Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari, Chitwan National Park — Hotel in Bharatpur

Overpriced Runner-up!

The very reason we came to Chitwan was because of Taj Meghauli Serai. In fact, I first heard about this serene national park through an article in a travel magazine that was celebrating the launch of this luxury hotel. Unfortunately, after spending a lovely day in Barahi Jungle lodge this place seemed like a runner up in the race to be the king of this jungle! Of course, they were not short on frills and fancy elements – it just felt more manufactured compared to the homely touch of Barahi. With that being said, their spectacular Infinity pool, Riverside Villas with Plunge pools, Characterful Bar where you can exchange travel stories through the night with a Shisha, Surreal Sundowners, Delicious Nepali fare, and Fine hospitality will surely blow you away in any case.

LOCATION: Right next to the Rapti River and in the fringe of the core National park

DINE + DRINK:While everything we tasted at the property was excellent, the meal that stood out the most was the THAKALI Thali we were served for lunch and the Newari thali we were served for Dinner. The momo’s and other local food were mindblowing too! We were pampered like crazy all through our trip and probably added on a few extra pounds by the time we left!

Meghauli Serai offers several safari options for guests from safari drives, walking safaris, boating safaris and of course the controversial elephant safaris. Since we were against riding animals, we chose to do the game drive on a characteristic Safari jeep. Just like the boat safari, we didn’t spot any of the big guys – except for a teasing sighting of a huge one-horned Rhino. Nonetheless, the drive itself was excellent as we have never been in this close proximity to the greenery and fauna in any of the other safari drives, we had done in Africa and elsewhere. Also, the terrain was so different from what you might get to see in Africa, Borneo or Latin American jungles. - with a direct ringside seat to the spectacular show put up by the great ball of fire as he was signing off for the day!

SUNDOWNERS: The key ingredient of any supreme safari drive - no matter how successful the crew has been in spotting wild animals – is how memorable the ending is. And this safari drive was in no way any less than some of the highly-rated safari drives in Africa. The staff had picked a super serene spot that was not just whispering tranquility all around but also felt like a scenery out of a painting! A quiet river streaming below, lush green background of wild fauna, the sun going down at a distance, and the coldest beers and perfectly blended Gin & Tonic! And as we were starting to believe we couldn’t be overwhelmed anymore, they threw into the mix, bowls of spicy potato ‘Chaat’ – whipped up in Nepali style – specially prepared for us just because they heard us in passing mention we love ‘Chaat’!! That is attention to detail and the highest levels of Asian Hospitality for you!

ROOM: We stayed in Rapti River villa number 6, so this review is based on that; VIEW: View of the fields and the river flowing below; SIZE: Very spacious room; AIR-CON: Perfectly functioning cooler that helped in setting the perfect room temperature; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part to put me to sleep; BATHROOM: Stand in shower; TOILETRIES: Lovely spa quality cosmetics

FACILITIES: Very lame Gym that was more of a Hot sauna room with broken weights and machines! But the Mind blowingi INFINITY pool more than made up for it!!

SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all my needs with a smile and made us feel pampered and well taken care of. Special Shout out to SANJAY at the restaurant and ROSHAN at Front desk!

HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: Free high speed Wi-Fi that works well all over the property. Big Plasma TV screen dishing out dozens of channels spanning sports, news, music, movies and a wide variety of entertainment in...

TAJ MEGHAULI SERAI Chitwan National Park, DANGEROUS TO STAY! Within hours of my arrival, I fell from a stoop outside my room door. I fractured the 5th metatarsal bone in my foot, broke two fingers and severe bruising from my hip. All because of an unnecessary dangerous step at the hotel room door. I have tried repeatedly to get the Taj Group to have their insurance company pay for the bills. They have not returned my emails and completely ignored my requests for financial recovery on this. Four months into this and I am now on a bone stimulator to try to heal the break. The hotel has dug in their heals to not help. The stoop outside the door should have been marked with some type of caution tape and signage inside and outside the room door. This would have alerted me to the dangerously small step. They didn’t even offer to put me in a lower floor, after the break, So I had to climb the 3 flights of stairs each time to my room. No elevators in this hotel. Complete negligence on their part and I would not recommend this resort due to its negligence. Taj Hotels thinks they can hide in India while having a worldwide presence. I cant imagine if you stayed in any of their hotels around the world, and if any accident might happen to the guest, they would ignore you. What a shame. You are taking your life in your own hands, staying with any Taj Hotel. The elephant ride for $40 is a rip. You are wandering on elephant back for 45 minutes, through areas that the local villagers are working the river banks and no chance to see a Rhino with all that human presence out there. You have no choice but to eat at the hotel with expensive prices on food. All their excursions are overpriced. Steer away from this resort unless you have a fat wallet. Best part. The staff were outstanding and only saving grace for this...

A Dream Birthday at Taj Meghauli Serai – "Where Luxury Meets the Wild"!

From the moment we arrived at Taj Meghauli Serai, we were welcomed with genuine warmth and care, setting the tone for a truly unforgettable 2-night stay to celebrate our son’s 3rd birthday.

Our villa with a private pool overlooked the stunning Rapti River and the lush Chitwan National Park—a breathtaking sight that was only made better by spotting a few rhinos from the property itself! The villa was beautifully decorated for the birthday surprise, and the celebration arranged by the team is a memory we’ll cherish forever. A big thank you to the entire Housekeeping team for making it look magical!

Special appreciation to Mr. Dipanker at the front desk for his warm hospitality, seamless check-in and checkout, and excellent room orientation—it made everything smooth and stress-free. Our naturalist, Swastika, was outstanding—her knowledge, energy, and warmth made our safari tour an absolute highlight.

Heartfelt thanks to Chef Narendra Bogati, not just for the delicious meals, but also for personally checking on us at every mealtime to ensure everything was to our liking. Your care did not go unnoticed!

We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Ms. Chitra, Mr. Sujan, Mr. Bishal, and Ms. Muskan—your gracious hospitality made us feel right at home.

And finally, a special thank you to Mr. Kushwendra Sisodiya, who was always present, ensuring every little detail was perfect and seamless. Your efforts truly made this feel like more than just a stay—it felt like home with the Taj touch.

This was not just a vacation; it was an experience of a lifetime. We felt like...