DolpA & RaRa:

Ra Ra Lake (2980m) is the focal point of Ra Ra Lake National Park and is a good destination for a trek in western Nepal. The route is very much ‘off the beatern track’ and affords glimpses of cultures and scenery very different from that in the rest of Nepal. Ra Ra is a clear, high altitude lake ringed with pine, spruce and juniper forests and snowcapped Himalayan peaks. In winter here is often snow on the ridges surrounding the lake. Except for the army assigned to the park, nobody lives at the lake because the government resettled all the people of Ra Ra and Chapra villages when the area was declared a national park in 1975. The trek to Ra Ra (the biggest lake) is somewhat strenuous. If you are looking for wilderness solitude, this trek is a good choice. This trek features beautiful panoramic views and as well as diverse cultures. Dolpa is the most remote and least development situated in the Trans Himalayan region of mid-western Nepal. It has fascinating villages and is still a land of mystery, scenery and peace. Though a few anthropologists and geographers explored the region, the entire district was closed to foreigners until 1989, when the southern part of Dolpa, including the Ringmo or Phoksundo lake was opened to organized trekking groups only, allowing tourists to visit Tibetan style ‘Inner Dolpa’ villages in Tarap and Phoksundo lake.