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Introduction on Mustang Nepal

I am an avid traveller who enjoys exploring and travelling across the new and exciting places in the world that are yet to be explored by other tourists. In the pursuit of an enthralling experience, I always look to visit those tourist destinations that many people have not yet heard of and have been largely unnoticed by the tourist rush. I believe that every destination has something unique to offer such as meeting new people and learning about their cultures, which eventually helps in developing a deeper view of the world.

Mustang is one such place that has not been explored fully by the tourists as it was an isolated place for a long period. Mustang is a part of Nepal and is one of its districts. Mustang is located in north-central Nepal and lies in the trans-Himalayan zone. Mustang comes under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and is the biggest protected area covering 7629 km2 in Nepal. Mustang is a mountainous region that has fragile ecosystems with its indigenous people depend largely on the local biodiversity for meeting their daily needs (Bhattarai et al., 2010).

Mustang district has remained one of the key geopolitical importance regions in Nepal. Mustang was part of the salt trade route that existed between Tibet and south of the Himalayan region. Later, Mustang has been developed as a tourist destination and at present, it is being used as an economic transit corridor for India and China. However, Mustang is a resource-scarce region due to its climate being harsh, fragile ecosystem as well as steep topography. Locals are dependent on livestock husbandry, trade, horticulture and agriculture for their livelihood. Since the 1980s, the Mustang district has gained popularity as a tourist destination after it was made part of the ACAP and due to the trekking routes in Upper Mustang. Since 2008, people from the south can now reach Mustang by road. The improved accessibility in the past few years has led to an increase in tourism activity which has led to change in the tourist demography. As of now, tourism has become one of the important sources of income for the locals in Mustang (Posch et al., 2010).

I always believe that a great destination needs to be promoted so that there is growth in the tourist economy. If a great destination like Mustang is managed and marketed well, then it will be improving the conditions of locals. A well-managed and marketed destination is likely to bring in more investment which will bring additional income and job opportunities for the locals. However, Mustang is still underdeveloped and requires considerable attention as a tourist destination. I am also aware that every destination has some challenges related to the local needs, environmental impacts, sustainable tourism and harm to the local culture. Therefore, in promoting Mustang for future visitors, I have emphasised on writing blogs and a tour guiding map that will help the potential visitors to know about the destination and why visiting Mustang should be in their tourism calendar. I am of the firm belief that these preparations will increase the number of tourists and improve the reputation of Mustang as a popular tourist destination.

Mustang District, Nepal

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Tour Guiding Map on Mustang

Mustang is divided between Upper and Lower Mustang. In Upper Mustang, Tibetan culture, traditions and religion are highly prevalent in the region. The people in Upper Mustang are mainly from the Loba Tribe that still support the fact of the earth being flat. The Loba tribal is highly religious and they give high regards to religious prayers and festivals every day. On the other hand, in Lower Mustang, the people are of Nepali tribes and reside at the far southern fringe (Sehgal, 2017).

Figure 1 - Loba tribe carrying foods in Upper Mustang (Source: Sehgal, 2017).

Mustang was a Buddhist kingdom in the past, which until the 1950s remained isolated from the rest of the world. Being an old and tiny kingdom of Nepal, Mustang had hardly any tourism activity till the 1990s. The local Nepalese used to surcharge for visitors who were going trekking to Mustang. Mustang is part of Lo's old kingdom. Jomsom is the capital and administrative headquarters of the Mustang district. Further, north of Kagbeni, the traditional Tibetan-style district is generally regarded as the Upper Mustang (Canadian Himalayan Expeditions, 2021). The first time when adventurers from the West became engaged in Upper Mustang, owing to prohibitions in the area by the locals and the Chinese for protecting the ancient culture and way of living, they were able to only get a glimpse into the kingdom. The destination marketing at Mustang began very late as the trekking groups in Mustang were allowed for the first time in 1992. Later the destination image transformed into one of the most popular attractions for trekkers as they were its target segment. The restrictions are even present today as the Nepalese government issues only a ten days special permit from Kathmandu, which is mandatory for all the tourists interested in travelling with a guide in groups having two or more people (Sehgal, 2017).

