We invite you to come and discover the remote Himalayan kingdom of Dolpo, the land the Oscar-nominated film Caravan brought to fame, Due to Eric Valleys documentation for National Geographic, the Dolpo region of Nepal has been shown for all its integrity and mystical values. The Tibetan culture has been preserved for centuries and has one of the deepest lakes in the Himalayas. The Shey Phoksundo is a beautiful turquoise lake, with an abundance of nature surrounding it, see the yak caravans coming through regularly.
Lower Dolpo region is home to some of the highest villages on earth; almost 90 percent of the area lies above 3,500m, with a regional population less than 5,000 people, making it one of the least densely populated areas of Nepal. Its inhabitants cultivate their survival from this inhospitable environment by synergizing agriculture, animal husbandry and trade. Dolpo's agro-pastoral livelihood is characterized by migrations between permanent villages and pastures at higher altitudes. Over 90 percent of the population lives under the poverty line, literacy is low, and life expectancy is a mere fifty years.
The region is popular for being outstandingly unique, containing pristine natural beauty and possessing a rugged charm. You will meet the nomadic people of the region and experience their traditional way of life, almost untouched and unexplored. The people are very pleasant by nature being of Tibetan descent, they follow the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. The language they speak is closely related to Tibetan. There are 64 large and small monasteries in Dolpo, with most of the monasteries built at the top of the high mountains. Some of them can even be found around rocky isolated surroundings. Since it is believed that the followers of the spiritual world should live a peaceful and isolated life, most of the monasteries are found in calm and lonely places. The Himalayas offer an endless variety of landscapes, cultures, tradition and great people. This unbounded diversity makes it a destination you can visit multiple times, it becomes more interesting and fascinating with every time you return.
The lower Dolpo trek is suitable for the real adventure-lovers who wish to explore off the- beaten- path treks. The trek passes through Shey-Phoksundo National park with breathtaking mountain scenery, Buddhist monasteries, beautiful valleys and Yak and Sheep caravans. We would recommend you to arrive in Kathmandu at least two days before the trek starts. This would allow for a historical tour of the ancient sites in the city, whilst we gain the special permits required for the lower Dolpo trek. We take a spectacular flight from Kathmandu to Juphal via Nepalgunj and then begin a great trek of Lower Dolpo and Phoksundo Lake with the cold and fresh air of the Glaciers of Kanjirowa Himalayas, it truly is a once in a lifetime experience.
