About HoneyGuide

How did it all begin?#

The trail to Gurusangpo Cave in Mustang is littered with blue asters, little purple rhododendrons, and the rare roscoe lily, as trekkers slowly make their way past the avalanche debris, up the slippery slope, and to the famous cave. It is as overcast as it can be. However for a few minutes, the clouds lift and Mt. Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest mountain in the world, lights up the eyes of the trekkers. Their hearts and feet stop for a few moments as they stand in awe at the mighty Dhaulagiri Icefall and the beautiful Dhaulagiri.

Once at the cave, these trekkers meet a great Lama. They tell him that they want to write about this beautiful place. He, in turn, pokes fun at people who come to visit the mountains, take a picture or two and think they understand it all. He challenges the trekkers to touch and feel the cave and explain its significance. A friendly debate ensued, and in the end, the trekkers realise that to create something beautiful the water has to dance with the rocks and the masculine has to merge with the feminine.

Such is the nature of mountains and mountain people. It is impossible to walk among these lofty peaks, rub shoulders with these hardy people, and come back unchanged. The solitude of the mountain landscape and the simplicity of the mountain people silence our mind, deflates our ego, challenges our priorities, and helps us to come closer to ourselves. As John Muir says, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” HoneyGuide is an attempt to help thousands more discover this truth.

If you believe that our minds would be more peaceful and the world would be a better place if men and mountains meet more often, HoneyGuide is for you.

Why is the company called HoneyGuide?#

We get this a LOT!! For starters, a lot of Aussies think we are some sort of escort service, but hope it is clear by now that that is not the case. HoneyGuide is ‘honeyguide’ because just like the honeyguide bird that guides bears and badgers to honeycombs, HoneyGuide guides hikers and trekkers to amazing places. And just like the bears and badgers, you will have to go through a lot of huffing and puffing and climbing to get to the honey.

Read more about how we named the company.

What does HoneyGuide stand for?#

Customization and community impact through direct bookings#

You will also find that, at HoneyGuide, you can book services directly from the people who provide the services. These are hardy people who have etched out a living and a life out of one of the most inhospitable terrains on earth. Buying directly from the porters, guides, trek leaders and lodge owners will not only empower them and raise their livelihood but also increase the level of service in the long run.

This will also allow you to build the trek the way you see fit, knowing full well what you are paying for. And all the while you are doing this you can rest assured that your money is directly creating impact in the lives of the hardy people who are dependent upon the mountains.

Transparency and immersion through information#

Everything at HoneyGuide happens because of the attachment to the mountains and the need to promote mountain communities. At HoneyGuide, trekkers get detailed and unbiased information about prices, safety, route descriptions and contact numbers. However, HoneyGuide goes beyond the logistical information to help you truly understand the land and people. Is Machhapuchhre really a holy mountain? Why is there a cock eating a pig eating a snake eating a cock in that painting? Why are prayer flags so colorful? When is the Mani Rimdu festival? These are all fair game at HoneyGuide.

If you have any questions or proposals, please feel free to get in touch with us.

The team#

Press coverage#

For the work we have done so far, we have been covered by the World Bank, Lonely Planet, SLUSH Helsinki, Best Hike, Kimkim, and BW Disrupt.

Local media coverage includes Nepali Times, Republica, Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times, and New Business Age.

Campaigns at HoneyGuide#

All of us at HoneyGuide are passionate about anything to do with mountains. We love to tramp along the high peaks, help the local communities earn a living respectfully, and preserve the natural beauty of the mountains.

Celebrate Six Seasons — videography competition#

HoneyGuide has been at the forefront of tackling the issue of seasonality in Nepal’s adventure tourism. We believe that the correct answer to “When is the best time to trek in Nepal?” is not “October” but “What are you interested in?”. For those who want solitude and quiet with beautiful mountain views, November and December might be a better option. For those who want to experience culture and festivals, July and August might be the best period. For those looking to capture large wildlife in the highlands, even the deep winter months of January and February might be appealing. So it boils down to what the trekkers want.

