While traveling to Nepal most people only think about Mt. Everest and the Mountains. Being the land of 8 out of 10 highest mountains in the world, this thought is obvious and due to the chain of packages made by the traveling agency, tourists/travelers hardly get a chance to explore Nepal other than Pokhara, Chitwan, and Everest. Through the “Travel-go-easy” I will love to share about the places in Nepal which you shouldn’t miss, well most of us know that “Nepal: Once is not enough”.
This article is about the magical hill of eastern Nepal, this gem of east ” Sandakpur”. Located at an elevation of 3,636 m above sea level, between the Nepal and India border it is the highest point of Illam District and West Bengal State. Located at laps of the third highest mountain of the world, Mount Kanchanjunga, Sandakpur offers one of the best views of Sunset and Sunrise and also the view of four of the five highest peaks in the world, Everest, Kanchanjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu can be seen from its summit. The region of Sandakpur is the habitat of an endangered animal, the Red Panda. One must be lucky to witness the wilderness of the Red Panda and many international organizations are active in this region to save the species. Many tourists/travelers came here to witness the beauty of the bird world. This region is also famous for bird watching, the area is shelters many species of bird. All in all, the virgin trails on the Sandakpur lead to exquisite Himalayan views which are one of the very best around.
The best season to visit the place is March-May and October-December. In this season the weather is mostly clear. There are many ways to reach a destination. After flying to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, you either can take a domestic flight or a bus to reach Illam district. The 45 minutes flight will take you to the place called Bhadrapur, a city of Jhapa District, from there you have to take a one and half hour vehicle ride to reach Pashupatinagar, a hill station in Illam district, and the eastern border of Nepal which connects the Darjeeling district of India. The bus journey from Kathmandu to Pashupatinagar will be of 14 hours approx. You can get bus tickets to Pashupatinagar, from Gaushala, Kathmandu.
Ilam is famous for its Tea Estate, you can witness the magical tea garden on the way to Pashupatinagar. After reaching Pashupatinagar you can start a six days trek or either you can take a vehicle to Sandakpur. The itinerary for the trek is:
- Day 1: Trek To Tumling ( 2900M ) from Pashupatinagar. Walking 6-7 Hours.
- Day 2: Trek To Sandakpur (3636M ) Walking 6-7 Hours
- Day 3: Trek To Chintapu ( 3500M ) . Walking 5-6 Hours
- Day 4: Rest Day
- Day 5: Trek To Maimajuwa ( 1500M). Walking 4-5 Hours
- Day 6: Trek To Mai Pokhari. (1200M) Walking 4-5 Hours
- Day 7: Trek To Barbate ( Ilam )( 1500M) Walking 5-6 Hours.
After reaching Barbate you can take the vehicle to reach Bhadrapur and take a domestic flight to Kathmandu.
You can get homestay and hotels at every step, you can stay in a homely environment. The trek will be amazing than the vehicle rides to reach Sandakpur from Pashutipatinagar, as you will get a chance to witness the wilderness of flora and fauna. The dense forest of Rhododendron will add beauty on the way. Overall you will spend one perfect week in the lap of the Mountains.
You can get homestay and hotels at every step, you can stay in a homely environment. The trek will be amazing than the vehicle rides to reach Sandakpur from Pashutipatinagar, as you will get a chance to witness the wilderness of flora and fauna. The dense forest of Rhododendron will add beauty on the way. Overall you will spend one perfect week in the lap of the Mountains.