Tour code: IH/HHT/01
Trip Duration : 8 Nights/9 Days
Destination: Kathmandu- Besisahar-Thaku Bhir
Activities: Trekking & Honey Hunting
Hotel Category : Standard/ Superior Standard/Deluxe
Transportation: A/C Private Transfer
Accommodations: Hotel / Lodge or Tea House in trail
Meal: Healthy meal is provided during trail
Trek Grade: Short Trek
Trekking Region: Annapurna
Best Season: Spring & Autumn
Starts & Ends in : Kathmandu
On the trail of the Honey Hunters…
Our Honey Hunting Tour takes you to villages in the Annapurna Region which are involved in the age old practice of hunting for honey from rocky mountain cliffs. The overhanging rock faces and cliff sides are the preferred nesting sites of colonies of endangered bees. During spring and autumn men from the villages, known as ‘Honey Hunters’ climb the cliffsides using hemp ropes and harvest honey. Wood smoke, hemp ropes, wooden staff and baskets are the honey hunters’ ancient tools of trade. Their forefathers used it and they use it still.
Book this tour and witness this age old practice of Honey Hunting in the middle-hills of Annapurna. Trek through Gurung settlements and experience their culture while enjoying the breathtaking panorama of snowy Himalayan peaks.
Kathmadnu
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu
Day 2: Drive to Besisahar
Day 3: Drive(Jeep) to Ghalegaun – Trek to Bhujung
Day 4: Trek to Thaku Bhir (hunting site)
Day 5: Thaku Bhir
Day 6: Trek to Bhujung
Day 7: Trek to Besisahar
Day 8: Drive to Kathmandu
Day 9: Depart Kathmandu
Day 1– Arrive Kathmandu
Transfer from airport to hotel. A representative from our office will be there to receive you at the Tribhuvan International Airport. At the hotel, you will be briefed on your itinerary.
Day 2- Drive to Besisahar (5hours)
After an early breakfast we drive to Besisahar. It is a scenic journey filled with mountain vistas, picturesque traditional villages and hair-pin bends. After a drive of about 5 hours we reach Besisahar- a small village and the starting point of many of the treks leading to the Annapurna Region. We stay overnight at a lodge or hotel.
Day 3 – Drive to Ghalegaun (3 Hrs) – Trek to Bhujung (2-3 Hrs)
After an early breakfast we take a jeep ride to Ghalegaun, a traditional Gurung village located on a ridge top. After reaching Ghalegaun we take the trail to Bhujung, the largest Gurung settlement in Lamjung. En route we enjoy mesmerizing views of Annapurna. We stay at a local home in Bhujung.
Day 4 – Trek to Thaku Bhir (3-4 Hrs)
We trek to Thaku Bhir, the Honey Hunting site.
Day 5 – Thaku Bhir
Today we observe the ‘honey hunters’ at work. From religious rituals at the start of the hunt to the setting up of ropes and ladders at the cliff side, we watch keenly. We record their risky and hair-raising maneuvers to pry the honeycomb from rocky cliffside, as they hang precariously by hemp ropes and bamboo poles, exposed to the swarm of angry bees. After the honey is harvested we interact with the ‘honey hunters’.
Day 6 – Trek to Bhujung (3 Hrs)
We retrace our steps back to Bhujung.
Day 7 – Trek to Besisahar (6 Hrs)
Today’s trek is arduous, as we spend around six hours walking to our next stop Besisahar. On reaching Besisahar we check in at a hotel or lodge and rest our aching feet.
Day 8 – Drive to Kathmandu
After an early breakfast we board a vehicle that transport us back to Kathmandu.
Evening, enjoy a complimentary traditional Nepali feast and a lively Nepali cultural programme.
Day 9 – Depart Kathmandu
Our representative will drop you at the airport on time to catch your return flight.