Eco Wildlife Lodge — Hotel in Bharatpur

We simply couldn't have asked for more from our magical 4 night stay at the Eco Wildlife Lodge on the edge of the Chitwan National Park. We were looked after so superbly from the moment we were picked up by jeep from the bus stop in Jagatpur, Kumar and his team provided such an excellent welcome and care throughout our stay, nothing was too much trouble, even though we arrived in the 'off' season and were the only guests. ||||The location is a real winner as it is away from crowded Sauraha yet still right on the edge of the national park, so you get a unique and personal encounter with the wildlife, without the crowds. The lodge itself has been thoughtfully designed and built, with an outside terrace and bar area and a fire pit, which was a perfect place to gather after dark and share experiences of the day. The food was simply amazing, we were truly spoilt by the variety and taste - I think it was a different cuisine each night and we never went hungry (ate better here than anywhere else on our holiday), even packed us a very comprehensive picnic so we could spend a full day out on safari. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with each having an outside balcony area for relaxing and plentiful hot water. Like many hotels in Nepal, drinking water also provided fresh every day saving us the trouble of buying bottles.||||I'm saving the best till last, the real diamond of this place and what made our experience so magical, was the sheer wealth of wildlife knowledge shared by Kumar and his staff, evidently so genuinely enthusiastic and interested in sharing their passion for the wildlife of this area. This was no basic tour package put on for tourists, this was sharing in genuine and personal encounters with a wide array of wildlife. We went with an open mind, no preconceptions about seeing anything, and yet during our stay we saw rhino, crocs, monkeys, deer and more birdlife than we could keep up with. Each mode of transport (elephant, jeep, canoe and walking) provided a different and equally amazing experience of the park. Our guides were only too happy to point out and identify wildlife wherever it appeared, and were patient with us when we (I) couldn't see it straight away. We trusted them implicitly to keep us safe on our frequent walks into the jungle.||||I really cannot recommend this lodge highly enough, do yourself a favour and stay for at least 3 or 4 nights, the pace of life here is addictive and you give yourself the best opportunity of seeing wildlife! Have...

I was not expecting much of this 2 night stay on our way from Delhi to Kathmandu. I'm not a great enthusiast for flora or fauna and thought the best I could hope for was a restful time before we resumed our hectic round of temples, mosques and stupas. But I was completely wrong!||These 2 days were among the highlights of our 17 day trip.||A few examples:|| 1. Skilful, knowledgeable guides who can make the experience meaningful to everyone.|| 2.Riding on the back of an elephant just after dawn and coming face to face with a total of 7|| One-horned rhino.|| 3. Floating down the Rapti River in a canoe a few feet away from huge basking crocodiles.|| 4. Seeing an establishment that is so welcoming and comfortable yet leaves such a light || footprint on the environment. Eg. Solar power and employing local villagers.||Prakash and Kumar were brilliant hosts and helped us to feel that we had really got to grips with||Chitwan National Park. I hope that I can return to this wonderful place one day, if only to say again that I would only stay at a place that has its own personal elephants.||A huge thanks to all the staff at the Eco Wildlife...

I would thoroughly recommend a few days here especially after touring the hectic cities of India and Nepal. It is located on the edge of Chitwan National Park well away from hustle and bustle with only a small village located nearby. The accommodation is fairly basic but comfortable with power and hot water generated on site through solar panels. Food in the restaurant was delicious and plentiful and there is a well stocked bar with local and international drinks. Great after a day's wildlife watching to come back to a drink around the fire pit by the bar.||We were looked after by Prakash and Kumar who turned out to be brilliant naturalista and guides. The morning game drive atop their own elephants turned up seven one-horned rhinos - not bad before breakfast. We also did the canoe trip and saw gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks of the local Rapti River and in the two days saw over 50 bird species.||Go and stay there. Well...