Dolpo has something for everyone

Wonderfully captured in Eric Valli’s 1999 Oscar nominated movie Himalayan Caravan, time forgotten region of Nepal, Upper Dolpo is one of the restricted regions for the foreign tourists. Though the movie played a significant role in exposing natural and cultural treasures of Dolpo including Shey Gompa to the rest of the world, a very few trekkers dare to accept to trek along the trials that chases the tough conditions geographically and infrastructure wise. The region needs to be boosted economically.

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Upper Dolpo comprises of highland hamlets representing Tibetan. A major portion of Upper Dolpo falls under Shey Phoksundo National Park. Natives in few of these highland hamlets are the adherents of Bon, Buddhist religion that is prior to Gautama Buddha. Dolpo houses many ancient artifacts and architecture that attracts archeologists and travelers from around the world. Trek to Dolpo has something for everyone. To those who admire nature and seek to explore the panorama of Himalayas, lake with unique attributes Phoksondo, Crystal Mountain considered as second Kailash Mansarovar and the Himalayan peaks embedded in typical terrain including the fascinating Kanjirowa offer absolutely what they want.

Similarly, the largest and only trans-Himalaya National Park in Nepal which was established in 1984, Shey Phoksundo National Park offers extremely diverse and rare species of floras and faunas.

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The park house 6 different species of reptiles and 29 butterflies. Animals, such as; Snow Leopard, Grey wolf, Musk deer, Blue sheep. Goral, Great Tibetan sheep, Himalayan Tahr, leopard, Jackal,Himalayan black bear and yellow-throated marten, dominate the region, along with Rhododendron, Caragana shrubs, Salix, Juniper, White Himalayan birch and the occasional Silver fir.

Conclusion is Dolpo has something for enthusiastic archeologists, many things for nature lovers, pretty much for wildlife enthusiasts and endurance testing challenges for adrenaline junkies.

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