There’s no escaping it, people just cannot help photographing people. The children are charming and the locals friendly and, generally if you ask their permission they really dont mind you taking photographs.
A photo of guests with local children. Their inquisitiveness and desire to learn english are remarkable. I also found another guests photo of buffalo that I included here.
There are very few things that give you a sense of being removed to a land far away, that has somehow beeen left behind in time, than seeing water buffalo pulling and carts. To the villagers in Thakadwara its the most perfectly normal means of transport there is. The pace of life here is slow and though I’ve said this many times – Nepal is a photographers paradise.
Just a few photos a customer sent us this week. The flora and fauna around Bardia are incredible, but he was particularly struck by the way the local children are so inquisistive. Also, of course he couldnt leave without photographing the Hibiscus flower, which proliferate in this part of the Terai. Its inceredible how many photographs we are sent by people who capture an image and simply want to share it. We have tens of thousands of photographs in our archives, maybe one day we might put a few up for you to see, of other parts of Nepal. A company who specialise in Nepal tours are www.nepal-uncovered.com
The nice thing about being part of a community, is that we are always welcome at village dances and festivals. This dance competition was a highlight of the village annual calender and was extremely well attended. Entire schools closed so the little ones could either participate or watch. A great day was had by all, and what a fantastic experience for those who never attended a Tharu dance day before..
The history of Bardia Eco Lodge stems from roots in overlanding, and the idea of creating something special and giving something back to the community. Most of the owners of the Lodge are formally trained environmental scientists who quickly realised that Bardia is a fragile pristine environment where tourism should be tailored for the needs of the community. Some years ago a large overland company with an office in Kathmandu sold us a number of trucks and we decided to bring this one to rest at Bardia. The truck and many of its parts were utilised by the community, until just the shell was left. We may turn this into an outdoor bar area. This truck is an icon from those heady days of London to Kathmandu overland trips, that started way back in the later 60’s. Today of course, its a lot more difficult to travel the same route.
Ex Encounter Overland Truck
A few photos of locals from the nearby Tharu village, a customer photographing the Park elephants as they meander past the lodge. The locality of where you stay means you can actually get very close if you wish. We have had many fantastic panoramic shots of the elephants framed.
I’ve put up a few photos of the customer bar. We normally keep a healthy stock of beverages available for those who like to enjoy a quiet drink, whilst watching the world go by.
We try to put a few photos up of soemthing different on a regular basis. We had a few figures created by the locals for us, and one customer commented that from a certain view we appear to have a dinosaur on the premises. It isn’t actually a T-Rex. Visit the lodge and find out for yourself.
We had an overseas party join us recently, all had a fantastic time. Other guests enjoyed sight seeing and trips into the park. Have included a couple of extra photos of inside the dining hall. One of the really great things about Bardia is the absolute tranquil surroundings. If you have ever visited Chitwan, you will appreciate just how much better it is to visit the park without hordes of others.
