12 contemporary rooms with quirky rhino motifs open up to balcony overlooking the Himalayas and the Terai grasslands below.

The 16 luxury villas drenched in pastel hues create a calming sanctuary in the heart of the jungle. Each villa features spacious living areas with great views of the Rapti river and the National Park. With private plunge pools in every suite and luxurious 5 fixture bathrooms adorned with traditional Nepalese stone spouts, you will be tempted to while away your afternoon listening to the rhythm of the flowing river.

The spacious Rapti Mahal with its lush scenic views of the river and the park, private river viewing deck and large plunge pool is a picture of breathtaking serenity.

In Tharu culture people live in joint family groups in a large family home or the ‘Bada Ghar’ (literally meaning big house). The Bada Ghar dining at Meghauli Serai is based on this concept of warmth and camaraderie over a meal. The large dining area comfortably seats all guests in the lodge. The a la carte menu offers a selection of options from traditional as well as international cuisines.

Authentic local cuisine and unvarnished native culture are prized experiences for any traveller. At Meghauli Serai, these two aspects are beautifully woven together in the Tharu village dining experience. A small village has been recreated within the lodge. An open courtyard with a veranda running parallel along its length serve the dual function of providing indoor and outdoor dining options. The entire structure is plastered with mud and decorated with traditional tribal patterns on the wall. The thatch roof, a bullock cart and a ‘kabootarghar’ or a pigeon house add a rustic touch. Traditional dishes like sticky rice, spicy duck and mustard greens are served along with other local delicacies. Tharu dancers moving in unison to a heady drum beat make the atmosphere festive.

An elevated deck called the Rapti Kinara (literally meaning bank of the Rapti) with a vantage view of the river below and the forest beyond is a most enjoyable alfresco dining spot. Guests sit down to a traditional ‘sekuwa’ barbeque dinner on candle lit tables to the gentle lapping sounds of the water. Vegetables fresh from the lodge’s organic kitchen gardens are mildly spiced and grilled. Often on a moonlit night, an odd rhino or a herd of deer can be seen coming down for a drink.

A sumptuous breakfast set up on the safari vehicle bonnet deep in the jungle. Freshly baked muffins and cookies along with sandwiches, fresh fruit and hot kathi rolls are washed down with freshly plunged coffee and a selection of teas. A perfect refuelling for the rest of the morning safari at Chitwan.

The wildlife viewing deck or ‘Machaan’, on the river is the perfect vantage point to look out at the forest across and the river flowing below. A private dinner at this sweet spot, surrounded by wilderness and the open sky above is an experience to turn even a cynic into a romantic. Meghauli Serai offers multiple venues for private dining. The soft sandbanks of Rapti, the privacy of guest villas or under a tree by the light of oil lamps and candles. Irrespective of the venue, the meal prepared by expert chefs and private butler service remain the constants.