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.
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
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
Me and my girlfriend Maria visited Bardia and stayed with Mr B in August 2010. Maria had heard about the place from colleagues, for me I just tagged along. We stayed only three nights, but it was a very relaxed and nice visit. Good luck with all, Mr B! Hannu and Maria from Sweden.
While trekking around the Annapurna circuit I was fortunate to meet many incredible friends from all over the world. One of them, a girl from Lithuania, was planning on staying with Mr. B after leaving the Himalayas - so my two friends and I decided to tag along. This was one of the best decisions I have made to date.
Mr. B and Kali immediately made it feel like home. After hiking through the jungle for several days (and camping overnight) we were planning on leaving. At this point Western Nepal was thrown into a strike and we were unable to leave.
We were stuck there for another few days. In order to get us back to either Kathmandu or India (we were splitting ways at this point), Mr. B was prepared to ride 40 miles with us through the jungle on bicycles to a village where we were to take a donkey cart past the strike zone. Luckily the strike ended the day we were to depart.
After added expenses of staying later, Mr B. was so concerned that I would not have enough money to make it home he offered multiple times to give me his hard earned money (which of course, I declined). This is just an example of his incredible altruistic nature. He and his family (including Kali, Arjun, the kids, etc) are truly some of the most incredible people I've ever met. I cannot wait to return and visit them all again.
If you do decide to go, be very careful that you are truly meeting Mr. B! I say this because he has told me of how many of the other hotel owners in Bardia stand by the highway to intercept tourists, claiming to be Mr. B. Look at the pictures of him and make sure he's who you are meeting!
Never have I throughout my travels in 45 different countries, enjoyed being in one place for so long. Time and time again, I have returned back to Thakurdwara to spend time with Mr. B., Kali & family, whom I hold in great regard. They have shown a warmth and kindness that is so rare to find, not just for the guests, but they are actively helping the whole community.
They have inspired and shown me a way to open my heart. It is a fantastic place to stay. I always come away thinking that I have yet again experienced something truly special.
Daniel S. Robinson FRGS Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
What a joy it was to spend a week at Mr B's Place to relax and enjoy the best of Bardia. Andrew and I had just cycled 2,500km through northern India and Nepal when we stayed with Mr B, Kali and their family in Bardia.
We loved the long walks, exploring the village and surrounding areas, the birdwatching, watching the elephants return from the jungle, and sipping tea in the early morning watching the sun rise over the fields. The bungalow was lovely set in a beautiful garden where we enjoyed most of our delicious meals.
Mr B and Kali both have boundless energy, enthusiasm and warmth. They welcomed us with open arms, and we felt like part of their extended family within no time. Everything they do is with utmost respect to the land, to nature and people - always with a big heart and a warm smile.
abenteuer bardia hello mr B. and family :-) erstmal möchte ich mr B. zur gestaltung seiner website gratulieren ! alle infos die man braucht und es ist persönlich , familiär gehalten . das ist auch was ihn so besonders macht . man fühlt sich vom ersten moment wohl , in seiner logde , bei seiner familie oder beim wildlife trip . man spürt das was er macht , macht er mit herz und verstand . er ist auch ein hervoragender wildlife kenner , mit dem auge fürs detaile und dem ganzen .er setzt sich auch aktiv zur erhaltung des parks ein . ich kann mr. B. place wirklich nur wärmstens weiterempfehlen . auf ein baldiges wiedersehen micha
My boyfriend & I loved our stay with Mr. B and his family. Wonderful stay. Everyone was so hospitable from the very beginning when 2 of his staff waited from 4 am until 10 am for us to arrive at the side of the road bus stop in Ambassa. We had so much fun on the walking safari, jeep safari, camping in the jungle and relaxing at the resort. Saw more wildlife than we expected and the guides were extremely helpful. Mr. B's family/staff accommodated us in every way possible. We enjoyed every bit of the stay and hope to return some day. Definitely the place to stay if you make it to Bardia!
We stayed at Mr B's place after seeing the many reviews on the internet. I emailed Mr B and he got back to me very quickly and in perfect English. We were picked up at 5.30am from the bus stop and were treated like VIP's the whole time. Unfortunately we could only stay 5 days, but had we visited Bardia first, we probably wouldn't have seen any other parts of Nepal, as we loved it here so much. The cottages are great value, quiet, the food is tastey and everyone is so friendly. Mr B and the boys took us on a couple of outings and they were just fantastic guides and have the sharpest eyes! We would recommend Mr B to anyone and everyone, no matter your standard or budget- Mr B has something for everyone. We hope to see you again soon! Thank you so much! Rebecca and Charly from the UK
Hi girls, how are you? are you back in Australia or you got lost anywhere in deep SouthEast Asia? It was great to know you and I feel sorry we can not share more time at Mr. Bs cheers Manu
I stayed at Mr. B for 11 nights. Last 4 nigths my sister Laura from Kathmandu joined me. I came here to try to study river dolphins using underwater cams. I will strongly reccommend this place for anyone interested in seeing wildlife. Mr. B. put big big effort to show me the dolphins. Other than that his place is great, the food fantastic and all his family is fabulous! special greetings for my friend Corthran (Mr. C) thanks I hope to come back again
Manu, Barcelona, Spain
also greetings to our friends from alaska Andrea and Path!
What can we say about B and Kali? I suppose we should start at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteWe 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.
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
ReplyDeleteWe 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
ReplyDeleteMe and my girlfriend Maria visited Bardia and stayed with Mr B in August 2010. Maria had heard about the place from colleagues, for me I just tagged along. We stayed only three nights, but it was a very relaxed and nice visit. Good luck with all, Mr B! Hannu and Maria from Sweden.
