Mai Pokhari lies about 13 km north of Ilam Bazaar, a 45 to 60 minute drive up a winding road that passes cardamom plots, farms and patches of forest. The lake is small, but its setting is the attraction: an irregular shoreline with nine corners, surrounded by oak, rhododendron and other broadleaf forest, and a temple to the goddess Mai Bhagwati on the bank.
The lake and its forest were listed under the Ramsar Convention in 2008 because of the wetland and the birds it holds. A flat path circles the shore in around 40 minutes. Early mornings are best for birds, and in March and April the rhododendron flowers on the surrounding slopes. Local families come at weekends and on festival days to make offerings, so a weekday is quieter.
There are tea stalls and a few simple lodges near the lake if you want to stay overnight and walk at dawn. Most travellers return to Ilam for lunch. In the monsoon the road can be slippery and leeches appear on the forest trails, so we suggest this trip between October and May.
Good for
- Families
- Couples
- Photographers
- Seniors
- Pilgrims
Questions travellers ask
How far is Mai Pokhari from Ilam?
About 13 km north of Ilam Bazaar, which takes 45 to 60 minutes by car on a paved but winding hill road. Most people visit as a half-day trip and are back in Ilam for lunch.
Is Mai Pokhari a religious site?
Yes. The lake is sacred to the goddess Mai Bhagwati and has a temple on the shore. Local pilgrims gather in large numbers on Bala Chaturdashi and during Dashain and Tihar. Visitors are welcome; walk clockwise around the lake and avoid swimming or littering.
Can you see the Himalaya from Mai Pokhari?
Not well from the lake itself, which sits in forest. For mountain views go to Antu Danda for sunrise or to viewpoints along the ridge above Ilam on a clear morning.
