Jomsom Muktinath trek in the Mustang region is unique with its distinctive feature of dry, barren land and hills with few shrubs and bushes growing here and there. The medieval era like settlement around this area is a fascinating sight here. Every house has firewood stacked over their roofs, probably stocked for winter. The people of the Mustang region including Jomsom and Muktinath are mostly from Thakali ethnic group who follow Buddhism, which is reflected by the chortens, stupas, and monasteries along the trails.
We can also take a detour to a secret cave where the infamous and well respected Guru Rinpoche used to meditate. We also pass through the Kali Gandaki river gorge which is the deepest river gorge in the world. At the bank of the river, you can find people selling the ‘shaligram’, a black rock which is the fossilized remains of the prehistoric ammonites. As you approach Muktinath, the land becomes more barren and you can see the Kali Gandaki valley from your ascend towards the Muktinath temple located at an elevation of 3710m.
The temple is a simple pagoda style, dedicated to Lord Vishnu of Hindu mythology. At the back of the temple lies the 108 holy water sprouts where people take a shower and dip at a small pond at the front of the temple. The water here is directly from the Himalayas and extremely cold.
Annapurna Trekking Region has covered big areas of western part of Land and it has created many trekking routes to explore different parts of Annapurna Himalayan views, so one can experienced Upper Mustang Trek, Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna short Circuit Trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, Khoprang Trek, Panchase Trek, Ghandruk Village Trek and Nar Phu Valley Trek.
