Royal Chitwan, Nepal

Favorite thing: Spend some time in Royal Chitwan and wash the elephants.

Fondest memory: Day break, in front of us, the snow peaks on the Annapurna Mountain Range lighting up one by one. Behind us the northern plains of India turning bright green.

Favorite thing: Taking a jungle safari in the Terrari region and swimming with elephants in the river.

Fondest memory: After a long day hiking on the Annapurna trekking route just sitting and watching the sun go down in such a beautyfull setting.

Favorite thing: Go swimming with the elephants in the jungle of Chitwan. They are the most fascinating animals I've ever met - so big and so clever AND LOTS OF FUN!

Fondest memory: In Chitwan there are lots of elephants who take tourists on safari into the jungle. If you ever go there, take some extra time to go swimming with the elephants. We were really lucky to meet 'Lucky', a friendly old girl. We had elephant showers and rides, and we even learned how to climb an elephant by holding her ears and step on her trunk - a natural elevator! After this experience I've fallen totally in love with these animals.

So, if you want to see elephants, ride them, swim with them and get to know them; go to the river beach in Sauraha around noon, when the elephant is taking her daily bath. And if you ever go elephant riding, don't sit in those chairs. Right behind her ears, where the driver is sitting, is the best seat.

Favorite thing: Take an Elephant Jungle Safari to see if you can beat the90 to 1 odds of seeing a tiger in the wild. You will definitely encounter several of the endangered one-horned rhinos.

Fondest memory: We left our lodge hut twice a day for a two to three hour safari. The closest we got to a tiger was seeing tracks that were less than four hours old. Twice, protective mother rhinos feigned a charge at our elephant but then stopped, snorted, posed for pictures and then went off through the elephant grass. Finding a mother and a calf in a stream, surrounded by elephant grass, we watched and listened as the rhino snorted and sent her young one off to hide in the reeds. Meanwhile two of the elephants on the other side of the stream from us started trumpeting back at the snorting. It was a National Geographic moment.

Favorite thing: take in an elephant jungle safari photo hunt for the endangered one-horned rhino and the tiger. Tigers are only seen about once a month. With 3 safaris a day, that means your chance is only one in 30. But the ride aboard an elephant through jungle and elephant, and riding downstream in water up to the elephant's eyes is quite exhilarating. We saw about 20 rhinos, a boar, several swamp deer and spotted deer, monkeys and a fresh tiger track during our three days at Temple Tiger. Bring plenty of video batteries. There is no electricity there.
You can wake up in the morning in your jungle hut and see rhinos across the stream. This is soft adventure at its finest.

Fondest memory: Besides the safari, we booked a special tour in our hotel in Pokhara to be taken up to the foothills to see day break over the Himalayas. As we looked down into the Pokhara Valley it was shrouded in a blanket of clouds. But in front of us the mountains Fishtail, Anna Purna IV and others exploded in color as the sun first flashed across the tops and then slowly worked its way down their awesome sides. We had never before seen mountain majesty such as this before. Not in the Alps. Not in the Canadian or US Rockies. Not in The Andes. This was spectacular.

Fondest memory: When you walk around Chitwan village, you can see people working hard in their field. In the picture, the working mother brought along with her child.

Fondest memory: Golden colour has already covered all over the village. (picture : Chitwan)

Fondest memory: In September, grain has been grown up. (picture : Chitwan village)