Dolpo

Less than 20,000 people make their home between the isolated reaches of Dolpo, set high amidst the arid peaks where the southern, snow-mantled Himalayas meet the crags and creeks of the Tibetan Plateau. Accessible only by trekking and horseback, this is a land of sporadic villages and valley-bottom barley farms, criss-crossed by faint bridle trails trodden down by the hooves of mountain yaks. Travellers who find their way here enjoy an earthy and traditional glimpse of Nepali life, informed largely by the cultural heritage of the Tibetan folk.

Doplo tour guides also often highlight the magnificent confines of the Shey Phoksundo National Park, which encompasses great swathes of the so-called Inner Doplo region. The filming location of the iconic film Himalaya, this area is home to some eye-watering sights, from the narrow channels of the Tarap Gorge to the alpine reaches of Phoksundo Lake, the latter a spot that could have easily been plucked from middle Austria. Penetrating deeper and deeper into the borderlands, dusty hills begin to rise, crowned with whitewashed monasteries of centuries gone by and mud-brick villages alike, all set to the flapping noises of colourful prayer flags by their thousand.