Mail by Runner 156: Lisa Choegyal Awarded Honorary Life Membership

We are pleased to share some wonderful news. When our “In the Footsteps of Hillary” trek recently returned from the mountains, the Himalayan Trust New Zealand and Himalayan Trust Nepal awarded Lisa Choegyal an Honorary Life Membership. This honour recognises her decades of support and service to Nepal, and her efforts to strengthen the connection between Nepal and New Zealand.

Lisa first travelled to the Khumbu in 1974 and made Kathmandu her home.  Over the following decades she has worked as a writer, sustainable-tourism specialist, and editor. She served as Marketing Director with the pioneering tourism and lodge group that included the award-winning Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge. 

Since 2010, Lisa has also carried the role of New Zealand Honorary Consul to Nepal, offering support and care for New Zealanders in Nepal and helping sustain and nurture bilateral ties. 

Beyond tourism and diplomacy, Lisa has contributed in multiple ways: writing and editing books on Nepal’s heritage and landscapes; advising on ecotourism projects; supporting conservation; and helping guide scholarship and educational exchanges between Nepal and New Zealand universities — especially in fields of environment, conservation and community development. 

This Life Membership acknowledges all of that. It honours the steady commitment, the long-term vision, and the bridge-building work that continues to benefit schools, clinics, scholarships, and communities across the Himalayas.

Thank you, Lisa, for your dedication, generosity, and care over many years. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with you.