Lake Manasarovar

After Nam Tso Lake, which supposedly is the highest fresh water lake in the world, the holy Lake Manasarovar is the highest salt water lake at an altitude of 4550 m (15,000 feet) and a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site. We spent a couple of nights there on our way back from the Guge Kingdom staying at a small guest house situated between the lake shores and the Chiu Monastery atop a small hill.

Manasarovar is a gorgeous, deep-blue lake that reflects the surrounding mountains on its smooth surface. The most stunning of them is Gurla Mandhata which, at 7728 m (25,500 feet), is among the fifty highest mountains in the world. We spent a full day exploring the lake shores, and enjoyed the warm sun after freezing on the Mt. Kailash kora.

Even though the lake shores may look barren and uninhabitable at a first glance, there are plenty of water birds, flocks of ground birds, and the soil is covered with a salt crust interspersed with vegetation giving way to a colorful display.