Trekking to Lo-Manthang capital of the kingdom Mustang
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Lo Manthang - capital of the kingdom Mustang,
with medieval royal palace and buddhist monastery
The kingdom of mustang, formerly forbidden, is located in Nepal, north of the mountain giants Annapurna and Dhaulagiri on a about 6000 m high plateau in the Himalayas, close to the border of Tibet.
Mustang borders on Tibet and Nepal and was regarded as the forbidden kingdom Lo (Lo Manthang) once, the highest kingdom on the roof of the world, embedded in the mountains of the Himalayas.
The little 'forbidden' kingdom was completely inaccessible until spring 1992. Strangers were not allowed to enter it except for few exceptions. Legends and myths have grown up around the history of mustang, the kingdom of Lo as it is also called.
The kingdom of mustang was opened only in 1992 with strict conditions for the tourism. From the Tibetan border it is only a day`s ride to the 3730 m high fortress like capital of Lo Manthang with the medieval royal palace and its important Buddhistic monastery complexes from the 15th century.
The way to the capital of mustang [Lo Manthang] leads along the Kali Gandaki river, past bizarre rock formations made of sandstone, granite or limestone, past steep loam-cones and slopes from which the wind has eroded out the most fantastic forms . Highlight is Lo Mantang, the capital of the kingdom mustang, appearing to us like a ancient mystical town from the past.
According to the Dalai Lama mustang is regarded as one of the few areas in the Himalayas with an intact Tibetan culture.
Lo Manthang was an important trading place between Nepal and Tibet for many centuries, located at the old salt trade route through the Kali Gandhaki valley. It was part of the region of western Tibet, called Ngari for many centuries. Today culture of the Lopas is threatened because the trade came to a standstill with the occupation of Tibet by China. Anyone who passes through this gateway to Mustang, however enters into a mystical country where time has seemingly stopped. » more here «
