Mustang मुस्ताङ

Mustang extends from the Kali Gandaki gorge up onto a high Tibetan plateau that lies entirely in the rain shadow of the Himalaya, giving it an arid, ochre landscape of eroded cliffs, cave monasteries and flat-roofed villages utterly unlike the rest of Nepal. Jomsom, the district headquarters at 2,720 metres, is a windy market town on the Annapurna Circuit and the hub for flights from Pokhara; above it, Kagbeni marks the entry to Upper Mustang. Lo Manthang, the walled capital of the former Kingdom of Lo, was founded in 1380 and enclosed by earthen walls that remain largely intact; its palace, monasteries and annual Tiji festival draw increasing numbers of visitors. Muktinath at 3,710 metres, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya.

The former Kingdom of Lo was a semi-independent Tibetan-Buddhist polity that stayed closed to outsiders until 1992, and its culture — language, dress, monastery art — remains distinctly Tibetan. Upper Mustang (above Kagbeni) requires a restricted-area permit currently set at USD 500 for ten days, with a licensed Nepali guide mandatory; lower Mustang around Jomsom and Kagbeni is open under a standard Annapurna Conservation Area permit. A jeep road now runs the length of the district from Beni to Lo Manthang, and many visitors drive up and fly back to avoid retracing the same route.