Districts
Koshi Province
Taplejung ताप्लेजुङ
Kanchenjunga Base Camp, Pathivara temple
Taplejung, in the far-eastern corner of Koshi Province with its headquarters at Phungling, guards Nepal's share of Kanchenjunga — at 8,586 metres the world's third-highest mountain. The two Kanchenjunga base camps, north and south, draw trekkers through rhododendron forest and high yak pastures inside the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. Pathivara, a major Hindu shrine at 3,794 metres, draws its own stream of pilgrims from across the eastern hills.
About Taplejung
Taplejung occupies Nepal's far north-eastern corner, a district of deep river valleys climbing to the snows of Kanchenjunga — at 8,586 metres the world's third-highest mountain and the centrepiece of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. Its two base-camp treks, north (Pangpema) and south (Oktang), are long, wild and lightly walked, passing through rhododendron forest, Limbu and Sherpa villages and high yak pastures.
Below the high country, the district is tea and cardamom land, its ridges patterned with the same green estates as neighbouring Ilam. The hilltop shrine of Pathivara, at 3,794 metres, draws a steady stream of Hindu pilgrims from across the east, especially around Dashain.
This is a region for travellers who want genuine remoteness — the trails see a fraction of the Everest and Annapurna crowds, and the long approach and restricted-area rules for some routes keep it that way.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Taplejung
- Known for
- Kanchenjunga Base Camp, Pathivara temple
Getting there
Taplejung is a long haul from Kathmandu: fly to Bhadrapur or Biratnagar in the eastern Terai (about an hour), then drive 8–10 hours up into the hills to Phungling. The small Suketar airstrip near the headquarters has occasional flights. From the roadheads the Kanchenjunga treks begin on foot, and a licensed guide is required for the conservation-area routes.