P.O. Box 446, Bartlett, NH 03812 USA
Telephone 603/374-2438
Fax/Voicemail 413/280-0083
E-mail: info@adventuroustrekker.com

Mustang Region
A Truly Beautiful, Cultural & Scenic Hiking Trip up the Kali Gandaki & Thak Rivers, Salt Trade Route to Tibet's Border
4 Nights in Kathmandu/1 Night in Lakeside Pokhara/12 days trekking, 10 days in the Mustang Region
NEPAL

MOUNTAIN SCENERY, LOST CULTURES, WINDING WIND BLOWN GORGES! Yes, these are just a few of the things you'll experience, once you enter the fallen Lo kingdom. Known to the outside world as the "Mustang" the kingdom of Lo was founded in 1380, and ruled by the Malla dynasty until King Tribhuvan came to power in Kathmandu in 1951. Once you enter the Mustang region at Kagbeni you are leaving the 21st century, entering a windswept land home to the Lo-pa people, descendants of Tibetan origin. For generations they have been accomplished traders and business people, many forced over the border from Tibet when the Chinese invaded.

The Kingdom of Lo has only been opened to tourism since 1992, and at a high tariff. The Nepalese government has set per person permit fee at $700 for 10 days, hoping to keep out the backpacker tourist and allowing only fully self contained authorized groups to enter.

Your adventure starts once you land in Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu. An Adventurous Trekker staff member will await your arrival and take you to the Marshyandi Hotel, located in the tourist center of Thamel. A get acquainted party will be organized for your first night and the next morning one of our staff will take everyone on a "city tour". During your tour you will visit some of Kathmandu's most important temples and monasteries. The sightseeing tour will take half the day and the remaining will be needed to get ready for your treks departure.

After a couple of days checking out Kathmandu, we'll take a short flight to Pokhara, the third largest city in Nepal, but possibly the most beautiful. Pokhara sits on a picturesque lake and like a mirror reflects the austere white snow of the Annapurna Himal in its waters. Once in Pokhara we'll go for an afternoon boat ride. From the boat many villages, flora and fauna can be seen that isn't visible anywhere else in this area. During your time in Pokhara you will be staying at one of the many beautiful hotels, which sit right across from the lake and walking distance from restaurants and shopping. We will spend one night in Pokhara before setting off for the small airport again for the last flight to Jomsom, capital of the Mustang district.

We will stop in Jomsom to have our permits checked and to meet our camping staff. All groups entering the Mustang must have all their cooking and camping equipment carefully checked to make sure you are truly self contained and will not be living off the meager stores of the Lo Pa people, while in the Mustang. After lunch we will head to the final gateway into this lost land, the village of Kagbeni. One night will be spent in Kagbeni and the next morning we will head through the guarded check post and into a place not many other tourists have the opportunity to visit. For the next 5 days we will head up the Kali Gandaki river, sometimes walking on the riverbed, as the landscape continues to change into sandstone pillars, windswept walls of red clay and towering cliffs. The homes look more Tibetan now with their flat topped roofs and mud walls. As we head upstream the river continues to swell, due to the snow melt and grows to epic portions. We are now headed to the capital of what was once the mighty Lo kingdom, the city of Lo Manthang, which is set in a wide depression known as the "the plain of aspiration". This is a walled city with approximately 150 private dwellings, several monasteries and Gyelbu's palace. We will spend two nights in the city, exploring the palace and monasteries before setting out to explore the rest of what this area has to offer.

Once finished trekking we will fly from Jomsom to Pokhara then take the short flight back to Kathmandu. You will be escorted by to your hotel where everyone is free to do as they'd like with the rest of their day.

Today will be your last full day in Kathmandu. Nothing is planned for today. Most people use today to finish up their gift purchases, or to wander the streets of this magical city taking last minute photos. This evening the group will have a farewell dinner.

Now it is time to say farwell to Nepal. Our staff will be escorting everyone to their departure flights with detailed instructions on airport departure procedures.

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
The trekking portion is for anyone in good health who exercises regularly, 5 - 6 hours spent hiking each day.The rest of the trip will be sightseeing, shopping and enjoying the local culture.

 

 

Click on photo to enlarge.

WHY YOU SHOULD TREK THE MUSTANG REGION WITH THE ADVENTUROUS TREKKER

01) We pay our staff fair wages (almost always higher than our competitors), and make sure they have appropriate clothing for the area we're traveling to. We adhere to the pay scale and treatment rules outlined by the nonprofit watchdog group Porters Progress.

02) Each group is equipped with a state-of-the-art water purifier, instead of taking the chance with boiled water.

03) Our pricing is inclusive, that means you pay one price which includes virtually everything (for exceptions, see the "What isn't Included" list in the left column.

04) We can arrange discounted international airfare, at no extra charge.

05) The right staff can make all the difference in your trek. Our staff is incredibly dedicated, most of them have been working with us for six to eight years. All of our Nepalese guides are highly trained to understand western standards and needs. They have all been trained and certified as professional guides by the Nepalese Government.

06) Safety is our first concern. That is why we keep our group sizes small, so no one who may not be feeling their best gets overlooked. We always bring enough staff to assure that if you're not feeling well, you'll be assigned a highly trained person to stay with you and attend to your needs. We never leave our members alone during a trek. If at any time you don't feel up to continuing with the group, you'll be kept comfortable and safe by your assigned staffmember, and either catch up when you can or we'll try to meet you on the return trip. You will never be left alone and unattended on an Adventurous Trekker trek.