The history of Mustang dates back to the fifteenth century when it was a major trade route between Tibet and the Indian subcontinent, following the salt trade route. However, in 2008, when the Kingdom of Nepal became a republic state, the suzerainty of Mustang ended. However, even today, Mustang has made few compromises with the modern lifestyle as life here continues in a similar fashion as it was centuries before. Tibetan Buddhism temples, ancient rituals and practices still play an important role in the everyday life of the people of Upper Mustang (Sehgal, 2017). Mustang was the land of Milarepa who is regarded as the key figure in Buddhism and was a popular mystic Guru (TripAdvisor, 2021).

Figure 2 - A Buddhist temple in Upper Mustang (Source: Sehgal, 2017)

A magnificent square-walled region, Lo Manthang, situated upon the 'Plain of Prayers' is the old capital, where the present king resides. The average elevation of Mustang is 13,200 feet and is situated north of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain giants. Hence, it lies to the north of the Himalayan range and also shares a portion with the Tibetan highlands geographically. In Mustang, the region is surrounded by colourful stratified rock and also resembles a barren desert (Canadian Himalayan Expeditions, 2021). Thousands of cliff dwellings are one of the Mustang’s most interesting visitor attractions, with the majority of them being inaccessible. Archaeologists have highlighted that these cliff dwellings would date back to 8-10,000 BC (Gurkha Adventures, 2021).

The transport and accessibility to Mustang is available by road and air. In reaching Mustang through the air, a flight needs to be taken from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The road transport service is also available on a 6 to 8 hours long journey through Prithvi Highway. Afterwards, to reach Jomsom, a Jeep facility is available or a 20-30 minutes flight journey. If any visitor is interested in going Mustang by walking, it is likely to take three days. In order to explore the Kingdom of Lo, the starting point is Jomsom (TripAdvisor, 2021). Further, as Upper Mustang is part of the ACAP, the trekking can also be done using Annapurna Circuit trek. It is likely to take nine days when trekking through the Classical Circuit route from Besi Sahar to Kagbeni without involving in the side treks. The Nepalese government has recognised Upper Mustang as a restricted zone for trekking and trekking costs for 10 days in 500 dollars. However, if the visitor is interested in extending their trekking period, then it will be charged 50 dollars additional per day. It is mandatory to trek in a group with at least two visitors excluding the guide whose presence is also mandatory in trekking. The permit for trekking and all the relevant arrangements for trekking should only be made by an approved trekking company (TripAdvisor, 2021).

Another visitor attraction at Upper Mustang is the Tiji festival, which is the most important festival in the region. According to ancient mythology. The festival celebrates the victory of good, Dorje Jono, over evil demons. Dorje Jono is regarded as a god in Vajrayana Buddhism and is also known with the name Vajrakumar, Vajrakila and Dorje Phurba. Vajrayana Buddhism is one of the oldest Buddhist practices which is prevailing mainly in India and Nepal (Marianne, 2018). The Tibetan language is spoken by the people in Mustang (Mustang Trekking, 2021).

Figure 3 - Tiji festival (Source: Marianne, 2018).

The food and accommodation facilities are available at tea houses, guesthouses, hotels or lodges in the villages that come in trekking pathsṣ. These accommodation facilities have all the relevant facilities for the visitors along with western-style toilets. All types of foods are available in Mustang ranging from local Tibetan foods to Western foods such as tea, coffee, breakfast items such as corn flakes, oatmeals, granola, egg items along with pizza, noodles, pasta, sandwich, momo also called dumplings, spaghetti, vegetables and soups (Mustang Trek Nepal, 2021).

In terms of destination management at Upper Mustang, the Department of Immigration at Nepal is responsible for handling all the permits for the visitors and issuing necessary permissions. In order to gain visitor information, it is required to visit the website of Nepal Immigration. Upper Mustang which comes under Province No. 4, the locations where permits are available for the visitors are Lomanthang Rural Municipality, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality and Baragung Muktichetra Rural Municipality in Upper Mustang (TAAN, 2021). There are also signage and information boards in the region for tourist benefits.

Figure 4 – Signage in Upper Mustang (Source: Ramblin' Boy, 2018).

Figure 5 – Information for tourists (Source: Ramblin' Boy, 2018).

