The Makalu region is an absolutely amazing still very
untouched area in the northwestern corner of the Sankhuwa-sabha
district. To the west, it is bordered by the Everest
region, to the north by Tibet, to the east by the Arun
River and to the South by the Sabha River. this region
was dedicated to a national park and conservation area
in the early 1990's.
The region is very close to the Everest region, but
drastically different in many ways. Most of the people
in this district live in the lower hills fairly close
to the Arun River. The airport is situated at an altitude
of only 2700 ft in picturesque surroundings.
The best way to reach Makalu region is to fly into
Tumlingtar (the only airport in Sankhuwasabha) and
hike the trail from Khandbari to Num, then cross over
the Arun River into the conservation area. There is
also the Salpa Pass route between Tumlingtar and the
Everest region hitting the trail there about a day
from "Lukla". This "backdoor"
to Everest from Tumlingtar via Lukla takes at least
seven days.
