Saturday, October 26, 2013

Bardia National Park – A Must Do in Nepal by guest writer James Sinclair, New Zealand



A mother and baby rhino crossed so close!





There are so many ‘must do’ things in Nepal, but one that is often over looked is a visit to one of Nepal’s beautiful National Parks to do a safari. Most people head south of Kathmandu to visit Chitwan, but I decided to spend a little more time and effort to get over to the west of Nepal and visit Bardia National Park and I was so pleased I did.

Bardia is located almost 400 KM from Kathmandu and to make it there in a day is possible but probably not advised. There are so many beautiful places along the way it would be silly to just bypass these and sit in a bus for the whole day.

I cut my journey in half with a visit to Lumbini which is Buddha’s birth place. It’s a rustic little town which becomes full of Buddhist worshipers and intrigued tourists alike. It’s not the most mind blowing of sites if you’re not Buddhist but certainly worth a stop off for a night to brake up the journey.

To get to Bardia from Lumbini you’ll need to catch one of the many early morning buses to Butwal which should take about 2-3 hours. From the main bus station in Butwal it’s also very easy to find a local bus to take you the 8-10 hour journey along the Mahendra highway to Ambassa, which is the nearest stop to the National Park. From here you’ll need to get a lift down to the park entrance where you’ll find most of the accommodation. It’s definitely best to plan ahead and contact a hotel as most of them will pick you up for free and take you the 20 kms to the park.


There is such a variety of places to stay around the park ranging from $250 a night to $5. I stayed in an amazing place called Bardia Kingfisher Resort which was by far the cheapest and Jack, who has been running the resort for about three years now, was an amazing host. His mantra is ‘Guest is God’ and he really doesn’t let you forget this! Jack was born in the park and has been guiding since he was ten years old, he even spent some time living in the park with the animals! The resort has traditionally built cottages with bathrooms attached and they have a fantastic kitchen, where I had some of the best food in Nepal.


Jack offered me a really good deal to enter the park the next day on a ‘foot’ safari with him. Due to his amount of experience and genuine love for animals and nature, I knew he’d be the best guide, and that I could trust him to look after me as we entered the park. We had only our trusty bamboo sticks for protection. From the moment we set off he was filling me with knowledge about the fauna and flora and spotting birds and animals in the undergrowth that took me ages to see.
Reference: Bardia Kingfisher Resort, At Bardia National Park, Thakurdwara-6, +977 084-402059, +977 980 457-0190, Pravin/Jack, +977 9848 020002. Email: BardiaKingFisher@yahoo.com

There are so many animals in the park from tigers to elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, deer and hundreds of bird species. Obviously it is nature and you’re never guaranteed to see animals, but within a few hours we sat by a tree watching a wild rhino with her baby crossing a stream right in front of us. It was the most amazing experience for me, just to watch nature happening in front of my eyes. 

We then continued through the park, walking through six foot high grasses into dense jungle and along open river beds. There were monkeys swinging in the trees above our head, deer running in packs through the undergrowth and God knows what else hiding around the next corner! At our next spot we heard some distress calls from some monkeys which Jack knew instantly as a ‘tiger’ call. We got ourselves up into a nearby tree for a better view and to help us feel slightly safer and settled in for an hour. We didn’t actually see the tiger but it was definitely nearby. I was here in October, just after the monsoons, so the vegetation was really high, which didn’t help for seeing wildlife, but if you were to come in March you would definitely see all the different animals in the park.

We continued our stroll around the park, once the tiger threat had gone, and saw more monkeys, deer and birds. It was so beautiful just to be in nature as the sun was setting behind us. For the whole day we only saw one other tourist group, and when we did we just continued a little bit further down the river and were on our own once again.

The next day I spent some time strolling around the villages that surround the park. Life is so quiet and simple out there. At no point did anyone ask me for anything or try to get something from me. The children would run up to you smiling and shouting, the adults would acknowledge us with a genuine ‘Namaste’ and everywhere we walked there were cows, pigs, chickens, dogs and goats.


In summary Bardia is a piece of heaven, tucked away in western Nepal, which very few tourists make the effort to get out to. Those that do are rewarded with peace, tranquility and a genuine experience.

