A hotel in Jomsom just got named the best in the world. Not the best in Nepal. Not the best in Asia. The best hotel on the entire planet, according to Robb Report’s 2026 rankings, ahead of properties in Rwanda, Japan, Italy, and the UK.
The hotel is Shinta Mani Mustang. And if you’re wondering how a 29-room property in one of the most remote parts of Nepal beat out the world’s biggest luxury names, the answer has less to do with the hotel and more to do with where it sits.
It’s Not Really About the Hotel
I’ve been running trips through Upper Mustang for years, and none of this surprises me. What surprises me is that it took this long for the rest of the world to notice.
The panel that picked Shinta Mani Mustang required guests to stay a minimum of five nights. That’s not a marketing gimmick. Mustang is the kind of place where a two-day visit barely scratches the surface. The red cliffs, the high desert terrain, the villages that still feel untouched by the last thirty years, let alone the last three hundred — none of that reveals itself quickly.
That’s the real story here. The hotel is getting the headline. Mustang is the reason the hotel exists at all.
What Makes Upper Mustang Different
Upper Mustang was a closed kingdom until 1992. Foreigners weren’t allowed in before that, and even now it’s a restricted area that requires a special permit. That history is part of why the region still feels the way it does.
A few things worth knowing:
Lo Manthang, the old walled capital, still has its 15th-century royal palace standing. Lubra is an 800-year-old village practicing Bon, a tradition that predates Buddhism in this region and has mostly disappeared everywhere else. The Kali Gandaki gorge, which cuts through the middle of Mustang, is one of the deepest gorges anywhere in the world.
And because Mustang sits in a rain shadow behind the Annapurna range, it stays dry and trekkable even during monsoon season, when most of Nepal’s other trails are washed out.
Seeing It Without Two Weeks to Spare
A full trek into Upper Mustang runs 10 to 14 days on foot. That’s a real commitment, and not everyone has it to give.
That’s why we started running the region by jeep instead. Same route into Lo Manthang, same villages, same landscape — just covered in a fraction of the time, without losing what makes the trip worth doing. It’s how most of our clients experience Mustang these days, especially first-timers who want to see it before committing to the full trek on a future trip.
If that sounds like your situation, take a look at our Upper Mustang jeep tour.
The Real Takeaway
One hotel doesn’t make a destination. But an award like this doesn’t happen in a vacuum either. Mustang has quietly been building a reputation, and this is the moment it became visible outside Nepal.
If you’ve been putting off a trip here, this is a decent nudge not to. Reach out and we’ll walk you through the best way to see it, whether that’s a jeep tour, a full trek, or something in between.