Exhilarating Ilam: Where the Body and Mind Rejuvenate

Ilam, a hilly district of eastern Nepal, is an agro-tourism destination where potatoes, milk, ginger, tiger grass, Akbare chilies, cardamom, and orthodox tea are produced. The Ilamelis are laborious, which is why they have painted their hills green with tea farms. Ilam is rising to prosperity thanks to agriculture tourism. 

A large number of domestic tourists visit Ilam every year, enjoying nature, culture, agriculture and religious heritages. Ilam Bazar, Kanyam, Antudanda, Sandakpur, Maipokhari, Larumba, Todke Jharna, Chintapu, Siddhithumka, Gajurmukhi, Maikhola, Joubari, Patenagi, and Hangetham are the some of the must-visit destinations here.

Ilam is like a painter’s picture book. The more you turn the pages, the more unique the images you'll see. With the development of tourism infrastructure, the entire Ilam district can shine as a agricultural tourism hub if promotion can be done with the help of good branding. Travelers should plan their trip so that they spend at least three nights in Ilam. Let’s explore some top destinations of Ilam. 

“We should attract more and more domestic and Indian tourists to Ilam. All our tourism products have not been well marketed. In terms of infrastructure development and marketing, the government and the Nepal Tourism Board should prioritize Ilam.” Bijay Rai - Chairman, Ilam Tourism Promotion Concern Committee

How to reach Ilam?

BP Highway from Kathmandu. 520 km from Bardibas to Ilam Bazar by highway, 12 hours by bus. Or Kathmandu-Bhadrapur 50 minutes by air. The distance from Bhadrapur to Ilam via Charaali is 95 km, 3 hours by car. Charaali-Ilam Bazar 85 km.

Kanyam

Kanyam in Suryodaya Municipality-6,7, 8 is famous for tea gardens, Himalayaa and horse riding. The mountains that can be seen from here include Kumbhakarna, Kanchanjunga and Sagarmatha, even the glaciers can be seen from here. Along with this, there is also the panoramic views of the sunrise and sunset over the mountains. Horse riding is becoming popular here. You can ride a horse and visit the tea gardens. Recently, a ‘Sky Walk Tower’ has been built in Kanyam. Climbing the tower and witnessing the tea fields on the ground and the mountains on the horizon gives a different feeling. A 4-meter wide and 7-meter-long deck is placed on top of the tower’s stairs. Walking on this clear glass gives a sense of adventure. The weather of Kanyam changes continuously. At one moment, the sun shines, and suddenly it rains. Ilam is also known as ‘Natural AC’ due to its climate. Kanyam is also famous as a picnic spot. People from Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari come for picnicing. Kanyam can be reached from Birtamod in Jhapa via Charali. Ethnic costumes and jewelry are available for rent in Kanyam to take pictures in the tea garden wearing them. Many hotels, resorts, homestays and restaurants have opened in Kanyam.

"Trekking tourism can flourish in Chintapu, Sandakpur, Thumke and many other places in Ilam. Apart from that, we need to promote the trekking trail  from Pashupatinagar to Chiwa Bhanjyang, Timbu Pokhari to South Base Camp of Kanchanjunga. If treks are organized, employment will be created and the homestays will also benefit."  Keshari Gurung - Chairman, Kanchanjunga Eco Tourism Promotion Committee

Ilam BAZAR

The headquarters of Ilam district is Ilam Bazar (1,208 m.). There are neat houses in the market with a winding road in the middle, on a hill. The market has become a beautiful flower garden of various ethnic communities. Rai, Limbu, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Magar, Newar, Sherpa, Lapcha and Madhesi communities live here. There are many attractions to visit in the market area, such as the tea gardens, view towers, bear stone cave, Chureghanti monastery, Narayansthan, Maisthan, Bhimsensthan, tea factories, rock climbing, Sinhavahini and Setidevi temple etc. Aarti is held every Saturday evening in Maisthan temple. A cannon of archeological importance is also placed in the temple. Above the market is Nepal’s first tea garden. Chief Colonel Gajrajsingh Thapa started Ilam Bagan in 1920. At that time, 118 acres were planted. The tea processing factory opened in 1935. Today, tea is cultivated on more than 55 thousand hectares of land in Ilam. The main market for tea is abroad. From March to November, tea leafs are picked and processed in the factory. You can study how tea is processed in the factories. There are hotels, lodges, resorts and restaurants of tourist facilities in Ilam Bazar.

