Nepal: Mustang trip

History describes Mustang as an independent Kingdom, ancient commercial route between Tibet and India, Sakyapa Buddhist land where Kampa Warriors lived and tried to reorganized their power against China. Here was the land where Milarepa, one of the most important Buddhist Mystic Guru, prayed for years.

Mustang has been opened to foreign tourism in 1992. Mustang region is populated by Tibetan people, and the history of this kingdom is a legend all over the Hmalayan land.

To go there, you need to reach Pokhara by flight from Kathmandy, or by bus in a long way through the Prithvi Highway (from 6 to 8 hours, it costs no more than 12$). Then you can go to Jomsom by jeep or by flight (20 minutes) or walking for 3 days. Jomsom is the starting point to explore Lo’s Kingdom.

This is a trekking route, a classic route but it's good enough to see, learn, and live a good experience in the Lo’s Kingdom, and a good example to whom would like to go there:

1st day: bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara (6 h)

2nd day: flight to Jomsom 2.760m. Starting to trek to Kagbeni 2.840m (around 2 h walk)

3rd day: Kagbeni-Chele 3.100m (around 5 -6 h)

4th day: Chele-Geling 3.570m (around 7-8 ore h)

5th day: Geling-Charang 3.575m (around 6-7 h)

6th day: Charang-Lo Mantang 3.840m (around 4-5 h)

7th day: Lo Mantang

8th day: Lo Mantang-Ghami (around 7 h)

9th day: Ghami-Samar 3.620m (around 6 h)

10th day: Samar-Chhusang 2.980 (around 5 h)

11th day: Chhusang-Muktinath 3.710m (around 6 h)

12th day: Muktinath-Jomsom 2.760m (around 2-3 h)

13th day: flight Jomsom-Pokhara then bus to Kathmandu

If you have good breath you can come back from Lo Mantang to Jomsom in another way, walking through Marang, the remotes villages of Tange and Tetang, then down to Muktinath. Choosing this option you can change a little bit the landscapes ;-)

If you want to visit Mustang during a traditional festival, at the end of May, according to the local calendar, there's Tiji Festival. Tiji is celebrated in Lo Manthang, the ancient capital of Mustang. During Tiji,  the monks of Lo Manthang, dressing traditional coats and wood carved masks, rapresenting gods and Devils, perform traditional Kham dances and give blessing to the people.