Aquabirds Unlimted Wildlife Camp

During our trip to Nepal we visited the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and stayed 3 nights in the Aqua Birds Eco Resort. This resort is perfectly placed for a visit to the reserve as it is only a 5 minutes walk to the entrance. We had a great time and were grateful to be their guests. We had one of the cabins for two persons (other than one of the older review photo's is suggesting, there are no tents anymore, all cabins are made of stone). The room was small but fit for 2 persons. It was clean, had a table, 2 chairs, airconditioning and a basic bathroom with (cold ) shower. An effort was made to make it mosquito free including a mosquito net. Although the rainy season was still ongoing the resort did not have many mosquitos because they keep the area clean by removing leaves and other materials. The food was excellent and traditionally Nepalese. Where possible it was ecologically grown at the resort itself purchased from the locals. We were comfortable eating everything and had not problems. The various dishes were all special with a distinctive taste and we did not get such traditional meals anywhere else on our trip. The staff is really great and dedicated. We were in the early season and had the resort almost to our own. The staff is very friendly and service minded. Most of them spoke English. During our stay we were guided by a specialised birding guide who is the top expert on birds in Koshi Tappu and was hired for us by the resort. He showed us over 85 species even the migratory season had not begun yet. We also saw the wild water buffel, blue dear, monkeys (macaques), mongoose, flying dogs, golden jackals and the river (Ganges) dolphin. The resort terrain is quite large and has several ponds and islands. They grow crops, culture fish and ducks. It is located in a rural area. Our impression was that the owner makes a special effort to support the local community and tries to make the resort as much as possible part of the local economy. During a village tour we got an impression of the local ways of living which are quite different from western standards. Very interesting to see and to understand some of the challenges people are coping with. People were all very friendly to us as tourists. Close to the dining room they have an elevated veranda with an excellent view on a small pond and a swamp area thereafter. Every morning we had our breakfast meanwhile watching birds! It is a perfect place to shoot some photo's. One tip for a stay here may be to bring ear plugs. When a Nepalese festival is ongoing in the neighbouring villages the music was heard until late at night. Nothing special to this place I need to say, because we discovered that the Nepalese are fond of celebrations and they can make some noice then.