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Manipur

Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)

Rongmei Naga hill town of orange orchards, Barak river falls and Tharon cave

WaterfallsOffbeatMountainsCulture

Best time to visit Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: October to January
  • Shoulder: February to April and September, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: July to August

Planning a specific month? JanuaryOctoberNovemberDecember

Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec-Feb is dry and cool with 5 C mornings: orange harvest in the orchards below town, the Orange Festival in December, and clear days for Tharon cave 27 km out

Summer March to May Shoulder

Mar-Apr are dry and hazy from jhum fires; the Barak falls thin to threads but the road is at its best and the town is empty of visitors; May storms begin

Monsoon June to September Shoulder

June rain turns the Barak falls into a roar, but Jul-Aug are the wettest months of a 2,600 mm year and the hill road from Khongsang slips, so wait; September dries out slowly

Autumn October to November Prime time

Oct-Nov is the window: the falls still full, the Barak gorge and Zeilad lake green, the Imphal road repaired, and the first oranges on the trees by late November

What Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls) is actually like

A tin-roofed ridge town of churches and Sumo stands; a few lodges, a circuit house and homestays; the market shuts by 6 pm

Getting to Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)

Fly to Imphal; shared Sumos leave around 7 am and take about 5 h via NH37 to Khongsang and up the hill road (140 km)

Practical ways in: flightroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
3 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
1287 m
State
Manipur
Coordinates
24.9859, 93.5040

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)?

October to January is peak season in Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls). February to April and September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid July to August. Oct-Nov is the window: the falls still full, the Barak gorge and Zeilad lake green, the Imphal road repaired, and the first oranges on the trees by late November.

How many days do you need in Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)?

3 days is the usual stay. A tin-roofed ridge town of churches and Sumo stands; a few lodges, a circuit house and homestays; the market shuts by 6 pm.

How do you get to Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)?

Fly to Imphal; shared Sumos leave around 7 am and take about 5 h via NH37 to Khongsang and up the hill road (140 km). Practical ways in: flight and road.

Is Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

Is there a festival in Tamenglong (Barak Waterfalls)?

Dec: Tamenglong Orange Festival, orchard stalls and Rongmei dance in town. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.

Nearby, and where to go next

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