Welcome to the website of Master Dolpopa Menlha Phuntsok from remote far western Dolpa district in Nepal.

Dolpo

A remote Himalayan region Dolpa lies in the far wester region of Nepal. It is the largest district among all the 75 districts of Nepal with 23 Village Development Committees (VDCs). 14 VDCs are mainly inhabited by approximately 13,000 Buddists.

Eric Valli's Oscar nominated movie "Caravan" was shot in Dolpa.

There are 120 old monasteries in Dolpa. Most of the people in this district are underprivileged and illiterate. It is still one of the most isolated and least developed regions in Nepal.

District Area: 7889 sq. km
Headquarters: Dunai
Population: 29,545
Ethnicity: Hindu 60 %, Buddhist 34.5 %, Bonpo Religion 5.5 %
Altitude: 1525m from the sea level up to 7754 m\
Climate: Below 7000ft, a sub temperate climate, Between 7000 and 13000 ft, cold temperate climate, Himalayan; above the snowline
Religion: Buddhist, Hindu, Bon and Shamanistic
Language: Nepali, Dolpo (Analogous to Tibetan with native dialects) Kaike (Indigenous to the Tichurong valley of Dolpa)
Occupation: 79.5 % agriculture, 2% service
Access: Chartered flights through Juphal airport, which has regular and chartered flights from Nepalgunj, Surkhet or Pokhara
Entrance fee: Permit fee for Lower Dolpa costs 10 US$ per week. Upper Dolpa is under discussion with the Nepali Government, but actually costs 700 US$ for 10 days. Trekking and travel agents will put pressure on the Government to lower this fee to 150 US$.
National Park: The entrance fee is 1000 NRs.
Other fees: A fee is requested by "other parties"; 100 US$ for lower Dolpa, 200 US$ for upper-Dolpa. Trekking and travel agents will request the "other parties"  to lower this fee to 50 US$ and US$ 150.