Lake
Kamal Daha
A small lotus lake beside Rukumkot, the headquarters of Rukum East, with a temple and a quiet lakeside path.
Lumbini Provinceपूर्वी रुकुम
Rukum East District
Remote high hills around Rukumkot, with Kham Magar villages, the Sisne Himal range and access to the wild Dhorpatan area.
- Province
- Lumbini
- Headquarters
- Rukumkot
- Area
- about 1,688 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Rukum East
Rukum East is the eastern part of the former Rukum district and the most northerly district of Lumbini Province. It borders Dolpa to the north, Myagdi and Baglung to the east, Rolpa to the south and Rukum West to the west. The land climbs from deep river valleys to high ridges and snow peaks, with the Sisne Himal range in the north and part of the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in the east.
Kham Magar communities are predominant, with traditions of pastoral herding, weaving and seasonal movement to high pastures. Rukumkot, the headquarters, is a small settlement, and Kamal Daha, a lake nearby, is a local landmark. The district is sparsely developed and rarely visited, and those who come are usually trekkers heading into the wild country towards Dhorpatan and Dolpa, or travellers interested in Magar culture far from tourist routes.
Places in Rukum East
Getting there
Rukum East is reached by long, rough mountain roads, generally from the south through Rolpa from the Dang side, taking well over a day by jeep from the Terai. The nearest airport with regular flights is Nepalgunj, and road conditions vary widely by season.
Best time to visit
Spring and autumn, roughly April to May and October to November, are the best times; the monsoon makes roads unreliable, and winter brings deep cold and snow on the higher ground.
Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.