Lamjung, May 19 -- Towering cliffs in Lamjung stand like they are touching the blue sky. At their base, streams hiss through the terrain, and waterfalls blur the eyes of onlookers.

From the top of these dangerous cliffs, a ladder called pro in the Gurung language (a ladder made of ropes and bamboo) is suspended. People tie ropes around their waists and descend using this ladder. To drive the bees away from hives, they use smouldering bundles of leaves to create thick smoke. Soon the cliff is clouded in smoke as the bees swirl in a storm-like frenzy.

A large number of foreign tourists are now drawn to Lamjung's rural identity and the centuries-old Gurung tradition of cliff honey hunting. During the season, when honey is collected from th...