This is actually a great place to go if you bring children with you to Nepal. You could take an elephant or jeep safari, or take them on a rafting trip. There didn’t seem to be much ‘white water’ so it’s a great, casual float more than an adventure. The kids and even grandma will love it!

A note from Amanda: The Nepali government sprays for malaria where needed. Since everyone feels ill from the medication I recommend avoiding the medication. Check out my book at http://UnconventionalTourist.com or just check out the website for a lot of suggestions on having a great time here in Nepal. 

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

Friday, October 18, 2013

Saying “Good-bye" to an Old Friend in Nepal




This is my 'Scootie.'

No, she didn’t get into an accident or have a major breakdown. Shortly after I got to Nepal I found a helper who encouraged me to purchase a scooter, pictured above. Fortunately for me, he didn’t last but a couple weeks, but the scooter lasted for the two years and ten months that I’ve been here. She’s been amazing and I had to force myself to keep from changing my mind when I took my last look at her. Just the fact that I was able to purchase the scooter was a miracle to me. Tourists on a ‘visitor visa’ are not allowed to own a vehicle. You need a student, work, resident or business visa, but not only was I able to take possession of her, but the man even gave me credit. The cost was probably at least $100 more than it should have been but having her has saved me much more than that in transportation costs.
 
I’m not just mourning this loss for myself here, but I want to use the experience to help you to understand the way things work here in Nepal a bit better. 

First, I put a free ad on the internet. Nepal has a couple of active websites and for buying and selling things http://hamrobazaar.com or the google group KTMKTM. The google site is more for expats and is an ideal place to ask the most ridiculous question: Should I bring my own toilet paper to Nepal? No one will laugh at you and everyone is very eager to help. One problem with that site is so many Tameli (a term coined by me in my book to describe people in Tamel who like to prey on tourists), trekking guide type people trying to befriend anyone who doesn’t know they don’t need to bring toilet paper to Nepal. More money than brain cells is one of the Tamel touts’ dream clients. 

I got several calls and the first one man said he wanted to buy it for his mother. He was a very nice man, but quite wealthy by Nepali standards. He got a great deal at 15,000 NRs. He even asked me if I would deduct enough for him to buy his mother airless tires. I laughed. 

Here are a few surprises regarding the process:

He took the scooter and bill book and agreed to meet us the following day at the motor vehicle registration office to transfer title. This department is a total mess! There were people, both buyer and seller, there for three days! 


The first problem was finding the place. It is not on a major road and it was not easy to find. The agency was not in one building, but rather spread out for at least two blocks with offices on both sides of the street. There must have been between 500-600 people all waiting for one of the steps of the process-for 3 days! It was chaos! 

We hired an agent who could get us out of there in only a few hours. We split the 1,000 NRs. fee for the man and I found a table at a nearby local restaurant to wait. 
I waited about an hour and a half and later found a great spot to people watch under a Pipple Tree with a little temple and Ganesh. What amazed me was that no one seemed frustrated; they just took all this in stride. No stress, no fights, nothing. The Nepali acted as if it was normal to wait so long to transfer a vehicle. 
Notice all the people behind the string? The line was out to the street!
I’d been reading posts about how great street food is in Asia, which is not my take on it. In my book, Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, I suggest that it’s best to avoid street vendors. As I sat under the Pipple tree I watched a street vendor making lemon drinks. It looked interesting, but there was no place for the young man to wash his hands. It had been raining quite a bit and there was mud everywhere. I noticed him reach down and fold the bottom of his pant legs up, which were already muddy from the street. He just rolled them up so the wet part wasn’t touching his legs and proceeded to make his lemon aide drink for his customers. 

Do not risk it! Especially if your time here is short, do you really want to spend a couple days on the toilet and then a week recovering from it? Everybody spits in Nepal. I just couldn’t help but wonder how many diseases the man took from his dirty, wet pant legs and put on his hands prior to touching the lemons. 

My suggestion for food after such an ordeal would be to go to a local, nearby restaurant, but be sure they have running water. Many places do not have water and must wash the dishes outside, seldom with detergent. We went to the nearby Unity Fast Food Restaurant in Satdobato, Chapagaon Chowk, Lalitpur, Tel: 01-5546512. Swastik ordered Tandoori mo: mo. If you are a fan of the mo: mo you need to try them tandoori style, excellent. Actually, if you see a ‘Tandoori’ restaurant it is usually well worth a try.

