Mustang Tour Guide ( Lo-manthang ): Motorcycle Trip All Expenses || Things You must Consider Before Going || Tips To Save Your Cost !!!

 

Hello,Everyone I am a Travel Motovlogger from Pokhara I recently had a Motorcycle Trip to Lower Mustang Rode upto Muktinath Temple. And Today I will be sharing my Travel Experience and will be guiding you regarding the Road conditions , Do's and Dont's and Travel Expenses.

You can also watch my Mustang Ride Vlogs in my Youtube channel: AKR 

ABOUT MUSTANG:

Mustang is a District in the Western Region of Nepal which comes under Gandaki Province. This district falls in the mountain region of nepal. Mustang was an ancient forbidden kingdom,bordered by tibetian plateau and sheltered by some of the World's highest peaks including 8000m Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. This district is one of the most remote areas in nepal and is second in terms of the sparsity of population. Mustang is Divided into two Sub regions Upper and lower Mustang.

Geographicallly this cold high altitude steppe is a part of Tibetian Highlands.Mustang is a vast and arid valley,distinguished by eroded canyons,vividly coloured stratified rock formations and barren high altitude deserts. 

Dry lands of Mustang

MOTORBIKE TOURISM IN MUSTANG:

Due to the great scenery of the Barren Deserts , high mountain ranges and rich tibetian style culture , Mustang has been a dream destination for both local and international tourists. There are several ways to travel mustang some fly by plane to Jomsom Airpot [ Capital of Mustang ] , while some travel by Jeeps and Buses. While majority of Young and passionate guys do a Motorbike ride as the difficult tough roads and the challenging climate of mustang full of fast flowing wind makes trip adventurous. Other than that Motorbike ride to Mustang is a Cheap and fun alternative than other means.

In a Monastery in Jomsom Mustang 

ROUTE TO MUSTANG [ Lower/Upper Region ]

The Road to Mustang Generally starts from Pokhara ,Nepal via Pokhara Baglung highway. So you need to reach pokhara first whether from Kathmandu or any other places.

Outline itinerary 

Pokhara - Beni,Myagdi [90km approx] Highway Road tarmac with few broken patches , potholes . Difficulty level: Easy  Time:  3 hours approx 

Beni - Tatopani [ Hotsprings ] 30km approx Offroads Begin with Few small water crossings muds and rocky patches. Difficulty level: Normal  Time: 1hr approx

Tatopani - Jomsom Bazar [ 48km ] Tough Roads Begin with Muddy patches and Rocky landslide sections after Ghasa gravel roads begin  

Difficulty level : High Time:2-3 hrs 

Jomsom - Kagbeni [ 13km ] Straight Gravel Roads Starts with some water patches and river beds Great Barren Desert View of mustang begins 

Difficulty level: Normal  Time: 30mins 

Kagbeni - Muktinath temple [ 13km ] Nice tarmac roads with few twisties thorny and dry land patches seen with Few native villages .

Difficulty level : Easy   Time: 25 mins 

Above Kagbeni Starts the Route for Upper Mustang Lo-manthang and reaches upto Korola Pass [ Nepal-China Border].

Note: Kagbeni is the Junction point one way reaches Muktinath temple and othe leads to Lomanthang.

 

Muktinath Temple [ Lower Mustang ]

Kagbeni- Geling [ 35km approx ] High altitude begins with dry gravel dusty roads 

Time : Soley depends upon the rider 3/4 hrs average 

Geling- Lomanthang [ 32km approx ] High barren deserts roads start full of dusts best view of mustang seen from lomanthang with rich cultured native villages and foods.  Time : Soley depends upon the rider 3-3.5 hrs average 

Expenses:

1) Fuel Cost: It solely depends from where you are starting your trip. Just Calculate the distance and average mileage of your vehicle to estimate the Fuel cost.

Green Hills at Beni,Myagdi

Example: 

let's say you have a Royal Enfield classic 350 which gives an average mileage of 30kmpl.

