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Freshwater lake · Manipur

Loktak Lake travel guide & tour packages

Loktak is the largest freshwater lake in the Northeast and the only place on earth with phumdis — floating islands of matted vegetation, soil and organic matter, some large enough to support huts and, in the case of Keibul Lamjao, an entire national park. That park is the last natural refuge of the sangai, the brow-antlered deer that was believed extinct until a small population was rediscovered here in the 1950s. Fewer than a few hundred survive. Sunrise from Sendra hill over the ringed phumdis is the photograph people come for. A homestay on one of the islands is possible and is the way to understand how the fishing communities actually live.

Ideal stay
1–2 nights, based at Imphal or Moirang
Best time
October to March
Nearest airport
Imphal (IMF), 48 km
Rail
Dimapur, 215 km
From Delhi
~3h by air to Imphal via Kolkata or Guwahati, then ~1h30m by road

What to see

Things to do in Loktak Lake

Keibul Lamjao National Park

National park · Half day

The world's only floating national park. Last refuge of the sangai deer.

Sendra Island viewpoint

Viewpoint · 2 hours

Sunrise over the phumdis. The classic Loktak image.

Phumdi homestay & boat

Experience · Overnight

Staying with a fishing family on a floating island. Book through a local operator.

INA Memorial, Moirang

Museum · 1 hour

Where the Indian National Army first raised the flag in 1944.

Durations

Realistic trip lengths

Loktak Lake works well as a 1–2 night stay. Tell us your dates and party and we'll price a tailored itinerary.

Good to know

Loktak Lake FAQs

What is a phumdi?

A floating mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter, thick enough in places to walk on and to build on. Loktak is the only lake in the world where they occur at this scale.

Do I need a permit for Manipur?

Indian nationals do not; foreign nationals must register with the FRO on arrival. Security conditions in Manipur have varied in recent years, so we check current advisories before confirming travel.

Nearby

Combine with

Hill station

Munnar

Kerala · 2 nights

Tea country at around 1,600 metres, and the coolest place in Kerala by a distance. The appeal is the landscape rather than any single sight — hillside…

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Backwaters

Alleppey

Kerala · 1 night on a houseboat

The backwaters are the reason most people come to Kerala and a houseboat night is the way to see them properly. Boats leave around noon, cruise until …

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Hill town

Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

Himachal Pradesh · 2 nights

The seat of the Tibetan government in exile, and quite different in character from the rest of Himachal. McLeod Ganj above the main town is where visi…

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Lake city

Srinagar

Jammu & Kashmir · 2–3 nights

Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens are the reason to come, and a houseboat night is the version of Srinagar people remember. The shikara ride at dawn — w…

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National park

Jim Corbett

Uttarakhand · 2 nights

India's oldest national park, established in 1936, and the birthplace of Project Tiger. It is divided into zones — Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, Dhela, Du…

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Holy city

Varanasi

Uttar Pradesh · 2 nights

Varanasi is not an easy city and it is not meant to be. The ghats at dawn — pilgrims bathing, boats moving through the mist, cremations continuing as …

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Hill station

Darjeeling

West Bengal · 2 nights

Tea, the toy train and Kanchenjunga when the cloud allows. The Tiger Hill sunrise is the set piece — a very early start for a view that is entirely we…

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Hill capital

Gangtok

Sikkim · 2–3 nights

Clean, orderly and noticeably different in character from the West Bengal hills below it. The draw is what surrounds the town rather than the town its…

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