Squeezed into the far northern reaches of Nepal, up where the mountains turn rust red and dust brown by the side of the great Tibetan Plateau, ancient Lo Manthang is steeped in mystery and history and unique cultural heritage. It was the capital of its own kingdom – the Kingdom of Lo – until 2008 when the monarchy ended, and the city became the hub of Nepal's isolated Upper Mustang region. These days, it draws the most intrepid trekkers of all - permits can be hard to come by for going this deep into the Himalayas. Those who do manage the journey can delve into a town ringed by rough-hewn walls dating back centuries, topped with Bon stupas and whitewashed adobe monasteries that hum to the chants of Buddhist monks. 

Lo Manthang tour guides are at hand to showcase the breathtaking treasures of their high-perched Himalayan Shangri-La. You'll see the painted Royal Palace strewn with flapping prayer flags. You'll wander narrow alleys where goats and sheep and leather-faced local farmers are the only company. You'll wonder at the 15th-century Jhampa Lakhang with its carved colonnades and red-painted geometrics. And that's not even mentioning the treasures of the surrounding mountains, where the rock-carved Nyphu Gompha and troglodyte Luri Gompa perch high on the Himalayan hoodoos.