Prem organized a wonderful holiday birdwatching and trekking with Bishnu (Raj) as our guide in April 2013. Bishnu took us to Chitwan and organized a superb trip where everything was expertly looked after. We were delighted to see over 220 species of birds, many insects, reptiles and other animals including several White Rhinoceros and Crocodiles. After 5 days at Chitwan, Bishnu toured us around historic areas of Kathmandu and Patan. Following that we did a 7 day trek to Langtang National Park and saw many different species of birds, monkeys, gaurs, yaks, deer, and numerous other types of wildlife. We tracked two Ibisbills for an afternoon on a broad gravel floodplain that extended for miles. Bishnu somehow was able to find the camouflaged birds for us amongst miles of grey stones. He is adept at finding and identifying birds and wildlife and is an absolute pleasure to be with. He was a wonderful host – funny, knowledgeable, organized, professional and we were very pleased with the service that he and his company provided for us. We would highly recommend this company and we look forward to a return trip there with them to see some other National Parks. Jeff and Kath Ward, Victoria BC, Canada.

Jeff and Kath Ward,

Victoria BC Canada

We travelled to Nepal in Nov 2014 to do the Terai birding tour. The tour was ably organised by Prem who responded to our many queries clearly and accurately. The Tour was led by Raj who met us at the airport despite the plane being 5hrs late due to visibility problems, he took us to the hotel, collecting us the next day to start the tour and thereafter stayed with us throughout. We really enjoyed his company and the knowledge he imparted to us. Throughout the tour we saw many birds(230+ species) and other wildlife and also saw some of the local culture, we especially enjoyed the Bardia area. If there was one aspect which pleased us it was the fact that people with local knowledge were used to assist Raj in the areas we visited. We are happy to recommend Samsara Safari and Nepal Bird Guide.

Philip & Jill Cox, Nick & Jayne Walker,

England

 In Nov / Dec of 2013, we arranged a 14 day birding adventure through Prem of Nepal Bird Guide. The trip was very well organized and, with Bishnu as our guide, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. We visited Bardia, Lumbini (birth place of Buddha), Chitwan, Pokhara and some areas in the Kathmandu Valley. Our trip started with a flight from Kathmandu to Bardia in the far west and then we traveled by private transport to the other locations on the way back to Kathmandu. Bishnu is a great spotter and very good at identification. It was a joy to work with him to identify some of the smaller, difficult to see species like warblers. We managed to see over 230 bird species, along with many other animals such as rhinoceros, crocodile, elephant, four species of deer, wild boar, fresh water dolphin, mongoose, along with many other small creatures and insects. Although we saw much evidence of tiger, we were not able to get a glimpse of one on this trip. Bishnu was a wonderful host with a great sense of humour, very professional, and provided us with a tremendous amount of information about Nepal. We thoroughly enjoyed his company. We would highly recommend Nepal Bird Guide, and Bishnu as a guide, for birding trips in Nepal and will certainly use them again if the opportunity arises for another birding adventure in that part of the world. We were surprised that Nepal is not more well known as a birding destination – it should be!

David Swain / Jane Tillotson,

Nelson, BC, Canada

Nous sommes allés à Bardia pour la quatrième fois en avril 2015 où nous avons retrouvé nos amis Santa et Raju. Samsara Safari Camp est une petite sructure familiale, l’accueil y est très chaleureux, l’ambiance joyeuse et détendue. Quel plaisir de rentrer au lodge chaque soir! Santa et Raju organisent des sorties en jungle à pied ou en jeep, ils connaissent parfaitement la vie sauvage et Raju est un grand connaisseur en ornithologie. Nous nous préparons pour un prochain séjour d’autant que rapport qualité prix ils sont imbattables! Samsara Safari Camp est l’endroit rêvé pour un séjour à Bardia,nous le recommendons vivement!

QUERON MICHEL/NELLY,

FRANCE

J’ai découvert le Sud du Népal et la région de Bardia en février 2015, au cours d’un séjour de 10 jours à Samsara Safari. Cet endroit est tellement paisible… on déconnecte complètement. Le camp est confortable, bien fleuri, et les repas sont très savoureux. Bravo Santa ! Les journées dans la jungle, à pied ou en jeep, sont des tranches d’aventure ! Voir un rhino à une soixantaine de mètres, c’est incroyable ! Raju connaît bien la nature et la faune sauvage, ses explications sont très utiles et intéressantes. J’ai beaucoup aimé aussi me promener avec Prem dans les villages environnants, les habitants sont sympathiques et donnent volontiers des explications sur leur mode de vie. J’espère vraiment y retourner.

Véronique,

France

In late 2017, I reached out to Samsara Trekking with a specific request-a guide who could both hike and bird watch. Prem organized an amazing itinerary with a Langtang Valley trek and a visit to Bardia National Park in the terai. Throughout the entire planning process, Prem was kind and patient with all my questions. He set up our hotel in Kathmandu, our trekking permits, and our flights to and from Nepalgunj. 
In October of 2018, Raj met us at the airport and our 16 day adventure began! We started with the Langtang Valley trek, taking our time and bird watching the entire way. We made it up to Kyanjin Ri, ate wonderful food, met kind people, and had fun chats with Raj. The birds were magnificent, including several vulture species, Himalayan Monal, Tibetan Snowcock and Ibis bill! Raj took great care of us throughout the trek. 

When we arrived at Samsara Safari Camp right outside the gates of Bardia, we felt like we were in the lap of luxury! Not only did we see many magnificent birds, including Great Hornbill, but we saw both rhinos and elephants from such a close distance we could hear them chewing. It was an experience I will never forget. 

We saw 270 species of birds while in Nepal and made friends who feel like family. It was absolutely the trip of a lifetime, and I would never hesitate to recommend Prem and Raj Thapa and their team to help you plan your trip and guide you through Nepal.

Megan Lois Neal

USA

In April 2019, 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 Trekking!

Koos, Joke & Margo Baars, New Zealand