India · Manipur
Loktak Lake
The largest freshwater lake in north-east India — Manipur's lake of floating phumdi islands, Keibul Lamjao (the world's only floating national park), the rare Sangai deer, and Sendra Island sunsets.
- Vibe
- The floating-island lake of Manipur — phumdis, the world's only floating national park, and the rare Sangai deer
- Best season
- October to March (cool, clear, winter migratory birds at Keibul Lamjao; the Sangai Festival is in November); avoid the May-September monsoon
- Transit hubs
- Imphal Airport (IMF) ~45 km is the gateway; Loktak/Moirang is reached by road from Imphal; check current travel advisories for Manipur before planning
- Vegetarian highlight
- Chak-hao (black-rice) kheer; singju spicy vegetable salad; bora fritters and kabok puffed-rice snacks; fresh Manipuri valley vegetables
- Pulse
- Sunrise and sunset from Sendra Island over the floating phumdis are the signature views; the Sangai is best looked for in the early morning at Keibul Lamjao — check current local travel advisories before visiting
Known for
- floating islands
- phumdis
- keibul lamjao
- sangai deer
- largest freshwater lake ne
- sendra island
- manipur
Loktak Lake
About Loktak Lake
Loktak Lake, about 45 km from Imphal in Manipur, is the largest freshwater lake in north-east India and one of the most extraordinary wetlands on Earth — a vast, shimmering expanse famous for its phumdis, the floating islands of matted vegetation, soil, and organic matter that drift across its surface in great green rings and ribbons.
- Seen from the hillock of Sendra Island or from the air, the lake's circular phumdi rings form a pattern unlike anywhere else in the world.
- Loktak is the lifeline of the Manipur valley — it moderates the region's climate, supports thousands of families who live in phumdi huts on the water, and powers a hydroelectric project — and it was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1990.
- Its greatest treasure floats at its southern end: Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world, a 40-sq-km expanse of thick phumdi that is the last natural refuge of the Sangai — the brow-antlered "dancing deer" that is the state animal of Manipur, once believed extinct before a tiny population was rediscovered here.
- The park also shelters hog deer, otters, and, in winter, great flocks of migratory waterbirds.
- A boat ride through the phumdi channels at dawn, the sunset from Sendra, and a visit to the INA memorial at nearby Moirang (where the Indian National Army first hoisted the tricolour in 1945) make a memorable circuit.
- Homestays on Thanga and Karang islands let visitors wake to the lake at dawn, when long boats glide out through the phumdi channels and the still water mirrors the surrounding hills.
- For vegetarian travellers, the Meitei kitchen offers chak-hao kheer (the fragrant black-rice pudding), singju (a spicy raw-vegetable salad), bora fritters, kabok (puffed-rice snacks), and fresh valley vegetables.
- The best season is October to March.