Mustang was closed to outsiders for centuries, and even now, reaching its wind-sculpted valleys feels like arriving somewhere the modern world has forgotten all about. Seated just above the frontier town of Jomsom, between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, Shinta Mani Mustang is the first proper luxury lodge in this corner of Nepal – and it was well worth the wait. Designer Bill Bensley has worked his magic on the hillside stone building, filling it with upcycled antiques, yak fur stools and tiger-motif rugs that somehow feel completely at home, even at 2,800 metres high in the sky. Stay more than five nights and it's all included: guided excursions, wellness treatments with an 11th-generation Tibetan medicine doctor, themed dinners and drinks – your Adventure Butler will take care of the lot!
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Built from local Baglung stone and almost camouflaged into the mountainside, the lodge's interiors are classic Bensley – antique furniture, vibrant Tibetan textiles and artworks by Nepali painter Dhwoj Gurung adorning the walls. The Nilgiri Restaurant serves a different themed menu each evening (the nine-course momo tasting is legendary), while the Aara Bar, lined with yak fur and local handicrafts, is the sort of place where a post-hike cocktail comes with views of 7,000-metre peaks. Outside, fire pits provide a warming spot to gaze at the stars.
All 29 suites are designed like traditional Tibetan homes with open-plan bedrooms flowing into living areas and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the snow-dusted Nilgiris outside. Bensley's touch shows in the handmade rugs, bold splashes of colour against warm wood, and the Robert Powell artworks on the walls. Top Floor Suites have higher ceilings and bathtubs facing the mountains, while the Balcony Suites have an added private outdoor perch for evening stargazing. Every suite includes a refillable minibar, organic local toiletries and copper Tibetan boxes in place of plastic bottles.
Your Adventure Butler will tailor each day to your pace and interests, with options ranging from gentle pre-breakfast hikes behind the lodge to full-day treks towards the Tibetan border. Visit the ancient Marpha village and stroll through the flagstone lanes and sample apple brandy, receive blessings at the sacred pilgrimage site of Muktinath, or mountain bike down rugged trails with the Kali Gandaki, the world's deepest gorge, as your backdrop. The SoRig Wellness Centre offers unlimited treatments including herbal baths and traditional cupping, all prescribed by the resident Amchi. Helicopter flights over the peaks are available at an extra cost.
The food - and not just in the lodge! Think multi-course lunches on monastery rooftops, breakfast picnics under apricot trees, and home-cooked meals in villagers' kitchens. It's a world away from hotel dining.
Ask for the Marpha Appletini at the Aara Bar – it's made with apple brandy from the orchards next door. And with over 2,000 apple and apricot trees, surrounding the lodge, the juice at breakfast is superb too.
Getting here involves two short flights via Pokhara (weather cancellations are common), and the five-night minimum means a serious commitment – both in time and budget. Worth every second, though.
Nepal’s greatest hits of mountain views, with options for every kind of walker.
