Sapana Village Lodge — Restaurant in Ratnanagar

What looked like a peaceful, ethically-driven sanctuary turned out to be one of the most frustrating travel experiences I’ve had in Nepal. It’s heartbreaking, because this place could be incredible, the mission sounds noble, and the design is picturesque. But beneath the surface, our stay was filled with frustration, disorganization, and a sense that profit comes before guests.||The problems started the moment we arrived. The check-in was cold and rushed. No warm welcome, no introduction to the property just keys and a nod. Our room had that traditional charm, yes, but was constantly damp with a moldy smell. A leak from the ceiling left our bathroom floor wet for most of the stay and the air conditioning barely working in the blazing heat. When we reported it, the staff casually shrugged it off.||But what really got under our skin was the constant nickel-and-diming. Everything came with an extra cost. When we questioned this, we got the same scripted answer every time: *“We support the community and social projects.” While I wholeheartedly support ethical tourism, using it as an excuse to overcharge and underdeliver just feels manipulative.||The safari and other activities booked through the lodge were three times more expensive than the exact same ones offered by local operators just five minutes down the road. We’re talking thousands of extra rupees for the same jungle tour, same canoe, same village walk just without the middleman markup. Our “small group” safari ended up being a crammed, noisy jeep with a distracted guide who barely spoke and kept texting.||And then came the sleepless night. Loud music from a nearby event played until nearly 4 AM. We weren’t warned, there were no accommodations made, and when we brought it up the next morning, we were met with a shrug and a “what can we do?”||When we finally decided to cut our stay short and leave a day early, not a single staff member asked why. No apology, no concern, not even a goodbye.||I truly wanted to love Sapana Village Lodge. I admire the idea of a socially conscious retreat, but this place hides behind its mission while delivering a subpar, overpriced experience. If you want to support the local community, go directly to the local people. You’ll save money, avoid the marketing trap, and likely have a far more...

Sapana Village Lodge has been simply amazing. The overall experience we had at the Lodge, together with the wonderful experiences organized by Sapana’s Staff really made our holiday in Nepal special. My boyfriend and I left a piece of our heart there, the place is magic and the nature so fulfilling and peaceful that deliver simply the best experience you can ask for at a Natural Park Lodge.

To anyone who is thinking to spend a few days at Chitwan National Park I strongly advise to chose Sapana Village Resort as basecamp, and to buy the complete experiences package (Safari and trekking among Rhinos, Elephant experiences, Nepali massages and SPA, canoeing in the river with crocodiles etc…and if you’re lucky you can also spot Tigers and Leopards).

This is what we had, and it simply takes you into the deepest knowledge and experience of the local nature and lifestyle. Special mention to our main guide Hemanta who was incedibily knowledgable and experienced, and so respectful for both the wildlife and the amazing Chitwan environment. He can really take anyone into the deepest knowledge of the place, the animals and the nature as a whole. Our experience would haven’t been the same without him.

At Sapana Village Lodge the nature and the animals of Chitwan aren’t the only main experience you get; when you come back at the lodge, happily tired after many adventures in the jungle, you get four stars hotel treatment. Super comfy, clean and very well equipped and furnished rooms, amazing cuisine with very tasty meals (well done to Chef Bhim and all his staff!) and super super friendly and welcoming people. Everyone is really working hard for your happiness and to deliver you the best experience ever, both into the nature and into the luxury treatment of the lodge.

Once again, Sapana Village didn’t just meet our high expectations, it surely exceeded them leaving us memory of pure happiness and warm heart for all the amazing people we met and the wonderful culture and nature we were immerse into.

I absolutely recommend this place, and if you can please get the complete experiences package to be sure to get the most out of such an amazing place.

Hope to get back...

Plus: The outside decoration, flowers, and setting are gorgeous. It's along the river and you can see villagers and elephants nearby all the time. There are swings and seats outdoors to enjoy the view. The hotel provided free water bottles and coffee making facilities. Our friend asked for laundry there and it was cheap and good. The hotel also provided pick-up from town when we stayed out one night for dinner in the main Sauraha street.

Minus: The bed was hard and extremely uncomfortable. We spent 2 nights here and I had splitting back pain for all of them + 2 days after. Hot water was a luxury. We didn't have any the first night (not even mildly warm), and asked the staff to check the issue the next morning. The second night, I had another cold shower, but my husband managed to get some warm water. (Our friend was staying in a different building and had super hot water, so your mileage may vary). We took the free dinner option, instead of breakfast, but a) we had to pay the drinks, they weren't included, and b) the food we ordered at the restaurant was terrible we only ate there one night and skipped the next. Fries were brown and soggy, sandwiches were tasteless, salads weren't fresh. We also had lunch there on arrival and the food was also as bad: chicken had bones and cartilages in it, and the flavors were mediocre. The location isn't very good, despite the gorgeous setting. It's close to the morning canoe departure, but it's way outside of the main Sauraha street where all the shops/restaurants are, as well as the Jeep safari, so walking back to the hotel at night in the dark was a little creepy. Also, once you get to the hotel, it uses very few lights outside at night, so have a flashlight ready. If you're taking a room and expect to have a bathtub based on the pics, prepare for disappointment. Neither our room nor our friends had one, just a shower head screwed onto the wall near the toilet. They do give you a mop though, so you can remove the...