Note the camp itself has no phone service - all bookings and arrangements are made in Kathmandu, email gaida@mos.com.np
The Gaida camp is one of the few wildlife camps to be thriving whilst others in the area are struggling to survive with the lack of tourists in the country. This is hardly a surprise as the quality of the staff and its facilities are excellent. The camp is popular with both tourist groups and smaller bands of independent travellers, but is relatively inaccessible so confirm transport arrangements before booking. (I took a group there so we had the use of our own bus!) The Gaida staff will bring their jeeps up to the roadside to meet transport arriving, but if you have your own 4WD or vehicle which has a fairly high clearance then you can make it into the camp yourself where their parking area is secure. Otherwise contact the park direct for advice on travel, or they can arrange it for you.
The journey into the camp is exciting enough anyway, riding on open topped jeeps after having been stuck in a bus for a few hours makes you get that real off-the-beaten-track feeling.
On arrival at the camp you are met with the usual tea n coffee and a quick introductory talk. Accommodation itself is in chalet style accommodation, which is fairly basic but well suited to the environment you are in. They are all twin rooms; lighting is by candle but a paraffin lantern is delivered to every room each night, but best bring a torch anyway. All rooms have hot water & showers and a heater if you are here in the chilly seasons. None of the rooms are locked so if you are security conscious then use their safety deposit or bring a padlock for your room door. A laundry service is available and fairly reasonably priced.
Few people spend much time in the rooms though as each has a balcony for relaxing on or people head up into the main area of the camp where there is a bar built on stilts above the river's flood plain. One half is fully enclosed like a conservatory whilst the other has an open deck - a great place to watch out for animals at dusk or sunrise. And just next to the main dining hall where they served buffet meals every night (good ones at that).
The highlight of the camp for me though was the visit to the elephant stables. Here you get a close up encounter at ground level with the female elephants they use for the safaris (the male elephants are sent off to the government stables down the road), and whilst we were there we were lucky enough to meet a six week old elephant which was up to all sorts of antics under the watchful eye of its mother.