Antudanda Smiles to Welcome the Rising Sun

Ilam is also known as the district of sunrise. Especially from Antudanda, Sandakpur and Siddhithumka, you can see the beautiful view of sunrise and sunset. Antudanda (1,823 meters) is located in Suryodaya Municipality-5. You can wlecome the sunrise from Antudanda on a view tower that has been built here. Another attraction here is Antupokhari, which is in Suryodaya Municipality-4. You can walk around the lake while boating facilities are also available here. Hotels and cottages with tourist facilities have been built around the pond. Guphapatal, bordering Darjeeling, is another good tourist destination in Antu region. From here, you can see mountains and tea plantations. It also snows during winter. More than 60 percent of the land in Antu region is completely covered by tea cultivation. Flower cultivation including that of orchids is also done here. In Antudanda, you can also observe the customs, culture and lifestyle of the Lapcha community. Mirik Bazar is near the Indian border from Antu. It takes two hours to reach Mirik by walking. Homestay tourism has flourished in Antu region. You can taste local cuisine in the homestays and according to the demand of the guests, dances reflecting the culture of Lapcha, Rai, Magar, Tamang, Limbu and Newar are also shown in the evening. Antu is crowded with domestic tourists throughout the year. It lies 14 km east of Fikkal and there is a road facility right up to the hill.

You can visit Antu area all year round. The best time to see the sunrise is from October to January. We have formed the Sri Antu Tourism Association covering Ward No. 4 and 5 of Suryodaya Municipality. There are 68 hotels and cottages in our tourism area. Similarly, more than three dozen homestays are serving tourists. Rudra Ghimire - President, Tourism Association, Shree Antu
 

Fikkal

Fikkal is a business center in Suryodaya Municipality-10. Ilam Bazar is 35 km from this location and Antupokhari is 13 km away. Similarly, border Pashupatinagar is at a distance of 11 km. People from Darjeeling come via Pashupatinagar to explore through Fikkal. Similarly, Nepalese traveling to Darjeeling also take this route via Fikkal. This area can become a Lapcha study center along with the historical monastery found here. Above Fikkal Bazar is the Lapcha Gumba which holds much archaeological importance. It is called ‘Phengsong Monastery’. No single fact has been found as to when the monastery was built, but it is estimated to be more than 250 years old. There are idols of Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Padyasambhava and others in the monastery. Another monastery of similar importance is at a place called Suryodaya in Municipality-8, Kazini. It is called ‘Yangthok Monastery’. The Lapcha tribe lives in Fikkal area and is an indigenous tribe of Ilam. Lapcha is also among the 10 endangered tribes. They have their own language and script with a population of around 4 thousand. They are nature worshippers and dependent mostly on agriculture. Fikkal has a tea garden for sightseeing where a Lapcha Museum is being built. There are also many koseli (souvenir) houses where you can buy Ilameli products. You can find hotels, lodges and restaurants in Fikkal Bazar.

