I came here expecting mountains and luxury. But found something better
By Carolyn Beasley
Just beyond the wing tip of my small plane, there’s a sheer rock face. Craning my neck to look upwards, I see Nepal’s jagged, icy peaks; the planet’s upper extremities, reaching ever skywards. On my right is Annapurna, while on my left is Dhaulagiri, both over 8000 metres in elevation. Below me, the Kali Gandaki Gorge is said to be the deepest in the world.
Shinta Mani Mustang.
Above the village of Jomsom, the plane makes a U-turn while banking at a disconcerting angle. Touching down in the lower Mustang Valley, my heart pounds, thrilling as it is to be among the Himalayas.
I’m met by my personal adventure guide, Krishna Nepali, and our four-wheel-drive zigzags up a steep track. It’s a strange driveway for a luxury hotel, but nothing about Shinta Mani Mustang, a Bensley Collection is usual.
Opening in August 2023, the 29-suite hotel is co-owned by flamboyant American hotel designer Bill Bensley, and the Nepalese family-owned Sherpa Hospitality Group. Previously, most travellers to Mustang have been hardy trekkers, staying in basic tea houses. But now, high-end travellers can be immersed in the wonders of this region, and the benefits of this high-end tourism flow into the local economy.
On arrival, a traditional Tibetan scarf is draped around my neck and I’m led to the outdoor terrace, where a local apple cider (with a dash of rum) calms my adrenaline rush.
The view is stupendous. There’s the river valley below, and on the opposite mountain flank, the white-washed village of Thini. A colourful monastery glitters in the sun and one ambitious vehicle trundles up a mountain track, trailing a plume of dust. Ridges of barren rocky moonscape give way to conifer forests above. Higher again, the majestic peaks rise.
View to a thrill with all the creature comforts.
There’s time to absorb this same view from my room, where other Bensley touches convey a deep, and quirky, sense of place. Yak-fur tops the stools, and Bensley’s playful artwork depicts Himalayan goats. Beside my bath, brick-sized chunks of pink salt are waiting to be dumped into steamy water. It’s a nod to the trans-Himalayan trade route that stretched through here, and I picture lumbering yak caravans hauling salt from Tibet down to India, returning with rice, tea and spices.
On our first excursion, Krishna shares some Nepalese background. Historically, scores of kingdoms existed. Just north of Jomsom, Upper Mustang, formerly the Kingdom of Lo, was known as the forbidden kingdom. Just kilometres from the Tibetan border, it only opened to visitors in 1992, and hefty permit fees still restrict visitor numbers. Tibetan Buddhism culture still prevails here.
We bounce along the river bed, also known as the road, to historic Marpha, surrounded by apple groves and vegetable plots. Ducking through the village entranceway we spin prayer wheels, banishing evil spirits.
Flagstone alleyways meander through traditional white-washed homes of wood, mud and straw, some 500 years old. The rooftops are fringed with a knee-high stockpile of firewood, a handy windbreak for the rooftop drying of beans, corn and mountain barley.
Guest bathroom.
Old men chat on yak-skin rugs, and women sell scarves to a handful of trekkers. Overhead, colourful Buddhist prayer flags dance in the wind.
At Apple Paradise Tea and Coffee, I have a date with the owner, Kamala Lalchan. She greets me with a dab of yak butter on my forehead, and as I follow her downstairs into her house’s internal courtyard, I’m warmed by her plum wine.
Kamala explains Marpha is home to Thakali people, and she’s cooking me a Thakali lunch.
“In every Thakali family the oldest daughter must learn everything from her mum,” Kamala says, as she stirs. “Then, when you go to your husband’s family house, you’ll have a good life.”
I’m soon consuming my dried fish curry, dahl, pickled vegetables and rice drizzled with cow ghee, and before I’ve finished Kamala’s famous apple crumble, we’ve discussed everything from families to geopolitics.
Back at the hotel, I pop into Aara Bar for a local apricot brandy cocktail. With its funky decor, it’s perhaps the most Bensley-esque space here. Yak-tail tassels edge an oversized lampshade, tables resemble Buddhist drums, and there’s a giant sculpture of an ammonite, a fossilised marine creature found in the river bed.
Progressing to dinner, I join an American couple and we share many laughs. Each night, the multi-course menu is inspired by a different local theme and my favourite are the momos, dumplings that were invented in Tibet. The hotel’s own garden produce features heavily, along with foods sourced from local farmers, like yak cheese.
Each day brings another fascinating excursion. On our trip to Lubra, Krishna and I hike into the village via a wobbly suspension bridge, before climbing to a hilltop monastery. Here we meet the holy man, the lama. Dressed in a red tracksuit and fluffy hat, the lama explains this village is one of the last vestiges of the Bon religion, an ancient form of Buddhism.
