Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang (formerly known as the Kingdom of Lo) is a remote area located in the Himalaya area of Nepal. This area was a restricted demilitarized area until 1992, which also played an important role to become one of the most preserved regions all over the world. Upper Mustang comprises of a two-third area of Mustang district and the majority of people living here speaks the Tibetan language. Experiencing the life of true mountain people is such a good experience to gather in a lifetime. People of this area are not in touch with the rest area of Nepal from hundreds of years and live their life in the way they are living from an earlier period of time. However, the impact of the outside world is growing and contributing to rapid change in the lives of Mustang’s people and the developmental works are increasing day by day with the higher speed.

Trek to Upper Mustang can be started from Kagbeni and also ends in Kagbeni. Entry permit or fee is required while trekking in this area. Generally, two types of permits are required. One is to upper Mustang Restricted area permit which costs US $500 per person per 10 days and the US $50 for extra other days. Another is Annapurna Conservation Area permit without any days limits costing Rs.2260 for foreigner and Rs.226 for the people of SAARC country. Upper Mustang trek offers different trekking experience in contrast to other trekking destination in Nepal. The whole trail is situated in between 3,000 meters and 4,200 meters which lie in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri massif, creating a ruggedly arid land surrounded by rocks in all kinds of colors and impressive formations. There are various Buddhist monasteries and temples on the way providing the whole journey with a pleasant spiritual dimension.

Moreover, don’t miss to visit the Gandaki River area while trekking in Upper Mustang. The river runs southward towards Terai region of Nepal and the routes paralleling this river have once served as a major trade route between Tibet and India, especially for salt. One of the important highlights of this trek is you can still find fossils of plants and animals on its banks, only if you are lucky and have sharp eyes.