Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge

I am sharing this review after my second stay at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge and both stays were amazing. There is something magical about this place and it has earned a spot in my heart. This is not the same safari experience you have in Africa so managing expectations is important. Chitwan National Park has a lot of vegetation and available water so animal sightings, while plentiful, are not as easy as in Africa. The lodge rooms are large and very comfortable but rustic, without AC or TV, but you don’t miss them. The food is plentiful and delicious, served homestyle. The staff are fantastic, warm, attentive and very accommodating with food allergies. The elephant sandwich making and late afternoon elephant walk/sundowner are a must. Words can’t describe the thrill of encountering a momma rhino and baby, on foot, under the protection of two majestic elephants. The jungle jeep safari is thrilling and Sam is a wonderful guide, making sure we spotted almost every animal except the shy tiger and sloth bear, even though he tried very hard to locate them. He does not use a radio for animal spotting like they do on an African safari but instead relies on the warning calls of jungle animals and he seems to know them all. This knowledge netted two leopard spotting, one on each stay. I am honestly still amazed he was able to find one lazy leopard napping on a fallen tree which was covered in thick vegetation. Even though I knew where it was I still had trouble finding it again each time with binoculars. When we returned from the jungle safari we were greeted with warm smiles an ice cold towel and a delicious cold drink. Make sure to take a refreshing swim in the pool to cool down before you enjoy snacks and then a delicious dinner in the lodge.

I've done a great deal of traveling, including internationally, and this lodge was the BEST i've ever stayed in. Not quite perfect, but very few flaws, and so very, very warm and welcoming, with the kindest, most helpful staff (each and every one of them). As examples, they had not received advanced word about eating restrictions, yet we were accommodated. The manager, who is called BC (as an abbreviation of his Nepali name), should truly be called A+, and he even went out of his way to find me artificial sweetener (which is apparently not common in Nepal). They were also very accommodating about our safari requests in terms of time allotments, which was also greatly appreciated. And I am making these very positive comments about the lodge despite the disappointment of not having seen a tiger! (although we did see 2 leopards, which was very cool!) Definitely the place to stay.

We had a fantastic visit. We visited in mid-March and I think we picked the perfect time. The temps were starting to ramp up in the afternoon but the mosquitoes weren’t much of an issue at all. Our guide Sam was wonderful, ensuring our elephant walk, park walk and Jeep tour of the park were thorough. We saw almost all of the animals mentioned, however I had to settle on only hearing two leopards kill a deer and then argue over who was going to get the best parts. The staff at the resort were great and the lodge rooms were large and really very comfortable. I would recommend this experience to families with older children and couples….so much adventure for a very affordable price. Don’t miss the sunset elephant walk or the opportunity to feed the elephants. We learned a lot!

Outstanding lodge. Staff were attentive to our every need. Food and service was excellent. The elephant camp is a must visit as well as sundown elephant walk and river side cocktails. Hang out at the main lodge by the fire at night.

We were so looking forward to our time at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge! From start to finish, they provided a magical experience, from when Sam picked us up from the Bharatpur airport, to when we sadly departed after our 3 days/2 nights. The lodge itself is stunning and remote, and you really feel like you are in a secluded and peaceful place. The staff were all lovely and attentive, and the food was absolutely outstanding. We loved feeling like were in a proper jungle safari lodge with set meal times, jungle safaris, and sundowners. Of course, the highlight was the "walking with elephants and sundowner" which we did two evenings. It is no secret that in Asia, there is the practice of riding elephants, capturing them, etc. which we would never condone. Tiger Tops, however, has improved their beliefs and offers amazing lives for the elephants they currently have. The herd they have is made up of around 10 middle-aged females ages 40-65, who had already previously been domesticated (in India). They still have the herd that they now will care for so they can live out their lives comfortably. They each have reasonably large enclosures for sleeping/overnight (not chained up like other places) and during the day they go to the jungle with their handlers to feed. At the end of the day, a pair of elephants will walk with the tourists (namely to protect from the rhinos) which can bring in some money to help pay for their care. The handlers really understand and love their elephants, and even let two of them stay in the same enclosure because they are best friends and prefer to be together (so sweet!). During one sundowner, the handler convinced the elephant to go fully submerged into the river, so he could give her a proper scrub down and he really got into washing and scrubbing her head. The morning visit to elephant camp to make sandwiches is also such a treat. The elephants were so friendly and gentle and always loved a cuddle and an elephant sandwich! Our guide, Sam, was excellent, kind, and ever so smiley! One day, we saw a season record for him of 10 rhinos during one walk! The staff all seemed to work there for a long long time, which goes to show what a great place it is. The food was outstanding, with lovely vegetarian options as well, and the food and beverage staff were excellent. I highly recommend Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge.

Overall, the lodge was good. We had hot water for showers and a comfortable bed. The mosquito netting needs to be re-engineered. Ours did not stay closed and it had 2 small holes in it. The food was very good; drinks were reasonably priced. We very much enjoyed the walk with the elephants to the river for sunset; the visit to the elephant camp to feed the elephants some treats. The canoe trip was a waste of time unless you are really into birds. We skipped the full day safari because we did one in Bardia NP and could not stand to sit in a jeep for 12 hours. We did do a 4 hour safari during which we saw rhinos up clase. Four hours is about the correct length of time for this activity. Shopping at the Tiny Store ws fun, too.

We have just returned from 3 exceptional days at Tiger Tops, Don't expect to see Tigers as the area is vast although on the Jeep Safari we did see Rhino, Our best excursion was walking with Elephants, Tiger Tops for the past 8 years do not allow guest to ride the Elephants however you get to walk between them allowing a magical experience. We came across 3 Rhinos and had a stand off with the 2 elephants either side of us, To say the moment was insane is an understatement. So good infarct we went again the next day and again came across Rhino again, The walk ends at the river where sun downers are served and the Elephants get to go for a wash and cool down. Food at the lodge was great catering for both western and local tastes. We staid in the Tents which was great however I think the Rooms would have been just fine.

The accommodation is amazing and from the first moment the treatment was incredible. The room was beautiful and in addition to cleaning it every day, every time we had dinner they took the opportunity to leave it ready with the mosquito net so we could sleep. The staff was attentive to you at all times, and served you delicious non-alcoholic cocktails upon arrival of each activity, as well as tea, coffee, popcorn and snacks. Very detailed and pleasant. We had a very friendly guide who did not hesitate to explain everything to us and answer any of our questions with patience, even though our English is not very good. They organized a walk through the jungle for us with elephants (very adventurous) where we saw a rhino next to us, ending at the river where we could see the sunset while having a picnic (although the elephants decided that they did not want to bathe). There I was able to propose to my girlfriend, thanks to the hotel staff, with whom I had spoken personally. During dinner they also had the detail of preparing us a very delicious cake. In short, Tiger Tops is a very special place to visit in Nepal and one that I absolutely recommend!!