Mustang & Margie: Helping to Keep a Living Culture Alight

Why her recent Mustang trip mattered

In Upper Mustang, reliable light can be the difference between a child studying after dusk or not at all. Thanks to a partnership effort, Margie delivered solar lamps, supplied by Paddy Pallin, to households experiencing energy poverty. 

The handovers were simple moments with big impact - a lamp placed into a grandmother’s hands, a shy smile from a student who can now read at night, a family kitchen lit safely without kerosene. Three short videos capture these exchanges, but the real story is the ripple effect you help create when you travel with purpose on a Mustang tour.

• Education: AUD 8000 to Lekshey Choeling Monastic School
• Women’s health: AUD 2000 to Meson Women Health Camps
• Scholarships: AUD 5100 for students from Upper Mustang in the Annapurna region

Cultural immersion on a Mustang tour

Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow near the Nepal and Tibet frontier, a high desert of ochre ravines and whitewashed villages where Tibetan Buddhist traditions continue as they have for centuries. 

With Margie you explore Lo Manthang at 3830 m or 12,566 ft, meet Amchi healers, visit cave monasteries, and time your visit to coincide with the Yartung Horse Festival - ceremonial processions, songs, dancing and displays of horsemanship that few outsiders witness.

As Margie says, “Upper Mustang is just so different from anywhere else in the Himalaya... far more untouched, and far fewer tourists go there.”

Ride sure footed Tibetan ponies to Chosar

One highlight of a Mustang trip with Margie is reaching Chosar village by Tibetan pony. You pass cave monasteries and arrive where women wear ornate traditional dress sets unlike anywhere else in the region. No previous horse riding experience is necessary. Ponies are calm and sure footed and you can walk any section you prefer.

Why travel with us on Margie’s Mustang tours

• Unmatched access: Margie’s relationships with local families, monastic communities and cultural custodians create meaningful encounters that anonymous travel cannot match.
• Depth with care: You see living culture on its own terms - from Thubchen gompa’s restorers to the Royal family’s role at Yartung.
• Comfortably supported: Vehicle links between valleys, day walks and optional pony rides, hearty meals on trek, and wilderness first aid trained staff.
• Positive impact: Every Mustang tour helps fund education and health initiatives selected with local leaders.
   

Common concerns, answered

I have never ridden a horse. Riding is optional. The Tibetan ponies are small, calm and sure footed. You can walk any sections you prefer.

I am unsure about altitude. The sequence allows gradual acclimatisation. We use vehicles to manage daily gains and monitor you closely. Lo Manthang sits at 3830 m or 12,566 ft and our leaders are trained to support you.

I am not a hardcore trekker. This is an immersive cultural journey with day walks and cultural visits rather than a continuous point to point hike. It aligns to our Introductory grade guidance for active travellers who enjoy walking and exploration with support.

Next tours with Margie - always up to date

Want the latest Mustang tours and other destinations Margie leads in future seasons? Use this live search page. It automatically shows any upcoming departures as they are released.

See upcoming Mustang trips and other tours with Margie

Travel with purpose

If you are ready to see Mustang with a guide who is part of the community, not just passing through, join Margie on our next Mustang tour. You will experience a culture that has endured for centuries and help keep study lamps on, classrooms open and health services running for the people who host you.