AT THE HELM OF NEPALI DMC BEYUL EXPERIENCES AND THE REMOTE HIMALAYAN HIDEAWAY, THE HAPPY HOUSE, ANG TSHERING BELIEVES THAT EVERY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE SHOULD BENEFIT BOTH THE VISITOR, AND THE VISITED. ANG’S INNATE WISDOM, STRONG CONNECTION WITH HIS LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES OF HIS HOME MAKE HIM A TRUE PIONEER OF CONSCIOUS TRAVEL IN HIS HOME COUNTRY OF NEPAL.

Curating immersive experiences amongst the beauty of the Himalayas is at the heart of Ang Tshering’s philosophy at his DMC, Beyul Experiences. Placing Ang and his family firmly at the heart of Himalayan life, they also own and operate a traditional mountain guesthouse - The Happy House. This charming, tranquil mountain home is rich in history and Himalayan heritage, having been built by Count Guide Monzino and frequented by another famous mountaineer, Sir Edmund Hillary. We are delighted to welcome Ang on board as one of our mentors for The Conscious Travel Foundation’s Collective and are really excited to share in his wisdom and incredible commitment to the communities of his Himalayan home.

What inspired you to establish Beyul Experiences?

The lack of bespoke, experiential, responsible travel and out of the box thinking in the travel industry. As Nepal is often marked as a “Budget” destination, almost all travel companies focus only on the popular treks and destinations ignoring the countless hidden gems around the country filled with culture, rich traditions and amazing landscapes. Our aim at Beyul Experiences is to reveal these hidden destinations and bring forth a meaningful change in Nepal’s tourism.

You are passionate about supporting local people and communities in Nepal. Could you please tell us a little more about why this is something you care so deeply about and what is the impact of Beyul Experiences on those people and communities?

I was born in Phaplu, in the hospital built by Sir Edmund Hillary. It was also the first hospital here in this region. Without it bringing me into the world would have been a lot more difficult for my mother as she would have had to walk several days and take a long drive to Kathmandu for the delivery if she needed medical attention. The hospital was built to support the people and it has made a deep impression on me. I also have always been around people who have cared deeply for the community like Sir Edmund Hillary, Dr. Mingmar Sherpa, Christopher Giercke to name a few and they have inspired me that giving enriches our lives a lot more than taking. So we will always continue our work to support the people and our community.

Mountain biking in the Himalayas with Beyul Experiences

Why is the idea of conscious or sustainable travel so important to you?

Because this is what life is all about. When I think about the great enlightened masters and pay attention to their teaching, I easily understand that they were so blissful and enlightened because of the simple fact that every thought, every action, every breath was taken consciously. This is the kind of awareness that will help us see the world without any filters or preprogramed thoughts. So it is not just about conscious traveling but the whole idea of conscious living that is very important to me.

Your great-great-great-grandfather built the Chiwong Monastery – can you tell us a little more about your family’s mission to preserve and protect it?

Yes, Sange Lama who is my great-great-great grandfather built the Chiwong Monastery for the people of Phaplu and surrounding villages. As religion is very integrated in everyday life of the people here, the monastery serves as a place of refuge, faith and preserves our fragile culture and tradition. This is why it has been my family’s mission to protect and continue our culture and heritage through generations.

Who are your sustainability heroes?

The late Chandra Gurung of Nepal remains as one of my greatest sustainability heroes. Growing up in a traditional Himalayan village with limited opportunities he went on to lead some of the world’s most revered conservation projects including the Kanchenjunga and Annapurna Conservation Area projects. Implementing innovative models merging environmental, wildlife, community and tourism developments he set the standard for Nepal and the world. He remains an inspiration for the younger generation of emerging community leaders.

Another sustainability hero of mine is travel author and journalist Sophy Roberts. Her focus on the remote parts of the world, reporting on fragile cultures, wildlife and eco-systems always inspires me to do more in our community and region. And of course I cannot talk about sustainability without mentioning legends like Sir David Attenborough who has inspired multiple generations of people and Greta Thunberg who will carry on the torch to do the same for the future generations.

How do you feel is the best way for visitors to “give back” when they travel to Nepal?

Our ethos at Beyul Experiences is about growing sustainably, and continuing to be responsible in how visitors engage with various elements in and around the country. We want to create a healthy ecosystem of exchange and learning between the locals of the Himalayas and the visitors we host from around the world.

How do you reconcile your experiences at Beyul with the devastating over-tourism of the Everest region?

We start by not promoting and encouraging trips to the higher Everest region because as you know it is already over crowded. All our programs focus primarily on remote regions that are not easily visible on the tourist map and wherever we go we make a point to leave as little footprint as possible and if we can leave the place better than we found it.

Guests of the Happy House get to experience an authentic piece of Himalayan history. What practices have you put in place to ensure that the Happy House is treading lightly on the environment?

The several steps we have taken to ensure that we have as little negative impact on the environment starts with focusing on food that are grown in our garden and found in the region. We don’t provide single use plastic bottles (at the Happy House), but have several water filters and also travel with portable water filters when we go on our excursions. We incorporate the use of solar panels for energy both for water and electricity, and our hope is to be completely off the grid one day and we are taking the necessary steps towards this goal. Apart from these, we also regularly advise and spread awareness on environmental conservation and proper practices to protect it. We have distributed 75 efficient cooking stoves to families that were still on open fire cooking mechanism, which remains of the major causes of negative environmental and health issues in the Himalayas.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in light of COVID-19?

As we were expecting quite a busy year, the complete loss of business has of course been quite a big blow financially. However, the uncertainty of when things will open again and fighting to remain optimistic and maintaining the spirits of the whole team has been quite the challenge. But with the support of our friends and their thoughts have helped us stay together and determined to keep our hopes and faith strong.

Do you wish to comment on any travel trends or attitudes to travel that you are seeing and feel strongly about?

We have always been all for conscious and slow travel which we feel should be the trend going forward. As travel journalist Sophy Roberts put it, “Travel can’t just be an act of consumption, it should be an act of empathy.” This communicates exactly how we feel and our collaboration with the Conscious Travel Foundation is the proof that we are a collective act of empathy.

MEET THE MENTOR: ANG TSHERING

SUSTAINABLE SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MEET THE MENTOR: CHARLIE CARLOW