Mr B's Place: Testimonial - Simon and Isabelle (Scroll down for more)

Testimonial - Simon and Isabelle (Scroll down for more)

What can we say about B and Kali? I suppose we should start at the beginning.

We first went to Bardia in November 2001 after finishing a Karnali rafting trip at Chisapani and met the lovely, quietly spoken Arjun by the river while all the touts surrounded us and hassled us. They were all saying that they were 'Mr B'. Unfortunately for them we came armed with a list of questions that they needed to get right before we believed them.

We'd been warned that this could happen and had Shakuntala's name written down, the name of his camp and other random details. Arjun was able to convince us that he would take us to see the real 'Mr B'.

We'd heard about 'Mr B' in a kind of magical way, we were trekking around Annapurna and met a Dutch girl who told us about a lovely man that she'd met in Delhi who was escorting an American tourist to Delhi Airport from Nepal. The tourist had been robbed of all his possessions in Pokhara and eventually put in prison in Nepal when he lashed out at a police officer who was doing nothing to help. The man that she met was called simply 'Mr B' and he was helping because he was worried that the tourist was a bit vulnerable after all his troubles. She stayed at Nature's Way (the original camp) for three weeks and she couldn't say enough nice things about him and his wife Shakuntala.

We ended up doing the same as her, despite planning to stay only a few days we stayed three weeks. We were treated like members of the family and became great friends with B and Kali. When we left we were sure we would go back to see them within a year or two. Then the conflict started and we ended up moving to HK and being teachers we never had holidays at the right time of year to visit Bardia. Trying to do our bit to help, we sent many friends who were visiting Nepal to see them and they all had a similar experience to our own.

Eventually, sick of HK, we decided to finish our contracts and made a grand plan to cycle from HK to see B and Kali again, leaving in July 2008. However just as we were about to get our Chinese visa, the Tibet protests kicked off and China stopped issuing any visas longer than 30 days and made it impossible for cyclists to enter Tibet (the direct route to Nepal). We had to come up with a new plan!

In December 2008 we finally made it to Bardia after cycling 6000km through Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, China (Xinjiang), Pakistan and India. We were the first people to stay in the new cottages, which are beautiful and we stayed for about 4 weeks. The welcome was still amazing and leaving was so sad. We've thought about them every day since we left and will be back within a few months just to see how much progress gets made. Bibus, Bibek, Mina and Bina are getting more involved, they have a great new trainee called Diliram, Resham has two delightful daughters born since we were first there, and Kali now speaks excellent English. B is still B although he's not as skinny as he was 7 years ago....too many Dhal Bhat's!!!!

Go and visit them, you won't regret it.

Simon (UK) and Isabelle (Canada) - we first met in Nepal 2001 and have been together ever since - married for the last 6 years. http://hk-to-uk.blogspot.com

2 comments:

Anat Shafran-KleinJanuary 23, 2011 at 2:35 AM
A year ago, we stayed with Mr. B, Kali & Resham for a week. It was a great honor for us to be hosted in Bardia. Amazing people with a huge heart.
We will come back some day to visit the Bardia family.
Anat & Ori
ISRAEL
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travelgirlFebruary 15, 2011 at 7:25 PM
We visited Mr B in 2010 and ended up staying nearly three weeks. We got there by word of mouth. We feel really honored to have had the opportunity to experience rural village life in such a near pristine and traditional enviornment. It didn't take long to become part of their extended family. The camps are really comfortable (some of the best accommodation we had in Nepal) and we enjoyed the food.
Anything you take will be appreciated. We took school supplies, medical supplies and non prescription eyeglasses which were a huge hit! The B's helped us distribute them which was a very moving experience. Oh yes the B's love to garden and seeds would also be a help, flowers and veges.
So we say go when you can and become part of their family yourself and experience Nepal in a way few can. Maybe we'll meet you there in 2012....

