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Hotel/Lodge/Tea House
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Kathmandu
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Autumn (September to November) and spring (March to May)
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30% Cancellation Charge (Personal Reason)
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Guided Trip
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Available
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Covered
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BLD
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Private/Public Vehicle
Overview
Twice a year high in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal teams of men gather around cliffs that are home to the world’s largest honeybee, Apis laboriosa. As they have for generations, the men come to harvest the Himalayan cliff bee’s honey. The harvest ritual, which varies slightly from community to community, begins with a prayer and sacrifice of flowers, fruits, and rice. Then a fire is lit at the base of the cliff to smoke the bees from their honeycombs.
From above, a honey hunter descends the cliff harnessed to a ladder by ropes. As his mates secure the rope and ladder from the top and ferry tools up down as required, the honey hunter fights territorial bees as he cuts out chunks of honey from the comb.” A chance to view and experience the traditional honey hunting harvest of the Gurung people. The Bees Apis laboriosa and Apis dorsata are indigenous to the region and traditional methods of harvesting the honey on steep cliffs have remaned unchanged for generations.
The introduction of non indigenous plant species and the Eurporean honey bee Apis mellifera have put pressure on these local bees to compete, and they need to fly further and further to forage their prefered plant species. This along with over harvesting has resulted in the bees’ decline. The Himalayan Honeybees project for the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu has been actively involved in the sustainable management of honey hunting and work with the local communities to ensure the survival of the species.
Tourism in this area helps communities protect the flora and fauna, and so gives the bees and local hunters a chance to co-exist and continue. The Great Adventure Treks & Expedition will donate a percentage of profits from these trips to local communities who are actively involved and promoting ICIMOD ideas. There are great views of peaks Lamjung Himal, Manaslu, Hiunchuli, Buddha Himal and Annapurna II
