary of traditional craft.
I spent a good hour getting a completely unplanned personal tour through his multi-floor home/factory/shop/storage/museum, where he showed me the 100s of beautifully crafted wooden pillars, the machines he uses to make paper by hand, handwritten books and notes, and so many artifacts of Nepali culture he collected over decades, it was difficult to keep track.
His mixed background of being a craftsman, historian, curator, and writer is an amazing combination, all delivered in such a genuine and humble manner that made this one of my highlights of the trip.
Needless to say, I bought plenty of souvenirs, including some of his paper that I plan to print a few of these images on.
The Hiti Water System
Bhaktapur also features several remnants of the traditional supply system that once provided water from the surrounding hills into the cities of the valley, with its interconnected network of canals, ponds, and spouts acting as a resource in dry times and alleviating excess water pressure caused by the monsoon rains.
Its history began more than 1500 years ago, and although it’s no longer the primary infrastructure today, there are still working examples used by many people on a daily basis dotted around Kathmandu Valley.
I happened to visit the city twice, and this is the result of my only planning mistake: the spectacular Biska Jatra festival took place during my time in the country, and one of its most dramatic celebration happens right here - but on a day where I was a few hundred kilometres away in the mountain forests, looking for a very elusive creature (more on that in the second part of this blog), making me miss the spectacle. A few minor remnants of the festival happen to last (albeit in a much more restrained fashion) for a few days, and I decided it would be worth to go again after my return and catch at least a glimpse of what it is all about.
Bisket Jatra marks the beginning of a new year and a new agricultural cycle and celebrates renewal, prosperity and the triumph of good over evil through music, dances, and a few more less obvious rituals: one of its key practices is the chariot procession, where massive wooden carts carrying deities are pulled through Bhaktapur’s narrow streets by hundreds of people, often crashing into each other or surrounding houses (or the people watching).
Residents from different parts of the city also compete to pull the chariot in opposite directions in a tug-of-war as a representation of strength and community spirit.
While I missed this part, the chariots were still set up in the streets (looking rather battered) and at least temporarily became playgrounds for the local kids.
But there were still a few ongoing celebrations, with groups of teenagers wearing traditional Newari outfits and performing on the dhimay drum and other instruments as they wandered through the streets.
Warning ⚠️
But the chariots, singing, instruments, and local dresses were not going to be the only traditions I was able to witness. What follows may not be for everyone so scroll down at your own peril - otherwise, just jump to the end quickly, as this is the last part of this blog…
It’s a practice that is probably less familiar to many visitors: goat sacrifice. Conducted at some Hindu temples as an offering to deities, the priest sprinkles the goat with holy water. If and when the animal shook its head, it was taken as a sign that the offering has been accepted, and the animal’s throat is slit and held in a way so the blood squirts over the altar, where its head is later placed as an offering. The meat is shared in the community.
Unsurprisingly, this practice is not without its controversy and seems to be relatively uncommon now. It was the first time I personally observed it - can't say it’s particularly pleasant but I might also be too much of a robot to have a strong reaction…
And that was part one of my Nepal blog - subscribe below to receive updates on the second part of the series, leaving the cultural highlights of the Kathmandu valley behind and exploring Nepal’s wildlife and mountains. Below is a preview, without giving everything away…
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Tigers & The Pink City
Completing the golden triangle of northern India with this post covering Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur.
It’s my last (for now) blog post from India after my quest for snow leopards in Ladakh and now completing the infamous “Golden Triangle” journey in the north of the country: Delhi and its many architectural highlights, Agra with the incredible Taj Mahal, and finally Jaipur, the so-called Pink City, which I combined with a visit to Ranthambore National Park and the Chand Baori stepwell.
Ranthambore
Heading south-west from Agra, it’s just a few hours drive to one of India’s most famous national parks. Its claim to fame? The large population of Bengal Tigers, with around 80 of the vulnerable cats hidden somewhere behind one of the entrance gates into the various sections of the jungle landscape.
Having said that, the park is home to a lot more than tigers, its animal population also includes leopards, sloth bears, deer, hyena, and crocodiles for example, plus hundreds of bird species and of course a large variety of flora.
Getting a glimpse of most of the mammal species here is a difficult task, although I caught the back of a sloth bear for a few seconds, which was considered to be quite a rare occurrence. Having said that, my focus was on finding tigers, which also proved to be rather difficult (or maybe I was just unlucky).
