Authorities Urge Tourists to Take Precautions in Upper Mustang

Government authorities have urged tourists visiting Upper Mustang to take necessary health precautions as cases of altitude sickness have increased among visitors to the region.

Lomanthang Rural Municipality issued a public notice on Sunday, advising all tourists to adopt preventive measures against health risks associated with extreme cold and high altitude.

“The cold in Upper Mustang is intensifying, and several tourists visiting high-altitude areas have fallen ill,” the notice issued by Rural Municipality Chair Tashi Narbu Gurung stated.

The rural municipality said many tourists traveling to the Nepal–China border at Korala and other high-altitude areas have suffered from altitude-related health problems. Despite limited resources, the municipality has been providing medical assistance to affected tourists and transporting serious patients to the provincial hospital in Jomsom through a free ambulance service.

Chair Gurung added that as the number of visitors has risen following the Dashain festival, tourists are strongly advised to take adequate precautions against altitude sickness and cold-related complications.

Korala checkpoint in Upper Mustang, situated at an altitude of 4,610 meters on the Nepal-China border, has been emerging as a new tourist destination in recent years, attracting a growing number of domestic visitors.

The number of tourists visiting the area has surged with the improvement of the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road — one of Nepal’s national pride projects — which has made travel smoother and more accessible.

Fifty percent of the domestic tourists who visit Muktinath, a famed shrine in Mustang, are found to travel up to the Korola check point.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project attributes Mustang’s appeal to its unique landscapes, ancient monasteries, traditional stupas, and panoramic Himalayan views. Key attractions include the historic Lo Manthang Palace in Upper Mustang, Chhoser Cave, the sacred Muktinath Temple, and Dhumba Lake, among other cultural and natural landmarks. -- RSS