THE FANTASTICAL KINGDOM OF LO | Guest Post by Persis Anklesaria

 

 

Persis Anklesaria, is a veteran South Col trekker, keen photographer and gifted writer. In this post she recounts her journey to the once forbidden kingdom of Mustang  - a fascinating part of the Himalayan rain shadow.

Wedged between the Himalayas and shuttered Tibet, lies an ancient Buddhist kingdom within the borders of Hindu Nepal. 

 

The kingdom of Lo.

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 In the year 1380, the warrior chieftain Ame Pal, gained control of the trade routes between India and Tibet, established a kingdom and built Lo Manthang --- a grand walled capital of palaces, monasteries and gompas.

 

Nothing much has changed since then.  Sheltered behind 26,000 ft. high peaks, the Lobas continue to live a centuries old existence, farming, raising livestock and preserving their ancient faith. Today, this domain of approximately 13 settlements is the last bastion of pure Tibetan culture, its monasteries the finest example of Buddhist art, and Ame Pal’s capital the best-preserved medieval fortification in the world.

 

Till the 1950’s the only route into Mustang was on horseback via treacherous passes. Now, a Chinese road extends from Lhasa to Kathmandu, daily flights bring in a gaggle of tourists.  Before a way of life disappears forever, eight Southcol Expedition trekkers including me, embark on a 7-day, 64km climb from Jomsom airstrip (9000 ft.), northwards to Lo Manthang (12,400ft.).  

 

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As the Tara Air, 16-seater lifts off, Pokhara’s lake and green fields slip away, melting into puffy clouds.   Within minutes the skies darken as we tunnel between the world’s two greatest mountain ranges at wingtip distance. The Annapurna Peak metamorphoses into her fabled fish tail, while across the aisle, the east face of Dhaulagiri, 26,000ft of dazzling beauty floats past the windows. Below us the light-speckled Kali Gandaki River, its plunging gorges, valleys and tributaries, bisect the terrain.  Half-an-hour later we are in Jomsom, a brown, barren, rocky desert.

 

Kanha National Park | Safari Permits and Charges

 

Kanha National Park Safaris

The updated safari charges and other rules for 2021 as on date (January 11th 2021) are given below:

Safari Permit bookings

All safaris except full day safaris can be booked on the official site  https://forest.mponline.gov.in/     . One has to register on tis site & after going to wild life section you need to fill details like name, age, gender, nationality, photo id proof numbers. For Indian nationals Aadhar card, passport, driving license, voter id etc are valid. For Non-Indians passport details & country is mandatory. Permits to enter the park must be booked on line prior to the date of visit. These permits get exhausted quickly so they should be booked well in advance. We had booked one month ahead. The cost of the permit of the full Gypsy (maximum six persons plus driver plus guide) is Rs 1550/-. 

Zones 

There are four core area zones in Kanha – Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and Sarhi.  There are also four buffer zones Khatia, Khapa, Sijora & Phen. There are two entry gates for all these zones Khatia and Mukki. The core areas are in great demand as sightings are usually better in the core area though tigers have been regularly seen in the buffer areas.  The vehicles permitted in each zone are given in the screenshot below.

Cost of Jeeps

The cost of hiring a jeep (gypsy) and driver at the park gates is Rs 2500/- per safari and usually from the hotels/lodges depending on the distance from the gate is around Rs 3000/- per safari. A maximum of six guests are allowed in each  jeep plus guide and driver.

Guide Fees

The forest department provides a guide with each jeep – cost of the guide is Rs 600 per safari. 

Single seat safari bookings

It is also possible to book single seat safaris on line – the cost for this is Rs 260 per person excluding jeep cost and guide. 

Khatia Night Safari at Kanha

Night Safari is organised at Khatia Zone in the buffer. The ride is in an open jeep from 7 pm to 10pm – only three vehicles are allowed and booking is on first come first serve basis one day before the safari. The cost of the full vehicle, permit, guide is presently around Rs 5000/- per night safari for six guests.

Full Day Safari

There is a provision for booking a full day safari at Kanha covering all the zones without restriction – this is often used by photographers and naturalists – there are six permitted in a jeep along with guide and driver. Charges are not quoted on the MP Tourism web site but can be are very high. Permission needs to be taken from the Field Director for the full day safaris.

For photographs from Kanha please do visit -

 https://www.sujoydas.com/Indian-Wildlife/Kanha-National-Park-India/