We organised a videography competition and a live event to highlight this. Check out the videos submitted for the #CelebrateSixSeasons competition.

The campaign saw 80 video entries which have been watched over 400,000 times. The event was also covered by Sisan Baniya, one of the most popular vloggers in Nepal.

Hiking and cleaning the trails with Web Weekend Kathmandu#

We are also extremely passionate about cleaning up the trails we walk upon. Every time we go on a hike, we come back with a pile of rubbish. While we do this almost every weekend, we had the opportunity to collaborate with Web Weekend Kathmandu to both run a hike and clean up the hills leading to Lakuri Bhanjyang.

Read the blog post about the event.

Rebuild Nepal photography competition and sale#

In the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, HoneyGuide ran a photography competition and sale at Babarmahal to show how efforts were being taken to bring the country back on its feet.

Collaborations#

Nepal Tourism Board#

HoneyGuide has repeatedly collaborated with the Nepal Tourism Board, most notably during the #CelebrateSixSeasons video campaign to promote year-round tourism in Nepal. Mr. Jitendra Bhattarai was one of the panelists in the event, and the Nepal Tourism Board was its main sponsor. We also worked closely with the top video makers and vloggers in Nepal during the event: Prasiit Sthapit of Fuzz Factory, Aneel Neupane of Jazz Productions, and Sisan Baniya of Paradygm TV.

International Travel Bloggers and Media Conference / Himalaya Travel Mart#

HoneyGuide was part of the 2017 edition of the International Travel Bloggers and Media Conference held in Nepal. For that event, we did a detailed coverage of the town of Panauti.

GRRRL Traveler#

In collaboration with Christine of GRRRL Traveler fame, HoneyGuide went around the alleys of Kathmandu to find the best places for momo.

Manang Youth Society#

HoneyGuide worked with the Manang Youth Society to promote a new trek in the Annapurna region called the Annapurna Seven Passes Trek.

You can read about the collaboration in this interview with Mr. Tripple Gurung, the man behind the Manang Youth Society and the Annapurna Seven Passes Trek.

Tourism Development Society / GiZ#

In collaboration with the German aid agency GiZ and the Tourism Development Society, HoneyGuide released the Far West Terai mobile app to help travellers plan their tours to Bardiya National Park, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Suklaphanta National Park and Ghodaghodi Lake.

Read more about the collaboration.

CIWEC Clinic#

HoneyGuide wrote its health and safety guidance for trekking in Nepal in collaboration with Ms. Prativa Pandey, Medical Director of the CIWEC Clinic in Kathmandu. CIWEC is the only hospital in Nepal with expertise in travel medicine.

Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon#

Every year HoneyGuide gives a presentation to the runners of the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon about the nature and culture of the Everest region. They also get a short tutorial on how to use HoneyGuide’s Trekking in Nepal app.

Art and Soul Project#

We worked with the Art and Soul Project, which runs classes for underprivileged kids. HoneyGuide provided the kids with coloring exercises and events, which eventually led to a stop-motion video and an exhibition of those colorings during the launch event of the Trekking in Nepal app. Check out the coloring video.

Fuzz Factory#

We did two videos together: one about a birder in Everest, and another to find why people love mountains. We have also collaborated with them during the #CelebrateSixSeasons video competition.

Web Weekend Kathmandu#

Web Weekend Kathmandu and HoneyGuide jointly organised a hike to Lakuri Bhanjyang for the speakers and participants of the technology event. During the hike, the participants also cleaned up non-disposable waste along the trail. It came out to be about three large sacks!!

Grasruts#

Grasruts, a crowdfunding platform, ran a fundraiser to find a trekking trail circling the Kathmandu Valley in one go. Sushant Bajracharya raised the funds needed, and HoneyGuide helped him with logistics, planning and coverage. Follow the journey in this post.

Press kit#

All media and press inquiries should be directed to Ashish Shrestha at hello@honeyguideapps.com.