Mention honeymoons and most people would think of relaxing — beach-side maybe, sun, sand and a whole lot of love. But adventurous newlyweds Ashley Davenport and his wife Helen had something different in mind. A trip to Nepal and a trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

When we wrote to Ashley after spotting their album he told us he and Helen aren’t exactly beach people. "I don’t like sand in my trunks," he said. "What can I say? I am easily bored."

Even after running two marathons the week before, climbing to Base Camp was the hardest thing he'd ever done — a combination of the altitude, which hit them hard, the weather (burning sun versus freezing wind), and not showering for days. "I had to sleep with my camera batteries in my pants to avoid them freezing, turns out they don’t cope well with the cold."

Being a photographer who likes to capture the stuff most people walk past, Ashley is constantly on the look out for new photo opportunities. “I am the lucky one – I have a reason to go out and look for things people quite often miss, it’s my job. I wish more people would do it… I could spend hours walking around a city, just looking. I find far too many people walking with their heads pointed to the floor, if only they looked up – there is so much to see.” 

It would be hard for Ashley to pick his favourite moment from the trip. How could you? The kindness and generosity of the Nepalese people, the cultural diversity of food and the views… Oh, the views.

“We had uninterrupted views of Everest most of the time – it was hard to imagine how many people lost their lives trying to reach the summit, and how dangerous it was — it looks so peaceful and beautiful.”

Ashley and Helen left Nepal inspired by the way everyone managed to pick themselves up and keep going even after going through something as terrible as the recent earthquakes. When you travel you gain a new perspective, something that cannot be learnt at home. That is why they travel, to experience, to learn and to grow. 

Ashley and Helen chose a 18x12 Duo in Contemporary Leather Tamarillo to hold their new memories as a married couple, and keep the adventure alive.

Alexandria x