Viewpoint · 2,328 m
Antu Danda
A tea-country ridge near Nepal's eastern border, visited for sunrise over the plains and views of Kanchenjunga.
Koshi Provinceइलाम
Ilam District
Rolling tea gardens, cardamom farms and sunrise viewpoints in Nepal's far east, with the forested lakes of Mai Pokhari in the hills above.
- Province
- Koshi
- Headquarters
- Ilam
- Area
- about 1,692 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Ilam
Ilam is a hill district in the far east of Koshi Province, bordering the Indian state of West Bengal to the east. Jhapa lies on the plains to the south, with Panchthar to the north and Morang to the west. The Mai river and its tributaries drain hills that rise from low valleys to high ridges, including Sandakpur on the Indian border, with views towards Kanchenjunga.
Ilam is Nepal's best-known tea district, and its gardens cover the slopes around Ilam town and Kanyam. Cardamom, ginger, broom grass and milk are also important. Limbu, Rai, Lepcha, Brahmin-Chhetri and other communities live here. Travellers come for the tea estates, the sunrise at Shree Antu, the sacred lakes and forests at Mai Pokhari and the ridge walk to Sandakpur.
Places in Ilam
Town or village · 1,627 m
Ilam
A hill town in Nepal's far east, surrounded by tea gardens, with sunrise viewpoints towards Kanchenjunga and a sacred wetland lake.
Lake · 2,100 m
Mai Pokhari
A small forest-ringed lake north of Ilam bazaar, a Ramsar wetland and a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists.
Getting there
Ilam is reached by the Mechi Highway, which leaves the East-West Highway at Charali near Birtamod in Jhapa and climbs north through Kanyam to Ilam town, a few hours by road. The nearest airport is Bhadrapur in Jhapa, with regular flights from Kathmandu.
Best time to visit
Autumn and spring offer the clearest mountain views and pleasant days in the tea gardens; the monsoon is very wet and misty, while winter is dry with cold mornings and occasional fog.
Other districts in Koshi Province
Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.