Dolpa region lies in the largest district of Nepal namely Dolpa itself. The district is considered the largest in the country with an area of 7,889 square kilometers.
Despite being the largest district, it is one of the remotest terrains in the country. It has a very scarce population. The topography of the Dolpa region is very interesting.
It is the kingdom beyond the Himalayas. It is one of the regions which lies behind the high mountain range of Nepal. Being so, the land receives very little rain. Hence, it is desertification like its Tibetan counterparts.
Dolpa region shares its borders with the autonomous region of Tibet and hence, is a restricted area and requires a special permit. The region is explored relatively very less and only a few thousand people trek in this region in a year.
Not many know that this region holds the deepest lakes in Nepal and the deepest high-altitude lake in the world. They are namely Shey Phoksundo (3,611.5 m). High hills, lakes, falls and harsh weather make the terrain of Dolpa one of the most inhospitable terrains in Nepal but also a rare beauty that is absolutely mesmerizing.
This remote and stunning corner of the Himalayas is bound by Dhaulagiri (8,163 m) at one end and Churen Himal (7,371 m) at the other. Because of its inaccessibility and the high hills and passes, this region has been left on its own. And it is similar even in the modern-day.
Much of Dolpa land (3,000) is protected by the Shey Phoksundo National Park and it is also the largest protected area in Nepal. Some rare cultures and traditional villages are housed in this region.
The Bon people, who are in Dolpa villages here carry out their ancient rituals and practices. As a result, you will as see some fantastic Gompas and monasteries which are believed to possess mystical and magical powers. The main transportation in this region is still the yak and hence, yak caravans are not rare sightings.
In terms of flora and fauna, the land is very dry and arid and is limited to very little vegetation. Although the people’s main occupation is farming, farming is limited to potatoes, barley and millet.
The animal species on the other hand is as well very rare. Dolpa is believed to be the real deal when it comes to spotting the shy snow Leopard. All in all, the Dolpa region is a very rich destination in terms of culture, religion and trek. If you wish to trek in this region please click here!
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