Most photographers pack up their gear when the monsoon hits Nepal. The trails turn to mud, leeches seem to materialize out of thin air, and the humidity fogs up every lens. But the monsoon is when Chitwan truly comes alive.
The forest explodes into fifty shades of green. The Rapti River swells, flooding the grasslands and creating temporary wetlands that attract hundreds of migratory birds. The rhinos love it — they wallow in the mud like giant armored pigs, sometimes so submerged that only their horns poke out above the waterline.
The light during monsoon is unlike anything else. Storm clouds build dramatic backdrops, and when the sun breaks through, it creates shafts of golden light that slice through the canopy like spotlights from heaven. I've shot some of my best work in the middle of a downpour, huddled under a rain cover, waiting for that split second of magic.
Yes, the leeches are terrible. Yes, your gear will need a thorough cleaning afterward. But if you want to see Chitwan at its most alive, come in the rain.