A.  Kingdom of Mustang – 21 days

Mustang lies behind Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and geographically forms part of the Tibetan plateau. It was only in 1992 that the Government of Nepal allowed tourists access to the area.

The people of Mustang, Lobas, boast a long and proud history, their independent state dating back to the 5th Century A.D. In the 7th Century, Songtsen Gampo, most famous of all Tibetan kings, incorporated the land of Lo into his empire. Mustang only reappeared as an independent kingdom in 1430 when Gyalpo, ‘Precious Ruler’, Ame Pal founded a dynasty whose descendants survive to this day.

Our trek begins with a flight to Jomsom via Pokhara. We start walking beside the Kali Gandaki River and as we gradually gain height we pass salt mines, and hermit caves set in the cliffs above. Our route visits many villages on the way, including the rarely-seen settlements north of the square-walled city of Lo Manthang. We leave Mustang by a different route to add further interest.