Shey Phoksundo National Park

Shey Phoksundo National Park is the largest national park in Nepal, protecting 3,555 square kilometres of the remote Dolpo region in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri massif. Established in 1984, it spans an extraordinary altitudinal range, from forested gorges at 2,000m to peaks above 6,000m.

Its centrepiece is Phoksundo Lake, an alpine lake of intense turquoise water ringed by cliffs and forest at 3,600m — one of the most photographed landscapes in Nepal. Beyond the lake the park becomes true trans-Himalaya: arid, treeless valleys, blue sheep grazing on the slopes, and one of the densest snow leopard populations in the country. Wolf, musk deer and Himalayan tahr also range here.

The region preserves a way of life found almost nowhere else. The villages of Dolpo follow Tibetan Buddhism and the older Bon religion, with the sacred Shey Gompa beneath Crystal Mountain drawing pilgrims on a centuries-old circuit. The area was the setting for the Oscar-nominated film 'Himalaya' (Caravan).

Reaching the park demands real commitment — a flight to Juphal followed by days of trekking. Restricted-area permits apply to Upper Dolpo. The rain-shadow climate means the trekking season extends through the summer monsoon, unlike most of Nepal.