Angela and Philip
Canada
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Bardia National Park hotel hostel accommodation Bardiya National Park Western Nepal wildlife camping trekking khaptad rara jumla humla homestay excellent ensuite bathrooms garden flowers jungle tigers tiger rhino rhinoceros black buck blue bull antelope ornithology ornithologists bird watching guide nature guide wildlife guide jungle tracking rafting dug out canoe Other biodiversity A total of 37 species of mammals has been recorded in the national park (Upreti 1994). Globally threatened species of wildlife include the Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica, Asiatic Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata, Tiger Panthera tigris, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Barasingha Cervus duvauceli, Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, Gharial Gavialis gangeticus and Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris (Upreti 1994, Hilton-Taylor 2000). The Indian Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis has been re-introduced from Chitwan and 50 individuals survive here (Shiva Raj Bhatta verbally 2000). Bardia Jungle safari white water rafting culture tharu people>Rara National Park in the far north western part of Nepal offers a representative sample of the region's flora and fauna. Sprawled over Mugu and Jumla districts, the heart of the park is the country's biggest lake, Lake Rara, from where the park gets it's name. The lake is as deep as 167m in places and drains into the River Mugu Karnali via Nijar Khola. The park is mainly covered by coniferous forest while the area around the lake is dominated by blue pine. Rhododendron, juniper, spruce, oak and cypress are found around 3000m, while at higher altitudes pine, spruce and fir are more common. he rich vegetation of the park is home to the endangered red panda, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard, jackal, Himalayan tahr, wild yellow-throated martin, wild dog, wild boar, common langur, rhesus maqaque and common otter. During winter the park abounds in 272 species of birds such as coots, great-crested grebe, black-necked grebe, red crested pochard, mallard, common teal, merganser and gulls. Migrant water fowls and gallinaceous birds can be seen during certain seasons. As for water life in the lake three species of snow trout are recorded so far.Many fantastic treks can be organised in this area, ranging from 3 days up to 30 days. Trekking here is completely unlike trekking in the more popular areas of Nepal. It is possible to fly into several local airports in the area to reduce trekking time or to use the airports to leave at the end of a longer trek starting from Bardia National Park We are a small family business based at Bardia National Park with many years of experience of organising treks in the remoter areas of Rara, Jumla, Mugu, Dolpo and Khaptad. We are all trained wildlife guides and also qualified trekking guides. We rely on personal recommendations for most of our business. Khaptad National Park General Information Khaptad National Park in West Nepal is the home of the late Khaptad Swami, the renowned scholar and also a hermit. The park, with its rolling hills of grasslands, and forests of sub-tropical, temperate and sub-alpine vegetation is also a rich natural habitat. Flora and Fauna The park boasts 224 species of medicinal herbs and offers excellent bird watching opportunities, with 270 species of birds, the common ones being different varieties of impheyan pheasant, partridges, flycatchers, bulbuls, cuckoos and eagles. Animals in the park are barking deer, wild boar, ghoral, Himalayan black bear, yellow throated marten, rhesus monkey and langur monkey. Cultural Sights The park also offers religious sight-seeing at Tribeni on the way to it's headquarters. There are several historical temples surrounding this area and an annual celebration of Ganaga Dashhara is held here every Jestha Purnami. Another religious site is Sahashra Linga at 3200m, the highest point of the park. Other religious areas in the park include Ganesh temple, Nagdhunga and Kedardhunga. These areas are ideal places for meditation. Towards the Northeast of the park is Khaptad lake where a festival is held every August and September Best Season: Mar-May and Oct-Nov Jun-Sep (rainy) Dec-Feb (snow)Trekking Many fantastic treks can be organised in this area, ranging from 7 days up to 15 days. With all the wildlife and cultural opportunities in the area it makes a very interesting place to trek. We are a small family business based at Bardia National Park with many years of experience of organising treks in the remoter areas of Rara, Jumla, Mugu, Khaptad and Dolpo. We are all trained wildlife guides and also qualified trekking guides. We rely on personal recommendations for most of our business. There are about 1.5 million Tharu people in