Overview
Neighbouring the famous Indian hill town of Darjeeling, Ilam is situated on the foothills of Mt. Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Ilam is adorned with an almost limitless range of lush-green tea gardens. The rolling hills covered with tea leaves are simply majestic. The thick white fogs alternatively descend to veil the gardens and then suddenly vanish. Greenery prevails all over the hills of Ilam all around the year. Ilam Tea Garden located near Ilam Bazaar and Kanyam Tea Garden located halfway between Terai plain and Ilam Bazaar are the major gardens of Nepal. Ilam is not only famous for producing tea leaves but also produces cardamom, ginger, potato, orlon, and broom on a large scale. Ilam also famous for the unique scenery of Everest and Kanchanjunga coincidentally is the vantage point for the sunrise and sunset. Mai Pokhari which lie at 2438m is a famous place of pilgrimage in Ilam. This beautiful place consists of a pond whose circumference is more than one kilometre. Altogether there are nine ponds in the area some of which are large enough for boats. This place becomes alive every year during ‘Harisayam Ekadashi’ when a one-night fair is held. Sandakpur at 3,636m on the international Nepal – India borderline provides a majestic view of the Himalayas, Mt. Kanchanjunga, Mt. Kumbhakarna, and Mt. Makalu and even Mt. Everest. Rare wildlife like red panda, musk deer and wild bird Danphe can be seen in the forest of this area.
Trip Highlights
- Visit Ilam, the tea-producing town in Nepal
- Fantastic Horizontal View from the top of the hill
- Sunrise view and green tea garden sight
- Chance to stay away from hustle and bustle of the cities
