A very hard afternoon shower in Bharatpur’s Keoladeo National Park had left roads soaked. At one end of the road you could see a single rickshaw coming. Local investment in tourism takes many forms in this area. The most visible are probably the many hotels which line the approach to the main gates of the sanctuary. But another wonderful form of investment are these rickshaws. Many national parks have cars with trained guides. Here they are replaced by rickshaws. The people driving them are trained naturalists. The best have wide knowledge not only of birds, but also the trees and herbs in this area. They are also enormously curious if they find that you know something better than them, and try to gain as much out of conversations as they can. You could hire bicycles to ride into the sanctuary, but it is good to take the rickshaws at least once. Not only do you support the local economy, you also get to spend a long time talking to a local. That’s always something I look forward to when I travel.
Winter rain

So much to see in this photo! Lovely
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Thanks
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The rickshaws are a great idea. It was only by luck we found a taxi driver in American Samoa who enjoyed nature and was able to tell us about the plants and birds we were seeing.
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It’s great when you run into a knowledgeable guide
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wonderful image.
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Thank you
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This is wonderful! Other sanctuaries should pick this idea. Local experience, no pollution, laidback…
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Bharatpur is small enough for this. Other places are huge. Using a rickshaw in Kaziranga could be dangerous
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Oh yes….I meant to say wherever possible. Kaziranga oh Lord 😀
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🙂
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A lovely entry I.J., and perfect for the challenge. Your image has an ethereal quality to it that is beautiful. Here in Charleston we take a similar approach which is a horse-drawn carriage with guides trained in the city’s history. The tourists love it although we are in the midst of a court case about whether the requirement for training should be dropped. Unfortunately I think the “no” contingency is winning on that. I can see how the rickshaw and our carriages would be very difficult if not impossible in the larger cities. Traffic behind them is always held up and impatient!
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Yes, these slower means of transport are perfect when you want to take in the scenery.
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Great road. What’s up with that slug! Caterpillar?
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Hmm. Good question. Probably a slug. They are not uncommon in that place.
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