• Grade: moderate
• Destination: Nepal
• Activities: Trekking in Nepal, Remote Area Trekking, Dolpa Region
• Departure: October
• Best Seasons: march-may, September- December
• Minimum Altitude: 899m.
• Highest Altitude: 3500m
• Start-Ends: kathmandu- kathmandu
• Per day walking: 5 to 6 hours
• Type of trek: remote area trekking.
• Min. Pax: 2+
• Mode of Travel: flight.
• Mode of Travel: Rara national park
• Nearest Major Airport: nepalgunj domestic airport
• Convenient Centers: kathmandu
• Destination: Rara lake
• Culture: traditional hindu culture
• Himalayan Sights: view of saiphal himal mountain.
• Trek Attraction: lake and national park

Rara lake, a shimmering blue jewel set in a ring of snowy peaks in Nepal has always featured not only in the minds but also in the hearts of all serious adventures from around the world. it is well known for its high mountains, the Himalayas, and as a home to eight of the highest 8000-meter peaks in the world, including Everest, the highest. but a lesser-known fact is that it is also home to some of the most naturally stunning mountain “lake” scenery to be found anywhere.

over the years we had the opportunity to visit many of the higher elevated lakes, several times, and for me, these have provided days and in some cases weeks of pure pleasure and enjoyment. however, there has always been one lake that has managed to evade my planning but never the less refined high on my must-visit list and that was Rara lake. Described by GORP founder bill Greer as “a shimmering blue jewel set in the ring of snowy peak” I was finally able to take the challenge of driving across to the far western region before turning north to the mugu district. the lake also known as Mahendra Daha is located in the Karnali zone, Jumla, and mugu the most remote district of the country.

Rara is the biggest lake in Nepal with a length of 5.2m, a breadth of 2 km, and a depth of 167m, the total surface area is 10.4 square kilometers and it is situated at an altitude of 2980m, by road 842 km from Kathmandu with at least one-third of the journey being on a rough road.

the lake has not always been as idyllic as it appears now. forty seven years ago there were small local businesses, agricultural framings and small village were settled around lake shore but they were removed when the area was designated as national park, this was in the days of king Mahendra shah. the king was mesmerized by Rara, and penned his famous poem Rara Ki apsara sitting under a juniper tress.

Getting to Rara by road in its own right for best option can be road travel and if you like you can fly through air. although a long road drive can give you a plenty of opportunities to take part in west Nepal that so far is less visited, something obviously you cant do by air. Rara is still undiscovered gem f Nepal, although domestic tourist visit the lake it is only very occasionally visited by foreign tourist. however, all this might be about to change with a new drive to attract more paying visitor, but at the moment the lake facilities are on the local level.

Rara Lake Trekking is surrounded by Rara national park and is uniquely important with several rare and vulnerable flora and fauna. in 1976bthe park was established to preserve the beauty of the lake and to protect it from sedimentation and adverse human activity. the park flora consist of 1074 species, of which 16 are endemic to Nepal, the fauna includes 51 species of mammals and 214 species of birds. the lake support three unique species of fish, two species of Nepalese snow trout and Rara snow trout, with one species of Rara lake frog. during the winter many water birds visit the lake to reside during migration. around the world migration of many birds are seen in Rara lake.

To know more about Rara Lake Trekking you can visit this website https://ntb.gov.np/rara