We had an amazing 9 days birding round the National parks of Chitwan and Bardiya. Our expectations for this tour were high and they were certainly lived up to, indeed they were more definitely exceeded! The aim was to try and find a good range of endemic birds. We certainly did! A highlight was the visit to the Sarus cranes at Lumbini. Although the main focus was clearly on the birds, we certainly didn’t neglect Nepal’s mammals, spotting tigers, leopards, deer, rhinos, all in the wild! We were very lucky to have a special encounter with a tiger crossing the road in front of our 4WD.

It is thrilling to spend time birding in countries and habitats that one is not familiar with. At the same time, one needs guidance from someone with local knowledge for the experience to be meaningful. Prem and Bishnu are everything anyone could want in wildlife guides; friendly, knowledgeable, reliable and so enthusiastic. Spending time with a guide is always an adventure in human nature, as well as the other kind. They and their drivers were unfailingly good company. They proved to be intelligent and thoughtful companions, as well as great guides. It was a pleasure spending the days with them.

We also had many discussions about life and cultures in Nepal which greatly increased our knowledge and appreciation of the country. The local places rather than the larger hotels where we stayed were very attractive to us and we loved them.

Thank you Samsara Safari!

Koos & Joke Baars, New Zealand: Margo Baars, Bangladesh