How to make your Mustang driving tour environment friendly ?
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| The walled city of Lo Manthag |
Michel Peissel had to start walking right from Pokahra and he encountered the Tibetan ‘Khampa’ warriors with machine guns, the resistance against Chinese occupation of Tibet. The walled city and the monasteries of Mustang were great sources of the history and culture of Mustang, trans-Himalayan trade and Tibetan Buddhism. Until 1960es there were hundreds of monks practicing and the libraries had great books on various subjects.
With more tourists willing to go visit the place, the Government of Nepal opened the area for trekking only in 1992. In the earlier days, trekking groups had to take a government liaison officer along with them and get the expensive restricted area permit from the immigration. The restriction limited the tourists sustaining its precious culture.
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| Tiji festival in the walled city of Lo Manthang |
In the last decade, the expansion of the road to Lo Manthang made it possible to drive to the walled city. The road was the decision of the local government and the majority of the local people benefited from it. However for many who admired Mustang and hidden Shangri-La, the road expansion was destruction of its environment and culture. It is quite popular these days to take a 4WD drive to Upper Mustang. While the road discourages trekkers, the driving option gives an opportunity to people with limited time and fitness as well.
Driving tour of Upper Mustang
Driving tour of Upper Mustang is a new driving adventure in the Himalayas. It takes about 8 to 10 days to drive to Lo Mangtang and back from Kathmandu. With the extension of the dirt road, tourists can explore the trans-Himalayan region of Nepal in less time and in a more convenient way. The road winds through the foothills of the Himalayas and traverses to the other side through the world’s deepest gorge wedged between two 8,000 m peaks; Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Annapurna I (8,091m). The drastic change of landscape, majestic snow peaks and the mystic land of Mustang makes the trip one of the fascinating driving tours in the Himalayas.
Take care of Environment and Culture
- Encourage small business by staying and eating at homestay, local lodges and teahouses. Teahouses and small lodges are run by the local families with family members actively involved in running it. Teahouses have been hosting tourists for over two decades making them efficient and hygienic for tourists to stay and eat.
- Take your toxic waste like camera batteries back home where it could be properly disposed. Unpack and get rid of unnecessary packings of the new things you buy for the trek, before packing them in your luggage. Annapurna conservation area project (ACAP) manages rubbish. But is it always better to reduce and recycle at an individual level .
- Bring reusable bags for carrying around packing souvenirs to avoid micro-plastics bags. Plastics and packed foods are the main cause of litter around the Himalayas.
- Bring enough warm clothes and avoid heating or cooking with firewood. Some local families are still using firewood for cooking and heating. With extra guests consumption will increase and the carbon emission also causes more pollution. So bring proper and warm clothes to naturally cope with weather.
- Dress decently and be respectful to local customs. Make sure not to influence the locals with changing fashions, piercing, tattoos or hair style. Do as locals do visiting monasteries and local homes.
- Don’t drive on all side trips. Go on day hikes and walk to the monasteries and into the villages while your car is parked at a distance.
- Take a tour with more cultural immersion activities and side hikes. Walk to explore the villages and monasteries off the road.
- Take a licensed tourist guide with proper knowledge of the area and sensitiveness of its culture. Good experienced tour guide knows how to interact with locals by appreciating their culture and the environment.
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