ReplyDeleteWhile trekking around the Annapurna circuit I was fortunate to meet many incredible friends from all over the world. One of them, a girl from Lithuania, was planning on staying with Mr. B after leaving the Himalayas - so my two friends and I decided to tag along. This was one of the best decisions I have made to date.
ReplyDeleteMr. B and Kali immediately made it feel like home. After hiking through the jungle for several days (and camping overnight) we were planning on leaving. At this point Western Nepal was thrown into a strike and we were unable to leave.
We were stuck there for another few days. In order to get us back to either Kathmandu or India (we were splitting ways at this point), Mr. B was prepared to ride 40 miles with us through the jungle on bicycles to a village where we were to take a donkey cart past the strike zone. Luckily the strike ended the day we were to depart.
After added expenses of staying later, Mr B. was so concerned that I would not have enough money to make it home he offered multiple times to give me his hard earned money (which of course, I declined). This is just an example of his incredible altruistic nature. He and his family (including Kali, Arjun, the kids, etc) are truly some of the most incredible people I've ever met. I cannot wait to return and visit them all again.
If you do decide to go, be very careful that you are truly meeting Mr. B! I say this because he has told me of how many of the other hotel owners in Bardia stand by the highway to intercept tourists, claiming to be Mr. B. Look at the pictures of him and make sure he's who you are meeting!
Never have I throughout my travels in 45 different countries, enjoyed being in one place for so long. Time and time again, I have returned back to Thakurdwara to spend time with Mr. B., Kali & family, whom I hold in great regard. They have shown a warmth and kindness that is so rare to find, not just for the guests, but they are actively helping the whole community.
ReplyDeleteThey have inspired and shown me a way to open my heart. It is a fantastic place to stay. I always come away thinking that I have yet again experienced something truly special.
Daniel S. Robinson FRGS
Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
What a joy it was to spend a week at Mr B's Place to relax and enjoy the best of Bardia. Andrew and I had just cycled 2,500km through northern India and Nepal when we stayed with Mr B, Kali and their family in Bardia.
ReplyDeleteWe loved the long walks, exploring the village and surrounding areas, the birdwatching, watching the elephants return from the jungle, and sipping tea in the early morning watching the sun rise over the fields. The bungalow was lovely set in a beautiful garden where we enjoyed most of our delicious meals.
Mr B and Kali both have boundless energy, enthusiasm and warmth. They welcomed us with open arms, and we felt like part of their extended family within no time. Everything they do is with utmost respect to the land, to nature and people - always with a big heart and a warm smile.
We know we will return as soon as we can.
abenteuer bardia
ReplyDeletehello mr B. and family :-)
erstmal möchte ich mr B. zur gestaltung seiner website gratulieren ! alle infos die man braucht und es ist persönlich , familiär gehalten . das ist auch was ihn so besonders macht . man fühlt sich vom ersten moment wohl , in seiner logde , bei seiner familie oder beim wildlife trip . man spürt das was er macht , macht er mit herz und verstand . er ist auch ein hervoragender wildlife kenner , mit dem auge fürs detaile und dem ganzen .er setzt sich auch aktiv zur erhaltung des parks ein .
ich kann mr. B. place wirklich nur wärmstens weiterempfehlen .
auf ein baldiges wiedersehen
micha
My boyfriend & I loved our stay with Mr. B and his family. Wonderful stay. Everyone was so hospitable from the very beginning when 2 of his staff waited from 4 am until 10 am for us to arrive at the side of the road bus stop in Ambassa. We had so much fun on the walking safari, jeep safari, camping in the jungle and relaxing at the resort. Saw more wildlife than we expected and the guides were extremely helpful. Mr. B's family/staff accommodated us in every way possible. We enjoyed every bit of the stay and hope to return some day. Definitely the place to stay if you make it to Bardia!
ReplyDeleteWe stayed at Mr B's place after seeing the many reviews on the internet. I emailed Mr B and he got back to me very quickly and in perfect English. We were picked up at 5.30am from the bus stop and were treated like VIP's the whole time. Unfortunately we could only stay 5 days, but had we visited Bardia first, we probably wouldn't have seen any other parts of Nepal, as we loved it here so much.
ReplyDeleteThe cottages are great value, quiet, the food is tastey and everyone is so friendly. Mr B and the boys took us on a couple of outings and they were just fantastic guides and have the sharpest eyes!
We would recommend Mr B to anyone and everyone, no matter your standard or budget- Mr B has something for everyone.
We hope to see you again soon!
Thank you so much!
Rebecca and Charly from the UK
Hi girls,
Deletehow are you?
are you back in Australia or you got lost anywhere in deep SouthEast Asia? It was great to know you and I feel sorry we can not share more time at Mr. Bs
cheers
Manu
I stayed at Mr. B for 11 nights. Last 4 nigths my sister Laura from Kathmandu joined me. I came here to try to study river dolphins using underwater cams. I will strongly reccommend this place for anyone interested in seeing wildlife. Mr. B. put big big effort to show me the dolphins. Other than that his place is great, the food fantastic and all his family is fabulous! special greetings for my friend Corthran (Mr. C)
ReplyDeletethanks I hope to come back again
Manu, Barcelona, Spain
also greetings to our friends from alaska Andrea and Path!
Mr B.,
ReplyDeletewher ar yu?
flowing down the Geruwa?
chassing the dolphins?
deep in the jungle?
waiting for bahg?
wher ar yu ma friend
Manu
HiMr.B and family
ReplyDeleteI am sending the movie we made last October 2014
big hug to all the friends
Manu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apPiJRVcwoc