Larumba: Kirantis Pilgrimage

A place of pilgrimage for Kirantis from all over the world where the practical study of Mundhum is done. The Kirant Dharmalamvi reside in Ward No. 3 and 5 of Mangsebung Rural Municipality of Ilam. The entire settlement is called ‘Larumba’. About 5,000 people live in 1,600 houses in the village. Larumba is a village that was officially declared as a "Vegetarian village" in 2016. According to Nanda Nembwang, the former secretary of Kirat Chohng Muhingum Aghasi Mangenna Sewa Central Committee, alcohol and smoking are not allowed here. It is not allowed to raise livestock for meat or produce alcohol in the village. Larumba is the work place of Dharmaguru Atmananda Lingden. Atmananda has been living here since 1978 after building an ashram. The villagers have taken his blessings. Atmananda led the villagers along the path shown by social reformer Mahaguru Falgunanda. Along with regular prayers, the Kiranti scripture Mundhum is studied here. The main temple here is the ‘Kirat Hangsam Mujolung Manghim’. Larumba gives the message of world peace and humanity. Three bamboo lingas are buried in every house of the settlement.  They fly a red, white flag with a sun. When you reach the settlement on the hill, a spiritual feeling awakens in your mind. Mangsebung Community Homestay runs in the village. Larumba is about 16 km from Damak in Jhapa and 55 km from Birtamod.

Maipokhari: Biodiversity Study Center

A pond with nine corners (2,121 meters) is situated in the middle of a dense forest. Popular belief is that a goddess resides in every corner of the lake, as such it is a faith center of Hindu, Buddhist and Kiranti communities. Maipokhari is located in Ward No. 1 and 3 of Sandakpur Rural Municipality. In 2008, the pond was listed in the Ramsar zone.

The reservoir of Maipokhari spreads over 90 hectares. 14 species of mammals, 12 species of snakes, 200 species of flowering plants, 16 species of goldfish, 3 species of snakes, 62 species of herbs, 3 species of fish and 300 species of birds can be found in this area. 231 species of plants can also be found in the wetlands here. Biodiversity and the intersection of culture - Maipokhari. In order to protect and research biological diversity, the Government of Nepal established a botanical garden here in 1992. Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Brahmin, Chhetri, Dalit etc live in the Maipokhari area. There are hotels and homestays near the market where organic food is available.

"We have opened a community homestay in Deurali Bazar to make it easier for tourists visiting Maipokhari. In 2015, homestays were started with 9 houses, but now, there are 15 houses offering homestays. We host guests in the homes of different ethnic households like Sherpa, Chhetri, Bahun, Rai and Bishwakarma communities. All combined, we can accommodate up to two hundred people in one night." Jiwan Siwa Founder President, Maipokhari Deurali Community Homestay

The homestay also shows cultural programs in the evenings such as the performance of Panchaibaja and Naumati Baja. Keep in mind, if you want to stay at a homestay in Maipokhari, you must inform in advance and reach the village before the sun sets in the evening. Maipokhari lies at a distance of 13 km from Ilam Bazar. The vehicle road reaches all the way to the edge of the pond.

Sandakpur: An Unparalleled Hill Station 

The highest hill in Ilam is Sandakpur (3,636 meters). Located on the border of Ilam and Darjeeling, Sandakpur is famous for its mountain view, sunrise and sunset. From here, the glaciers of Nepal, India and Bhutan can be seen. At 180 degrees, mountains like Kumbhakarna, Sagarmatha, Kanchanjunga, Makalu, Pandim can be seen easily. India’s Singhalila National Park is connected with Sandakpur while the highest viewpoint falls in Nepal. It is always cold in the mountains where after the onset of February, the Rhododendron blooms. It snows during December and January and colorful flowers bloom from May to July. There are some hotels on the hill. Sandakpur is especially famous as a summer destination for Bengalis. Sandakpur is also known as the head of Maikhola. There is a pond on the hill which is called ‘Maikholako Shir’. There are temples of Shiva, Ganesha and Devi near the lake and a cattle herding field at a place called Ahal near Sandakpur. One thing to keep in mind of is that it is a cold place so you should travel with warm clothes. The best season to visit Sandakpur is from October to June. Sandakpur is located at a distance of 42 km from the headquarters of Ilam. You have to go by jeep from Ilam Bazar via Biblyante. If you go on foot, you can reach Sandakpur in about 6 hours from Maipokhari. Todke waterfall can also be seen on the way here.