Trek to Upper Mustang: Place resembling Tibet culturally and geograpically

The ancient Himalaya kingdom “Mustang” also called “Lo”- used to be the part of the Tibetan empire. So, the place is still influenced by the Tibetan culture. It lies in the north-central part of Nepal between Dolpo and Mustang bordering Central Tibet at the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri. It is  the hidden world where still ancient Buddhism called “Bon Buddhism” is in practice. Mustang’s landscapes also resemble Tibetan ones. The place offers isolated landscapes with colorful rocks formed in bizarre way. One needs to require a special permit from the Nepalese Department of Immigration to visit the place. Upper Mustang starts from Kagbeni. The trek trial goes through the world’s deepest gorge in Kaligandaki Valley. The trek to Lo- Manthang valley also passes through the barren landscapes, steep rocky trails up and down the hills. The panoramic views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and several other mountains are breathtaking throughout the trek. You could explore the thousands of years old Monasteries, caves, local tribes and scenic beauty of the different landscapes.

This autumn, group of four Swiss trekkers were on the Upper Mustang Trek, led by an expert guide of Explore Himalaya Mr. Sudan Tamang. This 17 days trek to the Trans-Himalaya Mountain was found to be great adventurous trek for the Swiss who with cherished the trek with several great memories. The group liked the local food “Dal and Bhat” and “Marpha- apple drink” too. Because of the bad weather there had been a flight cancellation to Pokhara from Jomsom. But, they really enjoyed the local Jeep drive to Beni where they had an opportunity to experience local life style in frequent villages on the way.

As before, the trail to this forbidden kingdom only could offer a fully organized camping trek, now it has opened up with small guesthouses en-route and provides the facilities of accommodation and food too.