Rara Lake Trekking

Introduction

Rara Lake is the biggest freshwater lake in Nepal, situated at the heart of Rara National Park in a small district, Mugu. Rara Lake is one of the few pristine and less crowded trekking destinations, surrounded by hills on all sides and beautiful mountain ranges behind those hills. The Lake lies at an elevation of 2990 meters from sea level, distributed to an area of 10.8 square km (almost 13 km around the lake), with a depth of 548 ft. The Lake drains into the Mugu Karnali River via the Nijar River. It was declared Ramsar Site (an Intergovernmental Environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO) on September 2007.

Rara National Park is home to three endemic fishes, the rare and endangered Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bears, Leopards, Foxes that howl early in the morning around the lakes and many other animals inside it. National Park surrounds the Lake; it has unique flora and fauna with rare and vulnerable species and some endangered animals. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people living around this area, and they are also engaged in animal rearing like goats and selling extracted medicinal herbs. Rara Lake has been a popular destination for trekkers, with a rough route in Western Nepal. The glimpses of the people's culture and the scenery on the way are pretty different from the rest of Nepal. Situated at a high elevation, we find the mighty Rara Lake in the heart of Rara National Park with alpine vegetation. The view of snow-capped mountains enhances the beauty and attraction of the trek. 

Reasons to visit the Rara Lake

The biggest freshwater Lake in Nepal

Rara Lake is the biggest freshwater Lake in Nepal, extending to a total area of 10.8 sq. km at an elevation of 2990m. The depth of the lake is 548ft. Naturally, the lake is very beautiful as it lies at the heart of Rara National Park and is worth visiting once. The Karnali River of Mugu receives the drained water from this Lake.

Hiking on Nearby Hills

The entire lake is surrounded by green hills and mountains beside the hills. So, if the trekkers are interested in such a hike, they can go to the hills. Since the lake is vast, you can observe the spectacular view of the entire lake from the top of those hills and explore different floras and fauna while walking through.

The Town of Jumla

You can have a fantastic experience exploring through Jumla Town. Jumla town lies on the banks of the Tila River. It is the district headquarter of Jumla District and the largest city in the Karnali zone at an elevation of 2514m. Although it is not verified, Jumla is claimed to be one of the world's highest rice-growing areas. In ancient times, the royal King’s family of Nepal used to import red rice from this town for themselves. You should also try the local red rice of this town with ghee, which has a unique taste.

Less crowded area

The lake is unspoiled and unaffected by human civilization as it lies inside National Park. So, it’s free and can be visited without any disturbance from the outer world. The features like Hotels, boats, Airports, etc., are the facilities available for trekking trips.

Meditation in the Lake

The lake is untouched and unspoiled by human civilization, so it is the perfect place for meditation. You can feel pure nature and tune your body towards nature. It is believed that some saints have devoted their whole life to meditation here. Meditation in this type of place gives you spiritual energy.

How to reach Rara Lake?

You have many options to reach Rara Lake. The options are described below:

1. Easiest option is a direct flight to Rara Lake

It is the shortest and easiest way to reach the Lake. You can fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, then from Nepalgunj to Talcha {and even Jumla}, or you get another way from Surkhet airport to Talcha. From Talcha, it's easy to reach the Lake.

2. Another is through a jeep, a bus or a private vehicle to the Lake

It’s another easy way to get to the Lake. You get a bus from the Kathmandu valley to Nepalgunj. You reach there in about 16-20 hours. From Nepalgunj, you can take the local jeep to Rara Lake. Another way, you can have a direct drive, a private one, toward Rara Lake from Kathmandu. Taking the private vehicle takes you much closer to the lake. The last one is, taking the local jeeps from Jumla or Surkhet once you’re there by plane or overland drive. But you might have to reserve it, either from Nepalgunj or Surkhet or Jumla. With vehicles other than the bus after getting off at the last point, you need to walk for about 25 minutes to reach the Lake.

3. This is the pretty challenging but enjoyable and proper way to the Lake, Trekking

If you love to trek and adventure in the pristine Himalayan land of Nepal, then it’s the best way to enjoy the way to Rara Lake. You can have the most beautiful and fantastic way to enjoy Karnali through the blended landscape of the region, exploring the beautiful and unique culture of western Nepal.

How much does it cost for a complete trek to Rara Lake?

The trip's overall cost can vary depending on your group size, the accommodation choice, how much you spend on the trip, the country you are from, etc. It all depends on your spending habits or your traveling standards.

Accommodation at Rara Lake

The homestays are available in the nearby villages from Rara Lake. There are a few lodges if you wish to stay at Rara Lake. Most of the time, you must book it beforehand, but they also provide tents and other feasible ways to serve customers. With only a few hotels, you might want to carry your tents if your group is big and you haven’t booked the rooms.

About the Phone Networks and charging the batteries

Throughout the journey, charging the phones and camera batteries won’t be a problem. Solar energy is available in Jumla and all areas of the Mugu district. But phone networks is not available everywhere. NTC and Nell Sim networks can’t be found in the Rara Lake area, but the Sky phone Sim network is available almost everywhere.