Nepal (about 7% of the population) and most of them speak a mixture of local languages and dialects. Thakurdwara is a predominantly Tharu village. Origins The Tharu were probably the original inhabitants of the Terai region, although some scholars think that the women migrated from Rajasthan in India when the Muslims invaded, taking with them their servants who were eventually assimilated into the 'new' Tharu culture. Economy They rear cows, buffaloes, goats, chickens and pigs as well as clearing and cultivating land in the forest, growing dahl and rice.Women also catch fish using small nets in rivers, streams and pools. In the past many Tharu people were enslaved, had their land taken from them and were treated very badly by local landlords who just claimed and registered their land and then made them pay rent to continue to use it. Our History with the Tharu During the Malaria eradication campaign many of the landless people in the surrounding hills came down to the Terai and mixed and intermarried with the Tharu. This is when our families' came to Thakudwara. Some of B's family still live in the hills above Bardia. At the age of 10, B's mother was left with B's Father's family when her own family were migrating from the mountains...she never saw her family again and spent the rest of her life in the Thakurdwara area assimilating with the local Tharu culture. Religion Tharu people practice their own religion which involves spirit worship but also take freely from Hindu traditions and in Thakudwara you will see many small Hindu temples. Visiting the villages Kali (Shakuntala) can guide you around the local villages introducing you to local people and it's also possible to arrange overnight stays in local homes if you are interested. All our family speak the Tharu language and their is also more information available at the park headquarters just a few minutes walk from our camp. Our children will also give you an insight into the local culture and can take you on half day walks around the village when they aren't in school. Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus Pallas's Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus Sarus Crane Grus antigone Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda Grey-crowned Prinia Prinia cinereocapilla Great Himalaya Trail Crocodile Breeding centre Elephant rehabilitation centre Western food dhal bhat great food amazing food Mr B email contact details wildlife Bardia National Park is located in the Far-Western Region, Nepal and was established in 1988 as Royal Bardia National Park. Covering an area of 968 km2 it is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai, adjoining the eastern bank of the Karnali River in the Bardia District. The northern limits of the protected area are demarcated by the crest of the Siwalik Hills. The Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway partly forms the southern boundary, but seriously disrupts the protected area. Natural boundaries to human settlements are formed in the west by the Geruwa, a branch of the Karnali River, and in the southeast by the Babai River. Together with the neighboring Banke National Park, the coherent protected area of 1,518 km2 represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Bardia-Banke The park provides excellent habitat for endangered animals like the rhinoceros, wild elephant, tiger, swamp deer, black buck, gharial, marsh mugger crocodile and Gangetic dolphin. Endangered birds include the Bengal florican, lesser florican, silver-eared mesia and Sarus crane. More than 30 different mammals, over 200 species of birds, and many snakes, lizards and fish have been recorded in the park's forest, grassland and river habitats. A good number of resident and migratory birds are found in the park. It is also the home of two of the last known herds of wild Indian elephants. natureway.in khaptad bardia national park www.natureway.in jumla Nepal khaptad national park maximum altitudes bardia Nepal sarus cranes small internet cafe national geographic bardiya national park jungle drive spiny babbler black kingfisher bardia park hideaway cottage philosophy of nature nature's way bardia nature's way to beautiful kurtresimi spinny babbler resident birds saras crane tharu dress mugu nepal materials used for building fixed charge female guide humla nepal nepal jumla sarus crane bengal birds bardia national park nepal humla jumla thakurdwara black-capped kingfisher black capped kingfisher tharu people rare birds saurus crane birds in winter by pass muguand khaptad national park nepal nature's hideaway rara national park nepal birds of spring maximum altitude birds in spring khaptad nepal naturway.in humla birds of bengal swamp francolin floricon tiger

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Testimonial - Simon and Isabelle (Scroll down for more)

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