You start your journey from Pokhara

Estimated distance from Pokhara to Lomanthang: 280km approx. 

Fuel tank of the Bike= 13 litres= 13*30= 390km range 

Total distance to be travelled= 280*2= 560km 

* The full tank range of your bike and distance travelled will help you calculate your fuel stops and Cost. 

Total Fuel needed = Total distance to be covered = 560  = 18.67 litres 

                                   Mileage of bike per litre             30

*Let's assume you need around 20-21 litres of fuel as in extreme offroad and high altitude motorbike tends to give less mileage than average.

Total Fuel cost = 20 * 135.5 = Rs 2710 approx ( 24 US Dollars ) 

*Note: Rate of petrol per litre= Rs 135.5 NPR

Also after Beni there are no fuel stations in Mustang region so far. It's not that fuel is not available, fuel is available in many small shops and hotels of Mustang Region but the cost is high 40/50 NPR  more than the Regular Price. local people there sell them in bottles. 

So, Fuel tank full is highly recommended from Beni which will give enough range to return back from lomanthang to Beni. 

*depends upon your bike and it's mileage.

2) Food and Accomodation.

The food and accomodation cost solely depends upon you what you eat, where you eat, where you stay and how we stay. 

The average food cost per person per day including

( Breakfast ,lunch and dinner ) is around 

Rs 1500-2000 [ 17 $ USD ] 

I stayed in Hotel Marpha Homes at Marpha Mustang

*Note: The cost can be higher depending upon the hotel or restro. If you have extra food and bevrages the cost can go up. The cost can be less if you eat in small local hotels [ khaja ghar]. You can also get Continental cusine in high class hotels and resort but cost will be higher than normal.

Traditional Thakali food ( lunch Set )

Hotels can Cost you around Rs1000-1500 NPR per day depending upon the room size and bed numbers.

There are many well faciliated hotels in both and Upper mustang region with well equipped rooms with Wifi,hot water bath,Tv and hygienic rooms.

*Note: Room charge depends upon the  type of Hotels and lodges you stay . The above price is the average cost. large rooms with beds for 7/8 packs and larger are available in mustang. So,Group travel can cost you much lower.

Rooms in hotels of  Mustang for groups.

The food and accomodation cost depends upon your stay time . Generally from Pokhara Mustang Tour is of 3/4 days to 5/7 days.

Solely depends how much you spend exploring the places as there are many beautiful destinations in mustang that you must visit [ I will tell you about them in the Next Blog ].

Let's calculate a Rough total cost. [ Pokhara-Muktinath-Lomanthang-Back]

For 5 days 

Fuel Cost: Rs 2500-3000 

food cost: Rs 1500 * 5 = Rs 7500 

Accomodation: Rs 1500*4= Rs 6000 

Total cost Around Rs 16000 NPR for one person.

Also the Cost can get low if you travel only upto Lower Mustang

(Muktinath Temple ) and return Back.

*Note: This cost can go down if you travel in groups or go up if you have any extra expenses.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE GOING TO MUSTANG 

1. Good Bike Condition

- If you are planning a Bike Ride to Mustang. Make sure your Bike is in Excellent Condition. Make sure Engine condition is good check engine oil and coolant level, make you wear and tear parts like Clutch plate, Chain & Sprocket have good life also make sure your tyres have good threads . Simple things like wheel bearings and handle cone are good as it plays a huge in maintaining wheel balance. Also make sure your brake pads have some good life better to add new brake pads or brake shoes. Also your Spark plug and air filter are clean and working good as you will be riding in high altitude. A dirty air filter will decrease bike's power in high altitude as air fuel combustion is irregular. 