Safari’s here are quite different than in most of Africa, and arguably worse in a few ways. The park is divided into zones with somewhat differing terrain and likelihood for sightings, and assignment is by lottery or “influence”. Timings for entering and exit are strict and you need to be back at the gate by sunset, meaning you rush back at least 30 minutes from deep inside the park. That’s obviously when the light starts to get good, and more crucially, when tigers wake up from their afternoon nap in the bushes… Capacity is limited - which is a good thing - but most of the tours are in a big bus with dozen of people, who are often not so acquainted with expected behavior in a natural environment in search for elusive animals. Luckily there is the possibility to book a private small jeep, which I’d 100% recommend.
Other than that, the park features beautiful landscapes, and quite interestingly, a fort with several of its associated remnants scattered throughout - and some alligator decoration.
Rantambhore Fort
The fort is undoubtedly worth a visit, ideally straight after your morning safari - it’s literally in the middle of the park. Together with the many hillside forts of Rajasthan, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its origin goes back over 1000 years.
It is home to several temples of the era, and a long winding path brings you to the nearby market area of the village located at the edge of the park, where the monkeys wait to steal food.
Some of the people I met while exploring, which were happy to be photographed.
Padam Talao lake with the hunting palace used by the royal family of Jaipur in the past. It’s also home to the second largest Banyan Tree in India, just behind, with the fort on the hill in the distance.
Back to Tiger Search
It was my last game drive after 3 full days, and I still had not seen a Tiger - even my guide was getting nervous… so we didn’t spend much time at the fort or looking at or for other animals anymore.
Signs
We saw the evidence, such as the scratches on this tree, but had yet to find the culprits, despite the high tiger density in the park. I attributed this to the timings of the game drives when tigers sleep, and the fact the portion of the park allocated for each tour are sometimes quite small, with more or less random drives back and forth in the hope to find one.
The lucky moment happened at the very end when we spotted this Tiger sleeping in the very distance. This was shot at 600mm, and after he didn’t move for 20 minutes it was time to leave…
We got lucky a second time though, on the way to the park entrance we spotted two more Safari cars racing to a location by a small river, where a 6-year old Tigress called Shakir (T111) rested in a much better spot.
Bengal tigers are among the largest cats in the world, with males growing up to 3 meters in length with a 1 meter shoulder height, and a weight that can reach in excess of 250 kg. There are only around 4000 Bengal tigers left in the wild, and more than half live in India.
🐅
Even though I’d have wished for a little more interesting behaviors, she did raise her head once for this photo before we had to rush to the entrance to avoid missing closing time, which seemingly comes with a big fine. Maybe the fastest off-road drive I’ve been through, with a few moments of airtime.
I might come back to see more of this magnificent species, but would probably pick a different park this time. Although the rules are seemingly similar all around, I heard there are some options to improve the experience…
Chand Baori Stepwell
With a small detour to the north you can visit this incredible stepwell on the way from Ranthambore to Jaipur. It reaches almost 30 meters in the ground, making it one of the oldest surviving and deepest in the country. Its construction was finished more than 1100 years ago, albeit with several modifications and restoration projects since.
These types of wells played a major role on the Indian subcontinent from the 9th century onwards, but some are even older. They were often used to ensure access to water during draughts, but also served as resting place and sometimes had broader cultural and religious significance.
The well is famous for its cascading steps that reach down in a diamond-like pattern, and the beautiful arches around the perimeter. This arcade also houses many carved stones and other leftover sculptures from a nearby temple that was destroyed during the course of history in the area.
The Pink City
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, was my final destination of this India trip, and I had two days to explore the city and its surroundings, starting with the Amber fort located in a town on the outskirts.
Amber Fort
The fort lies by Maota Lake, seen here with the historic Saffron Garden and the defense wall running along the mountain ridge in the background.
Although it is an example of Rajput architecture, it also features Mughal elements, particularly the Sheesh Mahal and its garden seen on the right. On the left is Ghanesh Gate with its latticed windows on the top, through which ladies could observe festivals or other activities on the courtyard below in a concealed fashion.
It was primarily constructed from red sandstone and marble and part of the same UNESCO entry as the Ranthambore fort, together with four more forts in the region.
Unmaintained
One of the decaying structures surrounding the accessible part of the fort.
I also spotted this man playing a beautiful local instrument here, the name of which I sadly forgot - if you know, leave a comment.
