点评:We've been six times now, I go every year with my two kids, 11 and 13. This time, within half an hour of arriving, we saw a tiger crossing the river. We jumped straight in the jeep, drove into the jungle, and watched her return to her two cubs (we watched via live drone footage because we didn't want to get too close). A bit deeper in and we saw a rhino as well looking a bit nervous because it was aware of the tigers.
How can you be somewhere in the world where you watch your children paddleboarding down a river, completely relaxed, while a tiger crosses behind them? It might sound scary or unbelievable, but somehow Burhan has got that balance. Totally surrounded by wildlife, and yet both the animals and the people feel entirely safe and unbothered. Behind the scenes there's serious management making that possible like 24-hour patrolling, warning systems, drone surveillance.
The camp is on an island created by two rivers. It's where the BBC filmed Tiger Island, so watch that if you want a sense of the place before you come. You can only reach camp by water, which is fun. So when you arrive you get on a boat or paddleboard, or wade across if you fancy it, and you’re met on the other side with a refreshing cold drink. There's a small village nearby called Dalla, the gateway to Bardia National Park, and Burhan will organise whatever you want to do: safaris, jungle treks, river safari... They'll do airport pickup too if you fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj.
Bardiya is one of the best places in the world to see the awesome Bengal tiger. The birdlife is extraordinary too. We've seen kingfishers, hornbills, paradise flycatchers, and in February the migratory birds arrive in huge numbers. If you're very lucky you may spot a river dolphin on a dawn canoe float. They are critically endangered but the winter months (Nov- March) give you a good chance.
The food.... what can I say! Everything comes from the village by boat, all locally grown, mostly Nepali but they'll happily do international dishes and any diet needs. The standard is international, almost too good, like you can't possibly eat it all. After dinner there's a bonfire, and they tell you about the camp's history and philosophy, about Tharu culture, or you just chat. Some live Nepali music, then bed.
The tents are lovely and comfortable. I particularly like it when it rains at night, and you wake up and everything is fresh. You hear a peacock calling, and the staff outside ready to tell you what the animals did while you slept. Here's some tiger poo... here are elephant tracks, etc. The showers and toilets are woven wicker spirals, so you're standing in the open under the sky and yet completely private.
Burhan is wonderful any time of year. Monsoon, July to September, is lovely and quiet because people assume Bardiya is inaccessible then, and the forest is at its most lush. Better still, the rising river cuts the wild elephants' usual migration path, so the herd reroutes straight through camp. The new treehouse is the ideal spot to watch them from if you don’t fancy sleeping in a tent.
Honestly, this is our happy place! I've had some health problems lately, and when I need to relax I picture myself lying under a tree at Burhan, listening to the monkeys laughing and hurling themselves into the river, or watching the elephants come down to wash.
For transparency: Burhan was founded by my partner, Manoj. That's how I first came to Bardiya, but five years later I'm still bringing the kids, and I'd be writing this review either way.
翻译:我们已经来过六次了,每年我都会带着11岁和13岁的两个孩子一同前来。这次,刚到半个小时后,我们就看到一只老虎正在过河。我们立刻跳上吉普车,驶入丛林,然后通过无人机直播画面目睹了那只母虎回到两只幼崽身边(我们不敢靠得太近,所以才通过无人机观看)。再往里走一点,我们还看到了一头犀牛,它看起来有些紧张,显然是察觉到了老虎的存在。世界上怎么会有这样的地方:你可以看着自己的孩子们从容地在河上划桨板,而一只老虎则从他们身后走过?这听起来或许有些吓人或难以置信,但布尔汉却成功实现了这种平衡。周围全是野生动物,然而动物与人类都感到无比安全且不受干扰。为了做到这点,背后有一套严格的管理措施在运作,比如24小时巡逻、警报系统以及无人机监控。营地位于两条河流交汇所形成的岛屿上。BBC曾在这里拍摄《老虎岛》,所以如果你想在来之前先了解一下这个地方,可以看看这部纪录片。只有通过水路才能抵达营地,这可有趣极了。抵达后,你可以乘船或踩着桨板过去,如果你想体验一下,甚至可以涉水而过;到达对岸后,还会有人为你送上清凉的饮品。附近有个名叫达拉的小村庄,它是通往巴尔迪亚国家公园的门户。布尔汉可以帮你安排任何你想做的活动:比如野生动物观光之旅等等。丛林徒步、河谷探险……如果您从加德满都飞往尼泊尔根杰,他们还会提供机场接机服务。
巴尔迪亚是世界上观赏威风凛凛的孟加拉虎的最佳地点之一,这里的鸟类资源也极为丰富。我们曾见到过翠鸟、犀鸟以及极乐鸟;每年二月,大量候鸟也会迁徙至此。运气好的话,您还能在黎明时分乘独木舟时偶遇江豚。虽然它们已处于极度濒危状态,但在冬季(11月至3月)看到它们的几率还是相当大的。食物……我还能说什么呢!所有食物都是用船从村里运来的,全是本地种植的;大多是尼泊尔风味菜肴,但他们也乐意制作各国料理并满足各种饮食需求。食物的品质堪称国际水准,好到让人觉得根本吃不完。晚餐后会有篝火晚会,他们会讲述营地的历史与理念、塔鲁族的文化,或者大家随意聊天。接着会演奏一些本土尼泊尔音乐,最后就上床休息了。
帐篷既漂亮又舒适。我特别喜欢夜里下雨的时候,醒来后发现一切都清新宜人。能听到孔雀的叫声,还有工作人员会告诉你这些动物在你熟睡时都做了些什么。这儿有老虎的粪便……这儿有大象的脚印,诸如此类。淋浴间和厕所都是用藤条编织成螺旋状结构,这样你虽身处露天环境、头顶是天空,却又能享有完全的私密性。
无论一年中的哪个时节,布尔汉都美得令人陶醉。雨季则从7月持续到9月。这里宁静宜人,因为人们都认为巴迪亚难以抵达,而此时的森林也最为繁茂。更妙的是,上涨的河水阻断了野生大象的常规迁徙路线,于是象群不得不绕道穿过营地。如果你不想睡在帐篷里,新建的树屋便是观赏它们的绝佳地点。
说真的,这里就是我们的“快乐之地”!我最近身体不太好,每当我需要放松时,就会想象自己躺在布尔汉的树下。听着猴子们欢笑着跳入河中,或者看着大象们下来洗澡。
透明度说明:Burhan是由我的搭档Manoj创办的。我正是通过他才第一次来到巴尔迪亚,但五年过去了,我依然会带孩子们来这里。不管怎样,我都会写下这篇评论。