A mountainside dip.
After a spectacular lunch on a rooftop, Krishna points out the cliff dotted with meditation caves. Scaling the steep stairs, we duck inside the first cave, perusing the space used by our lama friend for extended meditations, complete with his mattress, and the whiff of joss sticks.
Back at the hotel, traditions are also incorporated at the wellness centre. While modern spa treatments are offered, I’ve opted to consult the Amchi, Jomsom’s 11th-generation Tibetan medicine practitioner.
“The body is like a laboratory and you’ve got to understand how it works,” the Amchi says. “It’s not the same for everyone.”
Analysing my laboratory, he’s checking my pulse while bathing my feet in locally foraged herbs. Feeling pressure points behind my ears, assessing my eyes and poking my spine, he declares I have a “wind disorder”. Thankfully, it’s not one of embarrassing digestive issues, but rather the flow of energy, which can be interrupted by stress and emotions. Armed with this information, he tailors my massage, and I leave feeling rejuvenated.
Mesmerising views.
On my final excursion, I’m visiting Muktinath, a major pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. Ascending a long flight of steps, a wrinkled holy man from India blesses my head with long peacock feathers.
At the top, two waist-deep pools, representing sin and salvation, are fed with holy water. Here, Hindu pilgrims are splashing through one chilly pool, then the other. Extended family members laugh as they video each other, wet saris or undergarments clinging to their bodies. The pilgrims progress to the 108 taps, where water gushes from cow head-shaped spouts. They dash through these holy torrents, laughing and shivering.
Continuing on foot, we enter the courtyard of the red-painted monastery in Jhong. Ascending to a rooftop here, I’m greeted by the Shinta Mani food team. Lunch is served with a 360-degree Himalayan panorama. It’s equal parts surreal and sublime.
But there’s more. Outside our lunch venue, mountain bikes await, and now I’m descending through 1000 metres of elevation to the Kali Gandaki River.
Snow-topped splendour … Shinta Mani Mustang Nepal Hotel.
Rolling and banking down the Himalayas with senses heightened, I’m truly experiencing this up-thrust, buckled mountain. Far below, a caravan of horses picks its way towards the forbidden kingdom. I stop to watch, breathing in this barren, alien landscape, reflecting on the journey.
I’d come to Nepal expecting a luxurious hotel and epic mountain visuals. But what I found was an immersive experience of people and place that simply would not be otherwise possible. For me, it’s luxury travel at its finest.
Snapping me back to my ride, Krishna is down at the next switchback, waving. Releasing the brake, I steer down the mountain, deeper into Mustang.
THE DETAILS
Stay
Shinta Mani Mustang, a Bensley Collection is $US1800 ($2782) a couple a night, minimum five nights. Rates are truly all-inclusive: meals, beverages (including alcohol), private guided excursions, spa treatments, laundry service, plus the two permits required. See shintamanimustang.com
Fly
Fly to Kathmandu via Singapore with Singapore Airlines. Take a domestic flight to Pokhara airport, transfer to Pokhara’s second airport, then take the 20-minute flight to Jomsom. The hotel can arrange the domestic transfers, or a direct helicopter (additional charges). See singaporeair.com
Five more notable hotels designed by Bill Bensley
River bliss at Shinta Mani Wild, a Bensley Collection, Cambodia.
Shinta Mani Wild, a Bensley Collection, Cambodia
Deep in the remote Cardamom Mountains, Bensley’s 15 luxury tents are nestled along a gurgling river. Arrive at reception by zipline if you dare, and join rangers on an anti-wildlife poaching patrol. See shintamani.com/wild
Shinta Mani Angkor, and Bensley Collection Pool Villas, Cambodia
Explore the temples around Siem Reap, like Angkor Wat, with a choice of regular hotel rooms or the sumptuous, two-storey private pool villas, with a private Bensley Butler. See shintamaniangkor.com
Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort, Thailand
Unveiled in 2022, Bensley designed this Intercontinental hotel beside Khao Yai National Park, three hours north-east of Bangkok. Based on a railway theme, many of the suites are historic, repurposed train carriages, rescued from decay. See khaoyai.intercontinental.com
Rosewood Luang Prabang, Laos
In the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang on the banks of the Mekong River, Rosewood Luang Prabang is dotted along stream. Its architecture is inspired by French Indochina, and the 23 rooms include hillside jungle tents. See rosewoodhotels.com/luang-prabang
Capella Hanoi, Vietnam
Located near Hanoi’s historic French Quarter and the Hanoi Opera, the 47 suites here are individually styled by Bensley in a tribute to opera, with a particular nod to the decadent art nouveau era of the roaring 20s. See capellahotels.com/capella-hanoi
The writer travelled as a guest of Shinta Mani Mustang, a Bensley Collection.
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