Mango Tree Lodge

We stayed in a simple but really lovely mud house tucked into the forest, and went into Bardiya National Park twice, once on foot and once by jeep. Raj and his family were kind, charming, and professional, and clearly wanted us to have a great stay. We really enjoyed the food, their enthusiasm on the hikes, and the chats after dinner. Highly recommended!

The excursions were a real pleasure. Rajan, the owner, is an experienced guide and nature specialist, and was happy to lead walking tours, rafting trips, and keep safaris. He also asked what our group liked or disliked for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and did his best to tailor the food to us. I recommend the lodge for an authentic outdoor stay. Mango Tree Lodge is a lovely escape near one of the world's most amazing natural parks. It's within walking distance of the park entrance. The rooms are sustainable, hand-built places that feel like a welcome outdoors escape, comfortable for a day or two. I'd rate the room comfort 3/5, the food 5/5, and excursions 5/5.

Monsoon season made Bardiya very quiet when my friends and I visited, but Rajen made us feel so welcome and looked after us like a second father. The food was amazing, and the gorgeous rooms felt worth the price. We went on jeep and walking safaris with him in insanely hot weather, but had a great time and saw elephants and rhinos. Definitely a success. If you're in Bardiya, stay here. Rajen will take great care of you!

What a disappointment: cheap, dirty, and full of rats. Every day brought a new problem that the owner said he'd fix, then promptly forgot. The shower drain stayed blocked the whole time, the toilet wouldn't flush and he refused to fix it, and there was no hot water on several days despite his insistence that there was. The water also got turned off at random. The bathroom had years of grime, and a rat ran around the room. He kept trying to sell me his safari services even though he knew I'd arranged my trip with one of his acquaintances. I arrived late in the evening to find all the lights on, the windows open, and hundreds of mosquitoes inside the room. The mosquito net was good, and breakfast was decent, though never on time. The location was better than being close to the busy, dusty main road.