Ever since childhood, Bibid Jung Thapa from Myagdi has loved riding bicycles, motorcycles, and exploring new places. That passion eventually led him to become one of Nepal’s most recognised moto vloggers, but not before overcoming setbacks that taught him resilience.

In 2016, he participated in Pulsar Dareventure Season 2, an adventure reality show. However, he was eliminated early because he struggled to express himself confidently in front of the judges.

Rather than giving up, Bibid returned home, bought a mirror, and spent months practising speaking in front of it every day. A year later, he competed in Season 3, where his improved communication skills helped him reach the Top 4. Although he was eliminated after failing to secure enough votes from fellow contestants, he won the Most Popular Award through public voting.

“That was when I truly realised the strength of my village,” he recalls. People began calling him “Myagdi” wherever he went—a nickname he wore with pride. “I love introducing Myagdi to people. The support I received from my hometown was unbelievable. While others received a few dozen votes, I would receive two or three thousand,” he says.

He believes his experience proved a simple truth: “In cities, houses are close together, but hearts are far apart. In villages, houses are far apart, but hearts are close.”

Promoting Myagdi through YouTube

Since then, Bibid has made it his mission to promote Myagdi. He initially named his YouTube channel “Myagdi Rider Bibid”, but later shortened it to “MRB,” a name by which he is now widely recognised. “I realised many people knew Mustang and Baglung, but very few had heard of Myagdi. That bothered me. So I decided I would use Myagdi’s name to introduce it to the world,” he says.

Today, his YouTube channel has 1.54 million subscribers. He has travelled across the United States, the Maldives, Thailand, India, and nearly 70 districts of Nepal, carrying the name of Myagdi wherever he goes.

A student more interested in machines than books

Bibid admits he was never particularly interested in academics. Instead of studying, he enjoyed repairing radios, wiring electronics, and riding bicycles—sometimes secretly borrowing friends’ bikes without permission. Frequent moves between his village, Kathmandu, and Beni also disrupted his education.

While in Grade 9, he was expelled from school and almost abandoned his studies altogether. A turning point came when a neighbour promised to buy him a motorcycle if he passed the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination. “I studied with determination after that,” he says.

He eventually passed with a first division. The promised motorcycle had become old by then, so he persuaded his family to buy him a new one instead. “I didn’t dream of becoming anything through education. I simply wanted the motorcycle,” he says with a laugh. Just days after taking his SLC exams, he travelled to Kathmandu to obtain a motorcycle license.

While studying in Grades 11 and 12, he regularly rode to college—but often skipped classes with friends to ride to Mustang. “We used to bunk college just to have coffee in Mustang,” he recalls. During the monsoon, they also helped pilgrims heading to Muktinath cross swollen rivers and find their way. His passion for motorcycling eventually inspired him to enter Pulsar Dareventure.

Inspired by YouTube

Bibid had never seriously considered becoming a YouTuber until he watched videos produced by the SMZ YouTube channel. Seeing riders receive appreciation for riding on paved roads, he thought, “If people enjoy watching that, why wouldn’t they enjoy watching me ride off-road?”

Without a camera of his own, he asked his uncle in Japan to send him an action camera that could be mounted on his helmet. He began uploading riding videos, but they attracted little attention.

Later, he discovered rapper Girish Khatiwada’s vlogs. “I realised talking to the audience made videos much more enjoyable. He inspired me to speak on camera.” At first, he could not even afford a microphone and often borrowed one from friends. “I used to wonder whether I should buy a microphone or spend the money on fuel to keep riding,” he remembers.

From few views to millions

Bibid started uploading videos in 2017. For the first couple of years, his channel attracted very few viewers. Everything changed in 2019, when one of his videos went viral. “I had been used to seeing just two or three views. Suddenly, every time I refreshed the page, another thousand views appeared. Imagine how that felt.”

Even after his channel became monetised, earning a meaningful income took time. “I didn’t understand YouTube’s algorithm, and there was nobody to teach me.” He continued uploading consistently. Today, his channel has 1.54 million subscribers. Bibid says he has never viewed YouTube as merely a profession.

“It doesn’t feel like hard work. Creating videos is as natural to me as breathing. I do it because it makes me happy.” His first YouTube earnings amounted to Rs 11,000, which he gave entirely to his parents, grandfather, and sisters. “When I received my first YouTube income, I felt like I had conquered the world.”

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, while most people stayed indoors, Bibid explored villages and forests to create content, helping his channel grow even faster.

Nepal remains his favourite destination

Despite travelling internationally, Bibid believes no destination matches Nepal. “In Nepal, you can reach the Himalayas, the hills, and the plains all within a day. I think that’s why foreigners love this country so much.” He recently completed a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.

Having already explored nearly 70 districts, he now hopes to travel to the remote regions of Sudurpashchim Province and highlight local challenges to the government through his videos.

A life and career shared

Bibid has also found a partner in both life and content creation. He is married to fellow moto vlogger Surakshya KC from Pokhara, whom he met while vlogging. Surakshya’s YouTube channel has more than 927,000 subscribers.

“Travelling together allows us to support each other. She knows things I don’t, and I know things she doesn’t. We divide the work, and together we create better content.” Although many fans regard him as Nepal’s leading moto vlogger, Bibid avoids such labels.

“I have never claimed to be number one. That’s something supporters say. More important than subscriber numbers is winning viewers’ hearts.” He has no plans to stop vlogging. “I will never stop travelling, making vlogs, and entertaining my audience.”

For aspiring vloggers, his advice is simple, “Don’t worry about making a huge investment in the beginning. Focus on creating good content first.”