Tumlingtar

Tumlingtar is a small town on the banks of the Arun River at about 490 metres, notable primarily for its domestic airport which provides the main air access to Sankhuwasabha District. Direct flights from Kathmandu make Tumlingtar the starting point for the Makalu Base Camp trek and the Arun Valley exploration route. The low-altitude valley here has a lush, almost subtropical character very different from the high Himalayan terrain higher up, with rice paddies, sal forest, and a mix of Rai, Chhetri, and Sherpa communities along the river banks.