Last October 2016, renowned British anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall came to Nepal to participate in the Raft for River Dolphins expedition in Bardiya.

Dr. Jane is also well-known as a primatologist, ethologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. An inspiration to millions of people around the world, Dr. Jane has also made prior visits to Nepal.

As the official travel partner of the Jane Goodall Institute Nepal, TravelDevisers.com was honoured to welcome her at the Maya Manor hotel where she stayed with the other participants of Raft for River Dolphins program in Kathmandu.

At a short welcome reception at the hotel, Jane spoke about her journey of helping animals and environment to an audience of locals and other visitors.

Visiting Kathmandu & Bardiya

Jane first visited Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal where the only international airport in Nepal, Tribhuwan International Airport, is located. Furthermore the city is also home to numerous ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples, and is a popular tourist destination for many visitors.

Some more famous locations around Kathmandu include Pashupati, Swoyambhu, Bouddha, Patan Durbar Square, and Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Fun Fact: 8 out of 10 World Heritage Sites (listed by UNESCO) in Nepal are located in the Kathmandu Valley!

Jane then flew to Nepalgunj Airport from where she travelled to Bardiya National Park with other participants of the program where they stayed at the Tiger Tops Lodge. Tiger Tops is one of the few lodges that employees elephants in ethical ways such as patrolling instead of riding them.

The Bardiya National Park covers an area of 968 km2 and is the second largest and the most undisturbed national park in Nepal’s Terai region. This park is home to 839 floral species and 642 faunal species!

During the trip participants were not able to see the river dolphins but while driving through the jungle they did come across claw marks on trees left by the tigers (to mark their territory). They also enjoyed seeing various wild animals the national park is famous for, such as the one-horned rhino, wild boar, spotted deer, and wild birds in the forest.
In particular, Dr. Jane talks about coming across a one-horned rhino in the water munching on water weed which was a very beautiful sight to behold.

This was followed by a trip to eight different Roots & Shoots schools to meet the local children and talk to them about her work.

Thank you Dr. Jane for visiting Nepal and for the work you do. We hope to see you again soon!

Love,
TravelDevisers.com