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Upper Mustang is one of the very few wonderlands on the whole earth. Mustang lies just beyond the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan ranges in Western Nepal. Nowadays, Upper Mustang trekking has become one of the most popular trekking routes in Nepal. Protected from monsoon rains in the mountainous barrier heights of 8000 Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, the Mustang is one of the few regions of Nepal where trekking is possible in summer, with the landscape very different from the rest of the country's altitude desert. Mustang is a compendium of Tibetan culture, with its chortens and Buddhist monasteries.
It’s also the place where Khampa rebels of Tibet hid during their insurgency against the China Government and the CIA dropped weapons for them from Helicopter. At that time, beyond the Nepal-China Border, Chinese troops were in action. That was the time when Dalai Lama was in exile to India and Nepal was under pressure to dismiss Khampa. Finally, the Khampa rebels surrendered to Nepali Troops and some of them were also killed.
Since then Mustang was a forbidden land for foreigners, a sensitive zone. Mustang is a beautiful hidden valley that has its local Monarch without any political power. People of the upper Mustang believe in and respect the local king as a symbolic icon of the Upper Mustang. Long forbidden to foreigners and yet little used because of its restricted access, this small kingdom remained independent within Nepal for a long time.
Eventually, Mustang has been opened to foreigners. Outsiders were keen to know about the mystery of the Mustang and to learn about its medieval age, culture, customs, and its brand of Buddhism. However, only a limited number of tourists can enter Mustang in a year, and you need a special permit from the Nepal Government. Similarly, you have to travel through a trekking agency, with a limited time frame for staying there.
