Our Programs

Price: $85 per person + Park Permit Rs.2000
Duration: 3 to 4 hours
Minimum: 2 people (single person can book with a little extra cost)

Feeding elephants in captivity has been truly challenging for us. The elephants have a massive appetite. An adult elephant eats 200–300 kg of food every day. They need a variety of vegetation – grasses, leaves, fruits, and especially tree branches. They require jungle or dense forest for a natural habitat. These lovely giants are expensive to feed and care for. They require regular supervision by vet doctors. Each elephant has two caretakers and needs a lot of food storage.

Highlights

• No ride – just walks with elephants at a respectful distance, guided by local jungle guides.
• You will help elephants enter their natural jungle habitat through this program.
• Elephants have grasslands, dense forest, and waterholes to roam and enough walks every day.
• Safe guided jungle walk with our beloved elephants, mahouts, and two local jungle guides.
• Watch elephants grazing or eating small tree branches without destroying the forest. You may see big wild animals like rhinos, leopards, or tigers.

Join the Jungle Walk

Price: $45 per person
Duration: Around 90 minutes
With Guide: Yes

Feel amazing walking down to the river with one of the nature guides from the lodge. You will be briefed about elephants, their natural way of living, and stories by the guides.

You will be surprised to watch these beautiful animals from a close but respectful distance. You can take lovely pictures of elephants crossing the river, playing in the sand, grazing, and walking through the bush. In the middle of the bush area, you will sit beside the elephants to enjoy coffee and breakfast prepared in Sapana kitchen.

Join the Bush Walk

Price: $70 per person
Duration: Around 3 hours (morning time)
With Guide: Yes

Enjoy a bush walk with the giants under the guidance of their caretakers and local nature guide. Then, enjoy your delicious breakfast surrounded by elephants. Walk with the guide to the elephant shelter and assist in cleaning the corrals with mahouts.

Treat elephants by feeding fruits and vegetables. End your tour with the Elephant bath time and enjoy watching them have fun in the Rapti River.

Join the Experience

Price: $12 per person
Time: Around 11:30 am at Sapana Village Lodge, river side
Duration: 1/2 hour
Note: Not possible in winter time

Despite being termed pachyderms, elephants are not thick-skinned but very sensitive. Their skin is heavily grooved with a loose-fitting appearance and is prone to irritation from insect bites and mites living within the skin folds.

For this reason, regular bathing is vital to the good health of the animals.

Join the Elephant Bath

Price: $145 per person
Included: Day-long elephant activities, English-speaking local guide, spa, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), regular tea or coffee
Not Included: Soft and alcoholic drinks
Duration: One-day program

Daily Schedule

• 6:30 am – 8:30 am: Sunrise Elephant Bush Walk (Guided Trip). Enjoy every movement of elephants, listen to their stories, and take pictures. Sit around the campfire in the bush for a typical breakfast. Walk along with a Mahout and join in elephant shelter cleaning program.
• 11:00 – 11:45 am: Walk down to the river with the elephants and give them a bath. Guests and elephants can splash around together.
• 12:30 pm: Lunch in Sapana restaurant (approximate time, menu as preferred).
• 2:00 pm: Participate with Mahouts in harvesting and collecting elephant food (elephant grass, banana trees, bamboos, and tree branches).
• 3:30 pm: Prepare elephant food candy (Kuchi), a mixture of rice, molasses, grams, and salt wrapped in elephant grass or straw.
• Spa Treatment: After the day’s activities, enjoy a 30-minute spa treatment to relax and rejuvenate, provided by local healing hands.
• 7:00 pm: Dinner in Sapana restaurant (time flexible, menu as preferred).

Join the Program

Price: $45 per person

Would you like to end your evening surrounded by nature after a day of experiences? Join a wonderful candle-light dinner beautifully set up beside our elephant chain-free corrals. After the dinner, at around 7:00 pm, the elephants will walk to their corrals where they roam, play, eat, and sleep.

Highlights

• Cozy table set up beside the elephant chain-free corrals.
• Selection of meals (appetizer, soup, and main course) and a surprise cocktail drink. Additional drinks can be served upon request (extra).
• Personalized service for an intimate experience.
• Watch the movements of our chain-free elephants in their corrals under the beautiful sky and sounds of nature.

Book the Dinner

Price: $20 per person
Duration: 45 minutes

Are you excited about visiting our happy rescued elephants at their sanctuary? Hear about their balanced food, their activities during night time, and the way they sleep. They love to have their own space and you will get a rare glimpse into their nighttime routines.

Join the Night Visit

Price: $35 per person
Duration: 45 minutes
Minimum: 2 persons

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax beside the herd of our rescued elephants during sunrise or sunset. This meditation gives you peace of mind and allows moments of stillness and quiet with the gentle breaths and movements of the elephants.

Join the Meditation

Price: $12 per fruit basket
Duration: 30 minutes

This activity includes a basket full of fruits and vegetables that you can use to feed the elephants at Sapana Village Lodge. Enjoy a close and safe experience with these gentle giants while providing them their favorite treats.

Join the Feeding

Price: $15 per person
Duration: 1 hour

Sitting beside the elephant driver (Mahout), you can make the candy (Kuchi in Nepali) for elephants using straw, rice, sugar, and salt. This one-hour program provides a wonderful opportunity to feed and bond with these amazing creatures.

Join the Program

The Kuchi is a traditional food ball made by folding the surprisingly supple elephant grass into the shape of a bowl. Rice, salt, and molasses are packed into the bowl. Other supplements can be added if the elephant has a special dietary requirement.

After packing the bowl, the grass is folded over the top. Working two strands of grass in opposite directions, the bowl is tightly wrapped. After securely enclosing the bowl, the ends of the grass are tied in a twisting motion and tucked under the wrapping like a knot.

You can make Kuchi yourself at Sapana Village!
Note: Prices are inclusive of all taxes. Park permit costs are not included where applicable.

Try Making Kuchi