Forget backpacking, Nepal aims for Asia's luxury tourism list

KATHMANDU -- Jomsom, a small town tucked between rocky cliffs and the Himalayas in remote Mustang, western Nepal, has been accessible to foreigners only since 1992. It is the last place on Earth where you would expect to find a luxury designer hotel. But the Shinta Mani Mustang, a 29-suite luxury property that opened in August 2023, has made the remote town a destination for the discerning.

The hotel, designed by the well-known American architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, offers luxurious rooms furnished with Tibetan antiques and fine art and craft pieces, along with wellness treatments and top-tier dining. The price is $1,800 per person per night (for a minimum of five nights) -- a tariff that would have shocked the hippie adventurers who flocked to Kathmandu in the 1970s, paving a path that quickly turned Nepal into a prime destination for Western backpackers.