Nepal Largest Lake ‘Rara’ : Nature’s Full Package (Photo Feature)

Nepal’s largest lake, Rara Lake, is situated within the area of Rara National Park, Mugu, at an altitude of 2,990 meters (9810 feet), which covers an area of 10, 627 square kilometres. With a length of 5.2 km, a breadth of 2.7 km, and a depth of 169.93 meters, it is one of the most popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists.

The Park offers various attractions for visitors, including trekking, birdwatching, horse riding, boating, mountain biking, among many others. According to Nepal’s Tourism Board, the park is rich in wildlife such as endangered red panda and musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard, jackal, Himalayan Thar, wild yellow-throated martin, wild dog, wild boar, common langur, three species of snow trout.

In addition, during winter, 214 species of birds can be observed, including coots, great crested grebe, black-necked grebe and so on.

Coniferous forests and blue pine dominate the park and the lake are respectively. Rhododendron, juniper, spruce, oak and cypress are found around 3000 m while at higher altitude, pine, spruce and fir are more common.

Visitors are required to pay an entrance fee, which varies for Nepali, SAARC and other international tourists. Rara Lake can be accessed via a one-hour flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, followed by a 35 minutes flight to Talcha from Rajha Airport in Nepalgunj then 2-hours trek to the lake.

Considering the climate, the most appropriate times to visit are February to April and October to November.