Mustang (from the Tibetan möntang (Wylie: smon-thang), Nepali: मुस्तांग "fertile plain") formely Kingdom of Lo, is a remote and isolated region of the Nepalese Himalayas. The Upper Mustang is one of the most preserved region in the world, with a majority of the population still speaking traditional Tibetic languages. Tibetan culture has been preserved by the relative isolation of the region from the outside world.
Climate
Upper Mustang has a transhimalayan climate which is cool and semi-arid with precipitation in the range of 250–400 mm. It is in the rain shadow of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.
Four Main Seasons
Autumn (Mid September to November) : Following the monsoon the skies are generally very clear, the days warm and the evening cool. This makes an ideal time to trek or climb at higher altitudes. This is Nepal most popular season.
Winter (December to February) : Generally you enjoy the clear skies with crisp days but cold night at higher altitude.A great time to trek one or two week lower and mid altitude trails, where the temperature still remain pleasant and with fewer trekkers on the trail.
Spring (March to Late May ): This season present a flora spectacular with the blossoming of the giant rhododendron, the day are warmer which makes higher altitude trekking in particular more comfortable.
Summer (June to early September ): This is the ideal time for traveling in the INDIAN, TIBETAN HIMALAYA and in Nepal Upper Mustang, Dolpa Upper, Manang Nar Phu. As the regions are generally shadowed from seasonal rain. Nepal experience monsoon rains from late May through to august so this season is unsuitable for Trekking in Nepal.
Demographics
The population of the whole Mustang District in 2001 was 14,981, spread between three towns and approximately thirty smaller settlements. The inhabitants are either Thakalis, Gurung or, in traditional Mustang, primarily Tibetan. Most of the population of Mustang lives near the Kali Gandaki River, 2800–3900 m above sea level. The tough conditions cause a large winter migration into lower regions of Nepal. The administrative centre of Mustang District is at Jomsom (eight kilometers south of Kagbeni) which has had an airport since 1962 and has become the main tourist entry point since Mustang was opened to western tourism in 1992.
Geography
The main hydrographic feature of Mustang is the Kali Gandaki River. The river runs southward towards Nepal Terai, bisecting Mustang. Routes paralleling the river once served as a major trade route between Tibet and India, especially for salt. Part of the river valley in the southern Mustang District forms by some measures the deepest gorge in the world. Traditional Mustang (the Lo Kingdom) is 53 km north–south at its longest, 60 km east–west at its widest and ranges from a low point of 2750 m above sea level on the Kali Gandaki River just north of Kagbeni to 6700 m at Khamjung Himal, a peak in southeast Mustang.
Geography with Climate
^ Climate Zone ^ Elevation Range ^ % of Area ^
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters | 4.0% |
| Subalpine | 3,000 to 4,000 meters | 4.7% |
| Alpine | 4,000 to 5,000 meters | 2.7% |
| Nival | above 5,000 meters | 8.8% |
| Trans-Himalayan | 3,000 to 6,400 meters | 79.8% |
Tourism
Foreign visitors have been allowed to the region since 1992, but tourism to Upper Mustang is regulated. Foreigners need to obtain a special permit to enter, costing NRS 5000 per day per person. Most tourists travel by foot over largely the same trade route used in the 15th century. Over a thousand western trekkers now visit each year, with over 2,000 in 2008. October and August are the peak visiting months. On August 27, 2010, local youth leaders in Mustang threatened to bar tourists beginning October 1, 2010 due to the refusal of the Nepalese government to provide any of the NRS 5000 per day fee to the local economy. Visitation, however, continued uninterrupted beyond that date.
Mustang is rich in Buddhist culture, similar to the area of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Thus, it is an alternate way to experience the Tibetan culture and landscape to the tours provided by the Chinese government. Upper Mustang trek, Jomsom Muktinath Trek, Damodar Kunda Trekking, Lower Mustang trekking are several of the popular trekking organizations in the Upper Mustang area. The Tiji festival in Lo-Manthang is another popular destination for tourists in the area seeking to experience the native culture.
<note> Major Attractions of Mustang :-
</note>
=> Natural beauty
Mustang being located at the northernmost part of the country is rich in natural vegetation. The tropical alpine and coniferous forest occupies a small portion of mustang. Apple fields and rhododendron forests adds the beauty of the mustang. The biodiversity of the region swiped entire hillsides with pink and red rhododendron forests. Upper Mustang trek offers a chance to explore the thousand years of old monastery, caves, local tribes and scenic beauties of the different landscapes.
=> Desert vegetation around Himalayas
Although the Mustang lies in the shadow of Annapurna and Niligiri range the soil of this region is similar to the desert vegetation. Being at the high altitude the wind blows throughout the day. Rock soil and rocky highlands makes the mustang suitable for rock climbing.
=> Deepest Gorge
The origin of Kaligandaki River is in the Mustang district. Kaligandaki River makes the second deepest gorge of the country. The river drained the rocky soil and highlands of mustang and flow towards south of the country. This gorge is another attraction of Mustang.
=> Adventurous sports
Mustang is famous for adventurous sports such as cycling, rock climbing, trekking, horse racing and riding. The geographical structure of Mustang is comprised of highlands and lowlands with plain, which makes it suitable for mountain cycling, trekkingBeing lack of enough transportation facilities people raises horses in their home for transportation purpose.
=> Valleys
There are certain beautiful valleys that lie in Mustang district such as Jomsom, Kagbeni, lomangthang. Jomsom is primarily an administrative and commercial center with government officials and merchants rubbing shoulders with the local residents of the region, known asThakalis. Kagbeni which lies near the junction with the trail to Muktinath, is a village in Upper Mustang, located in the valley of the Kaligandaki River. Lomangthang which lies in Upper Mustang is famous for trekking adventurous.
=> Himalayan range
Mustang being in the northern part of the country is stride with the mountain ranges such as Annapurna and Niligiri range. The Jomsom valley lies in the shade of these mountains which is drained by the Kaligandaki River. Mountains add the beauty of mustang.
=> Culture 
Cultural trails in the region take into the homes of Gurungs in the lowlands, the hospitality of Thakalis around Jomsom, Manangis in the east and Tibetans in the arid north. The typical culture of people living in mountainous region can be observed and enjoy clearly in Mustang. Thakali food is another attraction of this culture and Mustang itself.
=> Snowfall 
Being surrounded by the snow capped mountains Mustang receives the snow falls frequently and mostly in the winter season. Visitors can enjoy the snowfall and snow games in mustang during this time. A visit to the snowy places can be done with the horse ride during this period.
=> Food and Festivals
Thakali food is the famous throughout the country which can be enjoyed at its origin place mustang. Different local products of apples such as wine, beer, dried items etc. can also be enjoyed. Another attraction of Mustang region is the Tiji Festival influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The Mustagi people have their own way of family life, which is quite surprising for many outsiders. All the brothers in the family are married to a single girl, what you may call a practice of polyandry.
=> Muktinath temple
Muktinath temple is the holy place for Hindus and Buddhists. Muktinath is one of the holy places among four ‘Dhams’ of Hindu holy places being located in the mountain region. The most suitable time to visit Muktinath is from March to June, as the weather conditions would not be safe enough to travel in other months. The journey passes through many archaeological sites and temples. The 108 water taps and nonstop glowing fire is another attraction of this temple.