I was told that if you purchase a new car or scooter all this mess is not required, which begs the question, “Why can this not be automated somehow?” Perhaps it has more to do with the private agents who require their ‘commission.’ There were several of these agents handing stacks of paperwork to the officials who were sitting behind their desks reviewing the documents, collecting the tax and then stamping and signing as quickly as anyone could. I saw stacks of paperwork for 5-10 vehicles from each of these agents and all these guys were getting 1,000 NRs. extra each. This process as it is done brings in huge amounts of money under the table each day. It needlessly wastes so much time for so many people. Just from what I saw, there must have been 50,000 NRs. paid to these commissioned agents (obviously split with upper management) while I was standing there.

This is one time I would advise anyone to pay the bribe/commission. Surely your time is worth more than $10 for three days. Knowing what to expect can make the process easier to deal with, so I hope this helps your stay in Nepal to be even more amazing.
Another issue on this subject that needs to be addressed is, “Do I need a drivers’ license to drive in Nepal?” The answer is unequivocally, “Yes!” If you get into an accident while driving, even if it is not your fault, prison is mandatory if you do not have an international or Nepali drivers’ license. Do not rent a scooter, motorcycle or car without one. International drivers’ licenses are now able to be purchased here. Although you may be able to bribe your way out of such a thing, I guarantee you that driving without a legal license can ruin your time in Nepal.

Tip from Nepal: A Tourist's Manual: The guidelines for selecting a place to eat are twofold. First, it should have an actual front door rather than a pull down, metal door. They are more likely to have running water, which makes eating there less of a risk. Second, if you want to eat at a good, local restaurant with great, local prices try to find a restaurant with the sign in both English and Nepali. If it's just in English you will pay tourist prices. If it's just in Nepali you may get more than you bargain for. 'Bacteria? I don't see any bacteria.' If you think I am exaggerating just look again at the second picture of the scooter above. Do you see the man behind it proudly picking his nose? I have never seen a society of proud nose-pickers like they have here in Nepal. Joining the club is almost a requirement.
______________________________________________________________________

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

Friday, October 11, 2013

A Great Little Shopping Value/Environmental Surprise

I found this little penny pincher trick recently and thought it was worth sharing. It's not just because it will save you money, but more importantly, will save a little for for the environment. I hope to do a video blog about it in the near future. 

If you are wondering if you can purchase Bic lighters here, no, you cannot. However, as you may know, these lighters are long lasting and heavy duty. But you cannot refill them so they are more quality than is usually needed. But if you bring empty Bic lighters to Nepal you can not only get them refilled, but you can learn how it's done.

They sell refillable Clipper lighters and a horrible generic brand (Luminix-or something like that). Only buy the Clipper brand. The other one doesn't usually last long enough to refill it. The Clippers cost about 25-35 NRs. and are available throughout the Valley. You can also get lighters with a little torch at the end for only about 15 NRs. They are impossible to refill, but you should never be without a torch of some kind and these are available just about everywhere. I got stuck in an elevator last week, so you never know when you will need it. The electricity goes out just randomly and that wasn't pleasant. It took a few moments for the generator to kick in and it was quite crowded- and dark.

So, where to refill these lighters? I'd suggest saving them up and even asking friends to pass their empties onto you before you come to Nepal. Take the lighters to New Road area and ask for the Bodi Tree. It's surrounded by a fence, but go in and you will see a man who fixes lighters right there behind the magazine dealer. You really can't miss him. So, he will fill them for you for a few rupee and you can see how it's done. He actually takes a needle and hammers it into the side of the lighter, fills it and then plugs the hole with another needle that he breaks off. You will be amazed and now you can save a lot of money on Bic lighters by being able to refill them. 

Be sure to pack them away for the flight home instead of putting them in your carry-on. They will be confiscated.


Does someone on your suvenior list like Zippo lighters? They are available here at department stores at a decent price. There are a few smoke/pipe shops that may carry them, as well. 


I hope this helps you to think of your trip to Nepal in a different way. 


_______________________________________________________________

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual