It wasn’t long ago that the old border kingdom of Mustang was first opened to the outside world. (We remember a famous mountain man exclaiming joyously, “I’m going to Mustang!”) Politically part of Nepal, but geographically and culturally very Tibetan, Mustang’s landscapes, presided over by the icy ramparts of the Himalaya, are vast and open. And its capital, Lo Manthang, and its ultraremote villages, inhabited by gracious, happily traditional folk, are entrancingly evocative of the early days of Central Asian exploration.

We fly west from Kathmandu to the town of Pokhara (one of the most viewblessed places on the planet) and on to Jomsom, where we leave the lushness of the foothills for the austerity of the Himalayan rainshadow, working our way farther north into Mustang proper and the traditional enclave of Lo Manthang, where we’ll have a couple of days to wander its dusty streets and visit its old temples and monasteries. Now on to Yara and the Luri Gompa, hiking through grand Himalayan precincts, and back south to Muktinath, a much-sought village on the Annapurna Circuit, then to Jomsom and the luxuries and magic of Kathmandu.

Days 1–3: USA to Kathmandu via Bangkok • Day 4: sightseeing in Kathmandu • Day 5: fly to Pokhara • Day 6: fly north to Jomsom, begin trek • Days 7–23: on trek, ending in Jomsom • Days 24 & 25: rambling around Kathmandu • Days 26 & 27: return to USA via Bangkok.

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