Beyond Everest: the Remote Nepal Treks PM Balen Shah Is Showcasing
Makalu, Api, Kanchenjunga — from the far east to the far west, the remote base-camp treks Nepal's PM is putting on the map. The future of Himalayan adventure, beyond the crowds.
Nepal's tourism story has always been dominated by two names: Everest and Annapurna. But the country's new Prime Minister, Balen Shah, is using his enormous online platform to tell a different story — one about the wild, forgotten corners of the Himalaya. In recent weeks he has showcased the Makalu Base Camp Trek in the far east and Api Himal in the far west, each drawing hundreds of thousands of views. The message to the world is clear: there is so much more to Nepal than the famous trails.
The far east: Makalu
Makalu Base Camp · Video: Sandip Sharma · via @balenshah
The far west: Api Himal
Api Himal, Darchula · Video: Himalaya Bhatt · via @balenshah
Why this matters
- A head of state is marketing remote Nepal to a global audience
- It spreads tourism beyond Everest & Annapurna to regions that need it
- These trails are pristine and near-empty — for now
- A rare chance to trek somewhere before the world arrives
The three great remote base-camp treks
If the PM's films have lit a spark, here is where to point it. Each of these is a true wilderness expedition — bigger, quieter and more committing than the classics, and each sits beneath one of the giants of the eastern or western Himalaya.
| Trek | Region | Days | Beneath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makalu Base Camp | Far east | 17–18 | Makalu, 8,485m (5th highest) |
| Kanchenjunga Base Camp | Far east | ~22 | Kanchenjunga, 8,586m (3rd highest) |
| Api Himal Base Camp | Far west | ~16 | Api, 7,132m |
The future of Himalayan adventure
For international trekkers, this is the exciting frontier. The infrastructure is simpler and the journeys are longer, but that is the whole point: these are the trails the popular routes used to be, decades ago. With Nepal's own leader championing them, the far east and far west won't stay undiscovered forever. The ones who go first get the Himalaya at its most untouched.
Trek the Nepal the PM is showing the world
We run all three — Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Api — as fully supported expeditions with licensed guides, permits and remote-region logistics handled for you. If you want the wild, crowd-free Himalaya, tell us which one calls you and your dates.
Sources: @balenshah on Instagram; Travel Himalaya Nepal. Peak elevations per published geographic records.
Source: Instagram — @balenshah
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