Mustang (in Nepali meaning "fertile plain") is a mystic land in the rain shadow area of Nepal. Mustang is the ancient Himalayan Kingdom which is situated in the Trans Himalayan region at an average altitude of 4,000m and lies in the northern central part of Nepal at the top of the Kaligandaki River. Mustang is the hidden world of the old Buddhist kingdom called Lo. 

Duration: 17 nights/18 Days

Max Elevation: 3810m.

Difficulty: Medium-Hard

Season: May - October

Trekking Style: Tea house Trek

Start / Finish: Jomsom(2713m)

Annapurna Conservation Area was established in 1992, covering 7629 km2.

Annapurna Conservation Area, the first conservation area and the largest protected area in Nepal, is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC). Annapurna Conservation Area covers an area of 7,629 sq. km. and is home to over 100,000 residents of different cultural and linguistic groups. Annapurna Conservation Area is rich in biodiversity and is a treasure house for 1,226 species of flowering plants, 105 mammals, 518 birds, 40 reptiles, and 23 amphibians.

Several features make the Annapurna region a unique place in the world. It has the world’s deepest river gorge—Kali Gandaki Gorge, which is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, is a valley with fossils from the Tethys Sea dating back 60 million years. The region contains the world’s largest rhododendron forest in Ghorepani. Tilicho Lake, located in Manang, north of the Annapurna massif, is the world’s highest-altitude freshwater lake.

The biological diversity of the Annapurna region is equalled by its cultural diversity. Gurung and Magar are the dominant groups in the south, whereas Thakali, Manage, and Loba are dominant in the north. Each of these groups speaks its own dialect and has unique cultures and traditions. Besides, there are also Brahmins, Chhetris, and other occupational castes, although in comparatively smaller numbers. Hindu, Buddhist, and pre-Buddhist religions, along with a mixture of all these, are prevalent across the region. The local people reside in the five districts of the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA).

The Annapurna region is famous for the mountain ranges and Himalayan peaks of the Annapurna massif. Mt Fishtail 6997M, Mt Annapurna South 7219 M, Mt Annapurna I 8091M, Annapurna II 7,937 M, Annapurna III 7,555 M, and Annapurna IV 7,525 M, Mt Gangapura 7455M, Mt Himchuli 6441M, Dhampus Peak 6012 M, Tuckhe Peak 6920 M, Gurja Peak 9193M, Nilgiri North (7061 m), Nilgiri Central (6940 m), and others.

The natural and cultural features of ACA have made it the most popular trekking destination in the country, attracting the majority of the country’s total trekkers. Over the years, tourism has been firmly established as one of the most important sectors of the local economy. There are over 1,000 lodges, tea shops, and hundreds of other subsidiary services to cater to the thousands of trekkers, pilgrims, and their support staff. The soaring number of visitors, whose fuelwood consumption is twice that of the local people, has exerted immense pressure on forest resources already stressed by the growing local population. Similarly, litter, particularly the waste produced by trekkers and hoteliers, is another major concern. It is estimated that an average trekking group of 15 people generates about 15 kilos of non-biodegradable and non-burnable garbage in a 10-day trek, producing tonnes of garbage in mountain regions annually.

The multifaceted problems of ACA have been addressed through an integrated, community-based conservation and development approach, an experimental model that has been in the vanguard of promoting the concepts of "conservation area" through an "Integrated Conservation and Development Programme" approach in the country and abroad. ACAP was first tested as a pilot programme by the Ghandruk Village Development Committee (VDC) in 1986. After being notified in the Gazette as a "Conservation Area" in 1992, ACAP’s programme covered the entire area. Additionally, ACA is the first protected area that has allowed residents to live within the boundaries, own their private property, and maintain their traditional rights and access to the use of natural resources. It is also the first protected area that has refrained from using army assistance to protect the dwindling natural resource base on which the region depends. Instead, it invests whatever financial resources are available for community development and social capital building in the region.

In the Annapurna Conservation Area, the altitude varies from 1,000 m above sea level to 8,091 m. This drastic change in altitude in the 50-kilometre stretch makes Annapurna naturally rich and diverse. On one side, Annapurna is known as the wettest area in Nepal, with lush green forests and dense rhododendron forests in the south, whereas Annapurna massifs prevent most of the rain from reaching the upper part of the conservation area, creating a dry, high-altitude desert environment in the north.