Sauraha

Sauraha सौराहा
Village in Ratnanagar Municipality
Sauraha Location in Nepal
Coordinates: 27°34′29″N 84°29′37″E
Country	Nepal
Province	Bagmati Pradesh
District	Chitwan District
Population  (1991)
• Total	2,699
Time zone	UTC+5:45 (Nepal Time)

Sauraha is a village of Ratnanagar Municipality in Chitwan District and Chitwan Valley, in Bagmati Pradesh of southern Nepal.

Geography

The village is the eastern gateway to the nearby and large Chitwan National Park, that protects part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion.

It is near the East Rapti River, and 23 km (14 mi) east of Narayangarh city.

Beginning literally as a small and quaint village of daub huts, houses and hotels, it has grown into a small town with hotels, resorts, restaurants, internet cafes, and gift shops.

Travel

Sauraha has good road access for private-rental vehicles.

By air

Air connections to Sauraha are through Bharatpur Airport, with regular daily air services from Pokhara and Kathmandu. The airport lies just 15 kilometer to the west of Sauraha. Will need to change to bus, jeep, taxi for connection to Sauraha.

By bus

• Via Kathmandu — there are three types of buses available. Cheaper Birganj bound buses which will drop you at Tadi Bazaar about 4 kilometers north of Sunauli where you can easily get local bus, taxi, rickshaws, tanga/pony carts. These second bit more expensive type is the direct tourist buses that are no more comfortable than normal intercity except they are full of tourists. A third type are more comfortable air-conditioned buses (Greenline, etc.). All buses will travel via Mugling, Narayangarh/Bharatpur, Tadi Bazaar, Sauraha; (4–5 hours trip).
• Via Sunauli / Bhairahawa — on eastern bound (Birganj/Biratnagar) buses traveling through Butwal, Bharatpur, Tadi Bazaar. Change to local bus, jeep, pony cart, or rickshaw to Sauraha (3 – 4 hours trip).
• Via Pokhara — direct tourist buses are available via Mugling, Narayangarh / Bharatpur, Tadi Bazaar, Sauraha (3 – 4 hours trip).

Tourism

Sightseeing

• Chitwan National Park
• Tharu Museum
• Devghat — as the Hindu pilgrimage destination
• International elephant polo games
• The Elephant Breeding Center
• Night Tower
• Jungle / wildlife safaris by foot, jeep and elephant. You may see a rhinoceros, deer, monkeys, and Bengal tiger. Bird watching in and around the jungle, especially Bishazari Tal, a wetland approximately 10 km north-west of Sauraha.
• Tharu cultural show of the Tharu people