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The Field Trip Map On Mustang

The field trip map for Upper Mustang has been prepared in the context of a 10 days itinerary.

Figure 6 - Upper Mustang (Source: Subash, 2020)

Day 1 begins with driving or flying to Pokhara whose maximum altitude is 1,400 meters. The drive distance is approximately 200.9 Km and will take 6 to 8 hours. After having breakfast, the visitors will drive to Pokhara through Prithvi Highway using a jeep. The journey to Pokhara will witness several picturesque villages and breathtaking views of rivers such as the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers. The journey to Pokhara will take 6-8 hours from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. During the course of the journey to Pokhara, visitors will view the mountains such as Tukuche Peak, Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal (Subash, 2020).

On Day 2, the visitors will be flying to Jomsom from Pokhara, then trekking to Kagbeni. The flight distance is around 67 Km, which will take around 20 to 25 minutes. Further, the trekking duration of Kagbeni will be 5 to 6 hours. After the overnight stay at Pokhara, the next day in the early morning, the visitor is required to take a flight journey to Jomsom. During the flight journey, the visitors will witness the deepest gorge in the world. After landing at Jomsom, trekking will begin from the west side of the Kali Gandaki riverbed. This trekking trail will offer a spectacular view of Annapurna, Nilgiri and Tukuche along with other landscapes. The trek will last for around 6 hours, then visitors will reach Kagbeni village. Kagbeni is a beautiful village which has picturesque locations of green terrace farm, valleys and rock cliffs (Gurkha Adventures, 2021; Subash, 2020).

On Day 3, the trekking will begin from Kagbeni to Ghiling and the trek distance is 11.2 Km. The trek will last for 5 to 6 hours, which can be long and exhausting if the trekking journey does not start on time (Subash, 2020). The trek to Ghiling is a bit rugged so, at the start, the visitors are required to go slow and afterwards, the trek speed can be picked up. In this trial, the visitor will witness two spectacular passes, Taklam La and Dajori La. Further, the visitors will also witness Ramchung cave, Damodar Danda and glorious Tilicho. Later as the trek progresses, the trek will reach downhill and visitors will join Samar village. The trek from Samar will continue downward with steep slopes, then we will reach Ghiling village. Ghiling village has stunning landscapes with vertical cliffs and huge rocks. The visitors can stay in the lodge or hotel at Ghiling (Altitude Himalaya, 2021).

Figure 7 – Trekking in Upper Mustang (Source: Index Adventure, 2021).

On Day 4, the trek of 11 Km will proceed to Tsarang from Ghiling. The trekking will begin from Nyi La Paa as the visitor will witness small tea houses during the trek. Later, the trek becomes difficult due to steep ascents heading towards Nyi Pass. Further, the trek descends the hillside and passes through Ghami village, where trekkers stop for lunch. The trek then slopes down to Ghami Khola and then mounting upward over Tasrang La Pass. During the course of the trek, the visitors will witness lovely valleys, steep escarpment and colourful flat-topped ridge along with hidden caves of historical importance (Altitude Himalaya, 2021; Subash, 2020).

On Day 5, the trek will begin from Tsarang to Lo Manthang which is at a distance of 11.5 Km and will take around 5 to 6 hours. The trekking journey will reach steep hills and then reach upwards to Lo Pass. Afterwards, the trail gently retreats and reaches Lo Manthang where the visitor can witness plateaus, landscapes, ancient ruins and exquisite terrains (Subash, 2020).

On Day 6, the journey will be exploring the Lo Manthang, which is a walled city consisting of hundreds of houses. Lo Manthang has plateaus, a deserted valley and flat terrains that have high cliffs with mud walls. There are popular visitor attractions in Lo Manthang such as Thubchen Gompa, Jampa Lhakhang and The Royal Palace. The buildings and houses in Lo Manthang are as old as 1400 years which adds beauty to the city. There are also Buddhist monasteries such as Choprang Gompa and Naya Gompa (Mountain Kingdoms, 2021; Subash, 2020).