My Adventure Bikes resting in Kagbeni Road 

Above things may seem complicated to a new learner, just make sure your bike is properly serviced and checked by a good well experienced technician . It's always useful to learn some basic bike repair triks like puncture repair, spark plug /air filter/brake pads change battery removal and few others. Do add a Basic toolkit with puncture repair kits with you. There are only few workshops in Jomsom Bazar and repair cost is very high in case of any repair or technical issue. It's always to carry some spare parts of the bike like brake pads, air filter, spark plugs and clutch plate especially if you have a high capacity premium bike whose spare parts are not available in that region. 

2. Riding Skills and Safety Gears 

Mustang is consisdered one of the Toughest Offroad Route in Nepal for Motorcycle Riding. One must be mentally and physically fit to Complete the Mustang Ride. The Roads are tough full of muds, rocky landslide patches , water crossings, dusty gravel roads and all other than you can think of. The roads are much better now than the past years but is tough , one mistake and you can have a terrible accident with very less chance of timely rescue as the Mustang region lacks the good infrasturctures. So,make sure you have a decent riding experience with good skills and have a fit energetic body before you aim to complete the Mustang Ride. You should have idea about basic bike lifting techniques in case of a fall , must be able to push or pull the bike if the stucks in a obstacle. 

Few glimses of Mustang road [ Tatopani to Jomsom ]

Another important point that you must not avoid is to wear a good pair of safety gears , a good quality helmet for both  Rider and pillion , riding jacket and pants if not knee and elbow guards will also do the job if you are in a low budget . The Road is tough there are chances if you might crash or have an accident, the area is remote it is not easy to get immediate medical rescue so don't compromise on safety. You can also add a small first aid kit with some medicines for headache and altitude sickness which might help while riding through upper mustang. 

If you are a new rider, make sure to have partner pillion who can help you in case of any obstacle or problem or it is always best to travel such places in groups which ensures safety and gives unlimited fun during your stays. 

3. Packing Tips ( Things you must include )

- Make sure to have a good packing of all necessary equipments as you are riding in a extreme route with tough roads & Challenging climate. Mustang is a cold place with cold fast air flowing all day. So, make sure to pack decent pair of warm clothes jackets,trousers, make sure to pack an extra pair of shoes and shocks as they might get dirty and wet during the ride. Using a Riding Boot or normal boot type shoe will make your ride a lot easier. Also,add some rain gears in your bag for both rider and luggage you can also use them in while riding through muddy and wet roads to protect your clothes.

Adding few instant energy giving food like chocolates, waffers, biscuits, almonds ,cashewnuts etc can be a great relief as the distance between stops are huge, also there is chance you might stuck in small landslides or offroad obstacle. So these foods can be boon in case of worse conditions.

Also, a pack of water bottle is a must addition to keep you hydrated. 

Using Saddle bags makes your Ride Easy 

4. Hotel Booking & Cash 

- Thousands of tourists visit Mustang every year and the number just keeps on increasing. The Best season to travel mustang is in the month of October to December. Some, also travel in the month of Jan-feb to ride in the snow. As,the hotels are in limited number make sure to do a pre-booking in your desired hotels before you start your ride just to be in the safer side especially during busy seasons.  Always select a hotel with good parking facillity for your Bikes.

It's always good to have a proper itilenary. 

Also, in Mustang online payment are not accepted everywhere also there is network problem sometimes so make sure to carry necessary cash in your wallet. 

Apple Garden in Marpha Village 

Marpha Mustang 

That's all guys, do watch out above points and you are all ready for the adventure. Mustang is a place that you must have a ride to It's a adventure of a lifetime. The experience is just awesome I have been there recently. One last tip, if you are a foreigner make sure to travel with a guide who can help explore mustang or it's better to ride in groups with various motorbike tour companies of Nepal who conduct this ride every year for you in a good package. 

Thank you for reading this post. Hope this was helpful to you guys.

Make sure to leave a comment. 

Have a great day, Ride Safe.

Do Visit Mustang !!!

Do watch my Mustang Ride Vlogs to have an Idea about the Road Conditions.