Upper Mustang Trek

Mustang is a mysterious land in Nepal. The kingdom of Lo, Upper mustang is the culturally related to the Tibetan plateau. The desert like geography, unique tradition and culture made the Mustang one of the best places for tourist. Thousands of visitor visit this land every year.

The total area of Mustan gregion is about 2020 Square Kilometers. The population density is very low. It is about 3.47 per square kilometers. Lo- Manthang is the capital of former Mustang kingdom. The Lo is one major ethnic tribe in Mustang. In history, Mustang was the kingdom of Lo, and now it is the part of Nepal.

Mustang was an independent kingdom which was closely tied with Tibet and similar to Tibet in language and culture. It was the strategic location for the trade between Nepal, China and India. At the end of 18th century, the kingdom was annexed by Nepal.

The last official and current unofficial king of Mustang is Jigme Dorje Parbal Bista. He is directly lineage with the Ame Pal, the founder of Buddhist Kingdom in 1380. The Lo- Manthang city was surrounded by wall surprisingly and still we can see some appearance.

In 2007, a shepherd in Mustang discovered a collection of 55 cave paintings depicting the life of Buddha. After that the land became more famous among the visitors.

Mustang lies on the rain shadow of the Annapurna massive and Dhaulagiri range towards the south. So, the land is largely dry and arid. The annual precipitation ranges from 250 to 400 mm and temperate remains very low in night.

Most of people in Mustang region lives near the Kaligandaki River which flows to the south of Nepal. Lo, Thakali, and Gurung are the major tribes in Mustang. The administrative center of Mustang district is Jomsom. Jomsom is an emerging town of Mustang which is directly connected with lower part of Nepal by air and road transport. Jomsom airport was built in 1962.

Kaligandaki river bank was the trade route between Tibet and India especially for salt. We can see 'Saligrams' on the bank of river which is considered as the form of Lord Vishnu in Hindu myths. Besides, Kaligandaki River also forms the deepest gorge in the world.

The beautiful Mustang region had opened for foreign visitors since 1992. However, tourism is still regulated in this area. A special permit is required for foreigners to enter the Upper Mustang which is politically sensitive area directly linked with Tibet. Mustang is expensive trekking destination in comparison with other trekking destinations in Nepal. Trekkers have to follow the same trade route used in 15th century which is another attraction. August, September and October are busy visiting time. Tiji festival which falls on May or April is also a busiest period.

Furthermore, Upper Mustang area of Nepal is listed as the recommended top destinations for visitors to travel in the year 2013 by the Lonely Planet.