Figure 8 - Lo Manthang (Source: Subash, 2020)

On Day 7, the trek will start from Lo Manthang to Ghami which is a 16.1 Km trekking distance. The roads are narrow and zigzagged as it is required to ascend to the hill and pass through Chogo La Pass. The visitors will be crossing two passes which are above 4000 meters, eventually reaching Mustang Valley. This area is famous for religious and historical places including Ghar Gumbaon. The trekking continues for 6 hours which continue through Dhakmar and the spectacular view of Nilgiri Mountains, finally reaching Ghami (Mountain Kingdoms, 2021; Subash, 2020).

Figure 9 - The tiny and narrow roads in Lo Manthang (Source: Sehgal, 2017)

On Day 8, After an overnight stay at a tea house in Ghami, the trek will continue to Samar which will last for 6 to 7 hours and 13.2 Km distance. The trekking journey will continue through arid land which is also uninhabited. The trekking journey to Samar is somewhat easy by sloping downward. The trekking will continue to Nyi La after a few ascents and walking through bridges. In the trek, the visitors will have to pass through streams and then scale Chorten and finally arrive at Samar (Subash, 2020).

Figure 10 - Chortens in Upper Mustang (Source: Mayhew, 2019).

On Day 9, the trek will begin at Muktinath which is a 16.7 Km distance and will last for 6 to 7 hours. The trek will begin from Chungsi Cave monastery then meeting the Kali Gandaki’s river bed. Muktinath is a magnificent Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu which lies in the Thorong La Pass. The trek to Muktinath will descend downwards and is relatively easy and also offers stunning views. After a journey at the valley, the visitors will turn towards Jomsom (Subash, 2020).

Figure 11 - Muktinath Temple (Source Subash, 2020)

Lastly on Day 10, the Upper Mustang trek will end and the visitors will drive to Pokhara from Jomsom which is at a distance of 155.3 Km and will take 6 to 7 hours. During the Jeep ride to Pokhara, the visitors will witness mountains, patchwork fields and quiet forests. The road that crosses through Kali Gandaki is a bit rough, although exciting as it passes through hills and finally arrives in Pokhara where the 10 days trek to Upper Mustang ends (Subash, 2020).

Figure 12 - Kagbeni (Altitude Himalaya, 2021).

Figure 13 - Itinerary map of Upper Mustang (Source: Gurkha Adventures, 2021).

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Post Visit Evaluation and Analysis on Mustang Nepal

In a visit to Mustang, I have developed the destination image of being crowded with limited facilities available for the tourists. However, my expectations proved to be wrong as Mustang was a relatively peaceful area and the number of tourists was also limited. In a similar context, González-Rodríguez, Martínez-Torres and Toral (2016) states that destination image is highly important with regards to developing tourist destination loyalty as it leads to affecting their choices and future intentions of visiting. Choosing any particular destination is highly dependent on its positive image which is developed through tourist guidebooks, magazines, online sources, word of mouth and visitor’s past experience (González-Rodríguez, Martínez-Torres and Toral, 2016). The online experience in terms of information available about the Upper Mustang was highly praiseworthy as I was able to find all the relevant information including accommodation, food and popular visitor attractions. However, I also found that there was limited information available regarding customer service and how to gain access to it.

In addition, I also came to know about the local community in Mustang, their culture and traditions and they largely appeared welcoming to the tourists. However, I also found a few online articles, which highlights the challenges for a destination in terms of balancing the needs of locals and the inflow of tourists as well as minimising the negative impacts of tourist’s inflow in destinations. In fact, it was also highlighted that development of the Mustang has not been given considerable attention by the government. The locals in Mustang have protested in the past against the government to bar the entry of tourists. The locals highlighted that the government has failed to give attention to the development in the regions (AFP, 2011). In addition, Pokharel (2016) also highlighted the concerns raised regarding the tourists entering the Mustang without necessary permits (Pokharel, 2016). Although, I observed that the government has begun to give attention to terms of developing the region as a tourist destination. Chetri et al. (2016) highlight that Mustang is now part of ACAP and is regarded as a protected zone, which highlights the government strategy to protect the area.

