Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a group of mobile nodes which communicates with each other without any supporting infrastructure. Routing in MANET is extremely challenging because of MANETs dynamic features, its limited bandwidth and power energy. Nature-inspired algorithms (swarm intelligence) such as ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms have shown to be a good technique for developing routing algorithms for MANETs. Swarm intelligence is a computational intelligence technique that involves collective behavior of autonomous agents that locally interact with each other in a distributed environment to solve a given problem in the hope of finding a global solution to the problem. In this paper, we propose a hybrid routing algorithm for MANETs based on ACO and zone routing framework of bordercasting. The algorithm, HOPNET, based on ants hopping from one zone to the next, consists of the local proactive route discovery within a node’s neighborhood and reactive communication between the neighborhoods. The algorithm has features extracted from ZRP and DSR protocols and is simulated on GlomoSim and is compared to AODV routing protocol. The algorithm is also compared to the well known hybrid routing algorithm, AntHocNet, which is not based on zone routing framework. Results indicate that HOPNET is highly scalable for large networks compared to AntHocNet. The results also indicate that the selection of the zone radius has considerable impact on the delivery packet ratio and HOPNET performs significantly better than AntHocNet for high and low mobility. The algorithm has been compared to random way point model and random drunken model and the results show the efficiency and inefficiency of bordercasting. Finally, HOPNET is compared to ZRP and the strength of nature-inspired algorithm is shown.