Rara Lake is a blue lake, a sweet lake, which is surrounded by pine forests. The Chankheli and Kanjirowa mountains are swimming in the lake along with pine trees. The lake changes color three or four times a day. Not only that, but the beauty of the lake along with the waves captivates the hearts of tourists.
Rara Lake is also a dream destination for travelers. Located at an altitude of 2,990 meters above sea level, this lake is home to the ‘snow trout’ fish found nowhere else in the world.
It is reported that about 60,000 Nepalese visit Rara Lake, the largest in Nepal, every year. The number of foreign tourists is not significant.
The lake is covered with snow in winter, and from the end of Jestha to the first week of Shravan, Rara Lake is covered with flowers.
The average length of the lake is 5 kilometers, width 3 kilometers, and depth 167 meters. 51 species of mammals and 272 species of birds are found in Rara National Park.
Although Rara Lake is suitable for visiting throughout the year, people go to see the snow-capped Rara and the flower-covered Rara. When the weather is clear, 6 districts of the central and far-western regions can be seen from this place.
History of Rara lake
In 2020, the late King Mahendra visited Rara Lake in Mugu on foot. Only then did the lake become nationally and internationally known. Then in 2032 BS, the area was declared a wetland by establishing a national park (Rara National Park). About three years later, Durga Bhanjan Gulma of the Nepali Army has been taking care of the park to date.
Since this lake was known from the time of King Mahendra, people sometimes also know it as Mahendra Lake. Rara Lake, considered the Queen of Lakes, is known as the largest and deepest lake in the country.
Attractions of Rara Lake
Rara is a destination with virgin trekking routes in Nepal. It is also a destination for adventure travel. Rara Lake looks black in the morning, blue in the afternoon, and seven colors in the evening. There is a beautiful pine forest around the lake.
You can walk with nature. The chirping of birds will make your heart happy. You can take a boat ride on the lake. You can spend the night in a tent near the lake and enjoy it. Apart from the panoramic view, when you return from Rara, you can bring local products of Karnali, homemade hats, clothes, and apple dishes in the form of koseli. The original products of Karnali are famous all over Nepal.
How to reach Rara Lake?
Now, you can reach Rara by both air and land. If you go by land, you will stop at the pine forest near the lake. If you are going by air, you can reach Rara Lake after walking for about two hours from Talcha Airport in Mugu.
You can also reach Rara Lake using public transport. Until a few years ago, it used to take 10 days to walk from Surkhet to Rara. But that is no longer the case. Now, you do not have to walk for 10 days to reach Rara. To get there by public transport, a daily Karnali Yatayat bus from Kathmandu goes to Jumla.
From the district headquarters of Jumla, local buses do not leave for Rara. Those travelling by car should book a small vehicle. However, buses are available from Khalanga through the Sinja Valley to Gamgadhi, the district headquarters of Mugu. Walking from Gamgadhi takes four to five hours to reach Rara.
A two-day bus journey from Birendranagar in Surkhet takes you to Gamgadhi in Mugu, and from Gamgadhi it takes about 3 hours to reach Rara Lake. You can also go by private four-wheel drive.
Since Rara Lake is within the Rara National Park, vehicles are prohibited from entering Rara. You have to park your vehicle at Mili Chaur and walk towards Rara Lake. However, horse-drawn carriages are available for those who cannot walk.
After leaving the vehicle, you can reach the lake after a journey of about 30 minutes. It can be reached after a two-day road trip from Surkhet, the headquarters of Karnali Province.
How much does it cost?
The average daily cost, including food and accommodation, is 2,000 rupees. Although the journey from Nepalgunj to Talcha Airport is about 6,000 rupees, this amount keeps changing. It is really challenging to reach Rara from Birendranagar in a conventional car. Therefore, if you go to the reserve in a four-wheel drive vehicle, it will cost 6-7,000 rupees per day.
Now, Rara packages have also been started by entrepreneurs. Therefore, the journey to Rara Lake is a bit expensive. Since it is a very long journey, those who want to go to Rara can spend 25 to 30 thousand rupees per person.
Here are some other trekking sites for nature lovers: