Visit Ilam and Kanyam Tea Garden

Ilam, Nepal

Ilam (Nepali: इलाम About this sound Listen (help·info)) is a municipality of Ilam District, which is in the hilly region of Mechi zone, in the Eastern Development Region of Nepal. Ilam also acts as the headquarters of Ilam District and Mechi zone. Geographically it lies in the hill region which is mostly known as Mahabharata range. It is also one of the important town in Mechi zone and one of the major place in Nepal for tea-production. It is famous for natural scenery and landscapes, tea production, and diverse agricultural economy. It is one of the major horticultural crop production districts of Nepal.

Antu Pond, reflecting the color of its surroundings Ilam municipality is sub-divided in 9 different wards, the major governmental and district office lies in ward number 1 and ward number 2. Ilam also is a major hub for transportation and communication for VDC that lies in the upper part of the district.

Transportation

Ilam Bazaar is located about 700 km east of Kathmandu. Regular buses are available from New Buspark, Koteshwar and Kalanki of Kathmandu which takes to Ilam after a bus ride of about 16hours. An airport is under construction at Sukilumba Danda. Daily Bus/Bolero is available from Ilam to Taplejung, Phidim, Birtamod, Chandragadhi, Kakarbhitta, Siliguri (West Bengal), Pashupatinagar, Damak, Itahari, Dharan and Biratnagar. A new buspark is being constructed at Sera. Besides these, Bus/Bolero also goes to all the VDCs of Ilam district.

Tea production

Tea production in Ilam (as Nepal tea) started as early as 1863, when the Chinese government offered then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana tea saplings that were then planted in Ilam. In 1868, the Ilam tea factory was established, and tea plantations covered over 135 acres of land. In 2010, the tea factory was privatized, and is currently not under operation. However, tea production continues in Ilam in other forms. Many local people gets employment from this. In 2010, the total tea production of Nepal is 16.23 million kilograms per annum; a majority of this amount is produced in Ilam it self As well as the organic tea transport the foreign country