Ilam...The Incredible

Photo courtesy: Google Images

It’s been a really long time since I’ve travelled somewhere. Now when I’m finally thinking of adding a travel blogging section to my blog, I want to start by writing about Ilam, the first ever place I travelled far from my home.

I visited Ilam in September, 2014. So I’ll try my best to recall everything about my trip.

Tea Garden, Ilam Bazar

Ilam is located in the eastern part of Nepal. Since I’ve been pursuing my bachelor’s degree in the eastern city, Dharan itself, one of my goals after I came here was to check my lists of visiting all the beautiful places in the eastern part of Nepal while I was still here. But unfortunately, it is almost time for me to bid adieu to this place and I have to confess shamelessly that the only place of eastern Nepal that I’ve visited is the one I’m going to write now.

Like they say, “Unplanned plans are the best plans”. This journey to Ilam became the same for us. One day we were talking about going and the next day we were already hopping on the bus travelling to Ilam. One bus (they say its deluxe but it didn’t feel like one), leaves Ilam from Kathmandu at 12.30 pm. The number of buses might’ve increased now, I don’t know.

This happy couples we met on the way. #relationshipgoals

To be true, we had such an unfortunate starting of the journey. It was raining heavily that day and we were stuck in traffic jam when a passenger saw landslide rumbling towards our bus from the hill above us. Everyone started panicking and thank god for the driver was swift enough to move the vehicle from the spot before the landslide landed. All of us heaved a long sigh. We were almost dead that day.

The journey by bus was so long. It was almost a 24 hour journey. There are so many stops in between and the time for tea break was so long. I was looking out of the window and when I started seeing the tea garden, I was overwhelmed but there is so much distance between the place where you start seeing the tea garden first and the actual Ilam Bazar itself. By the time we finally got off, my legs were edematous and my back was hurting so bad.

Since we didn’t know anything and absolutely nothing about Ilam, we decided to go to Ilam bazaar straight. But I suggest it would be wise for you to visit Fikkal first and if you’ve more time left then you can visit Ilam bazaar later. Because all we can see in Ilam Bazar is tea garden, which is the same as in Fikkal. Ilam is still 45 mins to 1 hour journey by bus from Fikkal. But like I said, we didn’t know about it so when we got off at the bus station in Ilam bazaar, we were confused. Everyone was staring at us and the hotel owners were trying to pursuade us to stay in their hotels.

We didn’t stay in the city area that day. We walked maybe 500 meters north from the station to reach a hotel called “Bamboo Cottage” which was located amongst the tea garden. And when we opened the window of our room, we could see women picking up tea leaves in their bamboo baskets just like they show in the movies. Of course, we had to pay price for the view. The hotel was costly as compared to others located in the city but the room was cozy, had air conditioning, and wifi and hot water were available.

I'm tired. Not interested in posing!! The view, though!

Since we were already late in arriving on the first day, it was almost midday when we could have our first meal of the day and we were so tired that a nap was mandatory after food. It was almost 3 pm and sunny when we finally took shower and got out of the hotel for a stall. There was this view tower nearby and we had just reached the top when the weather started changing. The sunny weather suddenly changed into a foggy one and it became as cold as a December night. Poor me!! We still thought we had to lurk around the tea garden before we went back to the hotel. We walked around and took some photographs and when it became unbearably cold, we had to return to the hotel.

The weather changes in a blink.

If only someone had told me Ilam was cold as hell even when the summer was dripping us in sweat in Dharan, I’d have packed more clothes but the usual me packed shorts and tank tops and t-shirts and only one jacket thinking I’d chill in the weather of Ilam and yeah, I did chill. I had to chill. I had no choice.

Day 2 was sunny. We decided to return to Fikkal as there was nothing much in Ilam Bazaar. Fikkal was nice but the weather was as cruel as Ilam’s. It started down pouring when we reached Fikkal and as the locals suggested, Kanyam was the best place to stay rather than Fikkal. A local van took us to a famous hotel in Kanyam called “Kanyam Inn” at about 12 pm on the next day. This expensive hotel was cozy too, the wifi was fast and food was good. The weather demanded us to stay in bed and have hot thukpa but we were there to enjoy. So we geared up in warm clothes this time and headed out of the hotel.

Sunny Day!!

Kanyam Kumari 

Tea Garden, Kanyam

A mandatory photo when in Ilam...Between the tea leaves

Maybe because of the extreme cold weather, my friend got sick that night. Since we had already wasted our time in Ilam Bazar, we didn’t have time to go to Antu Dada, the place from where we can see the first sunrise of Nepal and we also missed Mai Pokhari. I suggest you not to waste time going over to Ilam Bazar in the first place. Maybe next time, we’ll have more time.

Time to buy some tea!!

Only 2 k.m.

The next day, it was time for me to return to Dharan because my college was starting the day after so we couldn’t stay even if we wanted too. We took a jeep and then a bus to Itahari. I returned to Dharan while my friends went back to Kathmandu.

Though, we missed so many places and the weather was unkind, I enjoyed the journey. I might have missed so many important aspects but after reading this, if ever and I suggest you should, decide to visit Ilam, at least you have some ideas about the dos and don’ts.

Until I travel again, keep enjoying and keeping moving!!