Mustang, located in Nepal's northwestern Himalayas is a land of intense and diverse vistas, a spectrum of flora and fauna, and a variety of ethnic groups. From the lush coniferous forests in the south to the desert wildflowers scattered across Mustang's northernmost plains, this area is unique. Caught in the rain shadow of Dhaulagiri Himal (8167m.) to the west and the Annapurna massif to the east, most of Mustang's 750 square-miles are trans-Himalayan desert. This boot-like piece of land juts north into the Tibetan plateau. At an elevation of fifteen thousand feet, the Mustang landscape reveals spires of ochre Earth and dramatic rock formations, as well as sandy flats and grassy plains surrounded by rolling hills-the hallmark of the Central Asian plateau.

Ruins of centuries-old fortresses are found throughout the Mustang panorama, reminding the visitor, this entire region was once an independent kingdom connected by language, culture, religion and geography to Tibet.