Best Time For Honey Hunting In Nepal

Honey hunting in Nepal, or mad honey hunting in Nepal, is one of the most exciting trips you can make in the country. However, there are risks that are associated with it.

Honey hunting in Nepal is famous all around the world, and tourists and honey hunters come to Nepal to fulfill their wish of honey hunting. Planning for honey hunting in Nepal takes the activity of collecting honey from wild bees, mainly from the rocky cliffs.

The Trek Nepal understands that honey hunting in the remote villages of Nepal has been going on for centuries now. From the risks associated with the best time and also the results, we will be discussing everything about honey hunting in Nepal here.

Honey Hunting in Nepal

Honey hunting in Nepal is practised in the remote highlands of Nepal. It is performed mainly during the months of autumn and spring when the weather is massively favorable,

Mostly, it is the Gurung community that takes care of this tradition and has been protecting it for a long time. The Trek Nepal understands that mad honey hunting has been going on for 7500 years now.

In order to perform the honey hunting, you will have to use the traditional tools, and no modern tools will be applicable. As the extraction activity takes place at a difficult location, it is only done twice a year.

The Himalayan cliff bees, mainly Apis Dorsata and Apis Laboriosa needs to be disturbed. They are the world’s largest honey bees. Proper permission will be required if you are looking for honey hunting in these regions.

Process of Honey Hunting in Nepal

The process of honey hunting in Nepal might look traditional, but it is an effective one. There are rituals that are carried out right before the extraction day.

After the rituals are done on the previous day, local hunters will move to the cliff where the bee colonies are located. In order to locate honey, hunters use traditional bamboo ladders, ropes, and handmade tools.

In rare cases, smoke is also used to control the bees, whereby the honey is extracted safely. The visitor who comes for the experience must stay far away from all of this.

Being the tourist, you should never attempt to climb the cliff or interfere with the local hunters. Moreover, all visitors will be provided with a safe location from where you can enjoy the whole process.

Best Time For Honey Hunting in Nepal

• Spring Season

Similar to trekking, honey hunting in Nepal is best during the peak season. You will be able to get the best results during the spring and autumn season. Spring falls during the months of March to May.

Spring is the most productive season, which yields the best results. You will be able to collect rich medicinal honey with weather being favorable. The climbing is easier during this period.

• Monsoon Season

If you aren’t able to meet the spring and autumn season, the best time would be the monsoon season. Often considered the secondary season, there is rainfall, making the cliffs more slippery.

Therefore, only experienced climbers go for the hunt. With the disrupted pattern, the productivity of the honeybees gets lower. There are risks of accidents, but still some climbers try the season too.

• Autumn Season

This season falls during the months of September to November. The honey extracted during this period is less potent, lighter, and in lesser quantity. So the chances of getting mad honey is less.

Added to that, the weather might be good, but not the overall result. If you miss spring, this could be the second best option.

Winter Season

The worst season to go for honey hunting in Nepal would be during the winter season. Even the Nepal Tourism Board doesn’t allow you to perform honey hunting during this period.

The major reason would be a drop in weather conditions, inactive bees, and a higher risk of cold. Furthermore, the flow of nectar is massively reduced during this period, making the extraction even harder.

Best Places For Honey Hunting in Nepal

Readers might be thinking that honey hunting can be done in any high-altitude region. Well, you are mistaken. There are specific locations where you can go for honey hunting.

The isolated honey hunting regions include:

• Bhujung, Lamjung
• Ludi, Lamjung
• Sikles, Kaski
• Ghalegaun
• Cliffs of Annapurna

Side Effects of Mad Honey

Honey hunting in Nepal is an adventure sport, but if you consume too much mad honey, there are side effects. There is a reason why this honey is called mad honey in Nepal.

If you consume mad honey in too large a quantity, it could bring about major negative effects. The highlighted side effects of mad honey include:

• Slower heartbeat
• Paralysis and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Changes in Body Temperatures
• Visual Hallucinations
• Blurry Vision
• Heart failure if consumed in large amounts.

Sustainable Honey Hunting in Nepal

If you are thinking honey hunting in Nepal is just another adventure sport, you are wrong. When we talk about honey hunting in Nepal, it is a sustainable and responsible activity.

Honey hunting is the livelihood of Himalayan communities. Along with that, honey hunting helps the local communities to make a living out of it through guiding, homestays, transportation, food, and other services.

The Trek Nepal works with the local authorities for every honey hunting journey, which makes the overall journey special. Protective harvesting practices are used to achieve sustainable results.

Moreover, we are also dedicated in protection of the cliff habitats along with the forest and the bees themselves. A carefully planned honey hunting experience means that the results are brilliant with protection of local communities.

Final Thoughts

Honey hunting in Nepal is an experience of a lifetime. With the right team like The Trek Nepal, you will get to experience the unseen side of remote Nepal to extract mad honey.

Honey hunting in Nepal isn’t an easy job, and you need to be part of a sacred community. The Trek Nepal has been performing honey hunting in Nepal.

We partner with the locals of Lamjung to get the right process into play to get the right results in honey hunting. If you are unsure how and where to start, connect with The Trek Nepal, and we will help you with it.