The other side of the fort overlooks the town of Amer with some of its beautiful Hindu temples and their ornate architectural elements.
Stairwell Symmetry
In this village to the foot of the fort lies another stepwell called Panna Meena ka Kund built in the 16th century, again featuring beautiful stairway patterns - unfortunately not allowed to be walked on nowadays.
Back towards the city lies the man-made Man Sagar lake, created as a reservoir in the late 16th century, featuring a rather interesting structure in the middle - the Jal Mahal.
The so-called “Water Temple” was originally a Rajput style hunting lodge for the royal family, and actually houses up to four more stories underneath the water level. These were submerged over time as the water level rose. Today, it’s unfortunately inaccessible, but the lake is home to a variety of birdlife, and sadly, like many of India’s inshore waters, too much trash - having said that, a restoration project for the ecosystem and also the palace has been ongoing for several years.
At night the structure is beautifully lit up, almost creating the impression it is still in use today, particularly with the beautiful trees in the central courtyard.
Hawa Mahal
Despite the appeal of the Amber fort and the Jal Mahal, it’s probably this building that holds the “most well-known” title in Jaipur. This beautiful facade is part of the palace of the city, and was built in 1799.
The lattice facade once again served the purpose of allowing women to observe street life without being noticed themselves. In fact, the structure is the back (not the front!) of the women's chambers of the palace, and has a rather narrow side profile: some parts are just deep enough to allow a person to stand at the window.
Its nickname “Palace of the Wind” derives from the cooling Venturi effect created by its architectural features. Just like much of the other buildings in the city centre, it was built using the characteristic red and pink sandstone.
Speaking of which, here are a few more impressions from the same road running through the city all the way to the Sanganeri Gate in the south.
Local vendors preparing and selling traditional Chai or Kahwa tea, as well as the snake charmers can be found here. The latter is banned in India because of the associated animal abuse (the snake’s teeth are often removed).
If you keep driving down the same road, you will end up at Patrika Gate, but not before stopping at the Albert Hall museum, built and opened in the late 19th century and housing mainly artifacts from India’s past - I didn't visit the inside though.
Patrika Gate
This gate was built in 2016 by the eponymous newspaper group and serves as an entrance to Jawahar Circle Garden.
It’s the photogenic interior with painted walls and wooden doors that made it popular. Although some people say it’s not worth visiting - maybe because it’s seen as “commercial” rather than “historic” and because it’s located almost 30 minutes from the city centre - I thought it was quite beautiful. Especially so if you manage to visit at a quiet time with no people; I only encountered a couple taking pictures, which kindly gave me the opportunity to add a model to my own photo.
Back in the city, the last spot to visit was the 18th century city palace of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. On the way there though we stopped at an interesting place just outside the palace - in fact, another UNESCO World Heritage Site - which I was not aware of: the Jaipur Jantar Mantar. A collection of huge stone-made astronomical instruments meant to be used with the naked eye, built along four other such locations around the region.
☀️
This is the world’s largest stone sun dial, and can be used with an accuracy of about 20 seconds by a skilled observer.
Most of the 19 instruments were designed to measure and predict movement of planets and calendar events.
City Palace
Having spent way more time than planned at the astronomical instruments (so cool!) the city palace visit was shortened a bit, but here is the Chandra Mahal, the royal residence until today. The family owns vast properties, runs a business empire and still has political influence.
Other than that it features interesting galleries of textiles, armors, and even a clock tower. One of the most distinct features are the beautiful gates at the inner courtyard seen below.
Works of Art
There is also an amazing painting and photography gallery, where I bought a few small pieces so delicate they are drawn by brushes of single hairs of squirrels, using natural colors. This artist has been working for the royal family for seven generations.
Dera Amer
My last stop in Jaipur was this refugee camp for elephants that in the past carried people up to the fort, damaging their feet on the hard stone, and their backs from the weight in the process. The heavy jewelry also cut into their ears and necks, leaving visible marks.
Today, two such elephants are housed here, living a quiet life with their mahout (caretaker) and a few other animals, getting fed by visitors to the camp set up by the Singh family, which partly finances the operation. Many other elephants still suffer from these practices, but it takes a lot of money to purchase them from their owners and then care for them during a long lifespan. It’s sad to see, as I’ve grown very fond of elephants, partly after my trip to Amboseli - they are incredibly gentle and intelligent animals.
And that was it from this trip to India - certainly not my last visit to this amazing diverse country. Lots more to explore.