Located north of Annapurna and at an average altitude of 4,000m, Mustang is geologically and culturally part of the Tibetan plateau. This old Buddhist kingdom, also called Lo, used to be part of the Tibetan empire. It became independent in 1380 and the Kingdom prospered due to its strategic location controlling the trade between Tibet, Nepal and India. The walled city of Lo Mangthang became the capital where the current King still resides in his 4 story high palace. He doesn’t have any real power anymore, but is highly respected by his people. Mustang was annexed by Nepal in 1946 and in the early 1960s; it was the hotbed for the Khampa guerrillas fighting the Chinese forces in Tibet. The USA supported these fighters and secretly trained some of them.
The valleys here are arid and dry with striking coloured cliffs of red, yellow, brown and blue earth pigments, glowing in the backdrop of the distant Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri mountains. There are still remains of cave dwellings high up in these cliffs. Tibetan Buddhism is still being practiced in its purest form. Dotted in cloisters of green oasis are the villages with impressive white washed houses, Monasteries, Chortens and Mani walls built in traditional Tibetan style many centuries ago.
Mustang was closed to visitors until 1992 and it is still a Restricted Area requiring special permits. The treks in this area start at Jomsom which is only a short flight from Pokhara. About 700 trekkers visit Upper Mustang each year and as a result, it is one of the few places left where one can see undisturbed Tibetan culture.
