Lho is built along a ridge above the Budhi Gandaki, with stone houses, barley fields and a long line of chortens leading to the village gate. Above it, on a spur, stands Ribung Gompa, a Nyingma monastery with a school for young monks. The view from the gompa courtyard looks straight up the valley to Manaslu, its twin summits catching the first light while the village is still in shadow. Many trekkers say this is the moment the trek becomes Manaslu's.
At about 3,180 m Lho is high enough for cold nights and short days in autumn. Frost covers the fields at dawn in November, and the lodges light their stoves early. The village is a farming community first; its people are Nubri, related by language and custom to their neighbours in Samagaun and across the border in Kyirong. Look out for women weaving and men repairing walls in the lanes.
Lho is the night before Samagaun on most itineraries, and the short walk the next day lets you arrive in Samagaun fresh. Leave Lho early to see Manaslu from Shyala, a village in an amphitheatre of peaks: Himal Chuli, Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu and the glaciers between them. If you are on a slow itinerary, an extra morning in Lho for the gompa and sunrise is well spent.
What to see and do
- Ribung Gompa
The monastery above Lho houses a community of monks and a school. Its courtyard, murals and prayer wheels are worth the 15 minute climb, and morning or evening prayers with horns and drums can sometimes be watched quietly from the doorway.
- Manaslu at sunrise
From the gompa or the chortens at the top of the village, Manaslu's summit turns pink and gold in the first light. It is the classic photograph of the Manaslu Circuit, best between 6 and 7 am in autumn.
- Shyala amphitheatre
An hour above Lho, the village of Shyala sits in a bowl surrounded by Himal Chuli, Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu and their glaciers. It is one of the finest mountain settings in Nepal and a natural tea stop on the way to Samagaun.
- Nubri village life
Lho's lanes, chortens and mani walls are part of a working village. In autumn you see harvests drying on roofs, yaks and dzo being moved and children walking to the monastery school.
- Short, easy days
Lho sits between two short stages, 4 to 5 hours from Namrung and 3 to 4 hours to Samagaun. That gentle pace helps your body adapt to the altitude above 3,000 m.
Experiences in Lho
How to reach Lho
On foot
From Namrung, walk via Banjam, Lihi and Sho to Lho in 4 to 5 hours, about 11 km with roughly 550 m gain. Onward to Samagaun is about 8 km and 3 to 4 hours via Shyala, gaining around 350 m.
Helicopter
Lho has open fields that can serve as an emergency landing site. Rescue flights to Kathmandu take 50 to 60 minutes in good weather. Planned heli drops usually go to Samagaun instead, which is 3 to 4 hours further up.
Where to stay
Lho has several teahouses near the village entrance and along the main lane, with views up the valley towards Manaslu from some dining rooms and terraces. Rooms are twin with shared bathrooms, and solar hot showers work on sunny days. Tashi Dalek Guest House and Majestic Manaslu appear on many trekking group itineraries; like all teahouses on the circuit, names and owners can change between seasons, so we reconfirm before each departure. Choose a room on the valley side for the dawn view of Manaslu from your window.
Tips from our trip managers
- Set an alarm for 5:45 am in October; the sunrise on Manaslu from above the village is the best on the lower trek.
- Visit Ribung Gompa in the late afternoon and leave a small donation of 100 to 200 rupees.
- From Lho upwards nights are below freezing in late autumn, so sleep in a warm hat and keep water bottles inside your sleeping bag.
- Leave early for Samagaun so you are in Shyala before cloud covers the peaks around 10 am.
- If you feel a headache at Lho, rest, drink and tell your guide; do not push on to Samagaun without improving.