In Mustang, I found that organisations within the destination host events such as mountain biking events and mustang trail race for the tourists and locals. The mountain biking event takes place in Upper Mustang and lasts for 13 days (Global Bike Adventures Limited, 2021). On the other hand, the Mustang trail race is a 170 Km race that is completed in 8 stages. The Mustang trail race event continues on the old trails, caves, Hindu temples and monasteries offering mesmerising experience (TRAIL RUNNING NEPAL, 2021). I believe that hosting such events at Mustang is likely to improve the destination image, which in turn will bring a large number of visitors to the region, thereby helping in improving the local economy. However, I also analysed that there are no provisions for the corporate meeting as well as incentive travel at Mustang.

Dangi et al. (2018) highlighted that Mustang is the least accessible region in Nepal, with 77 per cent of the population involved in agricultural activities. However, in recent years, locals have reported about the changing weather patterns, for example, warming winters duration has extended leading to increasing the growing season by extending it north towards highlands (Dangi et al., 2018). Further, I also came to know that Mustang being a part of APAC, the culture and arts in the region are being protected as the area. Mustang is also one of the most restricted regions in Nepal as entry to foreigners was banned till 1992, which eventually helps in protecting the area. The visitors permit for only 10 days for dictating visitor flow can also be identified as a visitor management technique in the region.

Further, Mandić, Mrnjavac and Kordić (2018) highlighted that the tourist infrastructure and transport network play an important part in making tourism enjoyable for the tourists. The tourist and transport infrastructure consists of accommodation facilities, restaurants and transportation services that help the tourists to enjoy his/her visit to the region (Mandić, Mrnjavac and Kordić, 2018). In Mustang, the tourist infrastructure is available for the tourists as tea houses, hotels, lodges and guesthouses are available with all the basic facilities. I also found that restaurants in Mustang that offer all types of foods, be it local or western, are easily available. However, the transport services are limited due to the remoteness of the area. Despite this, tourists can take a Jeep ride and flight service as it is available in some of the areas of Mustang.

In order to prevent the overcrowding of visitors at Upper Mustang, visitors are only allowed if they have taken a permit from the Department of Immigration. In addition, the permits are paid and have only 10 days of validity, which I noted helps in preventing overcrowding. In addition, the tourist numbers have declined in 2019 when compared with 2018 numbers. The locals stated that change in the trekking route along with the hike in the fees is affecting the arrival of tourists, which can be a future challenge for the destination (The Rising Nepal, 2020). Further, the local communities in Upper Mustang have benefited from the tourism activity in the region. The hotels are fully packed during the festival season in Upper Mustang, which also boosts the local income. The locals involved in the business of tour company, souvenir shop, providing food and accommodation facilities to the tourists have benefited the most from the tourism activity in the region (Limbu, 2014). In this context, the social exchange theory states that people in society will always follow something that is valuable for them. In addition, if the local community perception of tourism is positive based on the exchange, it is likely that they will be involved in developing and promoting tourism in the region (Dorcheh and Mohamed, 2013).

Further, concerns related to sustainability issues are also increasing in Upper Mustang. Smadja et al. (2015) highlight that the villages are being displaced in Upper Mustang due to climate change as water shortage is affecting the lives of people in the region. In addition, Prasain (2018) stated that climate change is one of the prominent reasons that has led to a low Human Development Index, Global Hunger Index Human Poverty Index and Human Empowerment Index. In addition, the remoteness of the area is also another sustainability issue that is affecting the development in the region (Prasain, 2018). In addition, I also analysed that visitor information is appropriate in the region as there are a number of tour guides in the region along with the information boards and signage available for the tourism activities. In my hotel, I observed that most tourists who were visiting Upper Mustang were highly adventurous and were more interested in visiting the unique and exciting places in the world that are free from the chaotic environment. However, I noted that accommodation facilities were a bit different in the Upper Mustang when compared with other tourist destinations such as Kathmandu and Lumbini. In Upper Mustang, the accommodation facilities were more at Tea Houses which is quite unique for other areas. Further, the spread of COVID-19 is likely to affect the tourist inflow in the region and can be identified as another future challenge for Mustang.

Mustang is one of the remotest regions in the world that has limited accessibility. Mustang as a tourist destination is popular for trekking and mountain races. In Upper Mustang, there are all the required facilities available for the visitors that includes food and accommodation facilities. The local communities have benefited from the tourist inflow in the region. However, future challenges such as COVID-19 and the declining number of visitors due to climate change will affect the development of Mustang.