Barun Valley is a chilled little valley at the base of Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. It is also one of the least explored sides of Nepal, where one can see unique landscapes, beautiful waterfalls and lush green forests. The valley is extremely rich in biodiversity and offers a genuine wilderness experience in rugged, shabby and uninhabited terrain of Makalu-Barun National Park. Because of its globally significant biodiversity, it is also considered a ‘living laboratory’ for international scientific research.
While exploring the Barun Valley, everyday seems to be different. The spectacular view of silver-shining mountains will remain as a memory for a lifetime, and the roaring sound of the Barun River will soothe your mind. The wild Himalayan flowers hypnotise your minds and fascinate your eyes.
You will get released from all your tedium and stress once the soothing and chilled breeze of the Barun Valley touches your body. The place is scarcely populated so you get a break from people and pollution far in the lap of Himalaya.
You need to get through this valley for the Makalu base camp trek. The trekking trials are a little difficult but the valley energises you and gives you strength to fight the difficulties and reach your destination. You can sleep under the open sky, under the shadow of the Himalayas watching beautiful moon and stars. Barun Valley has some religious importance too. Few religions like Buddhism and Hinduism consider Barun Valley a holy place. The Shivdhara is considered as the sacred tap of Lord Shiva by Hindus. The water in the tap comes from the stone roof of the domelike cave. We must ascend an extremely dangerous cliff before visiting Shivdhara. Assorted devotees visit and worship the waterfall. Also, Buddhist scriptures describe the place as a mystical evergreen place where no one gets old. The Barun Valley also has many high altitude lakes like Salpa Pokhari, Thulo Pokhari, Dudh Pokhari, Kalo Pokhari, Barun Pokhari etc.
Barun Valley is one of the least developed places in Nepal so it is still under the radar for most travellers visiting Nepal. You can see some of the rare plants and animal species that are found in diverse climates and habitat. The place has around 3000 species of plants, 440 species of birds, and 75 species of mammals. Some plants like Potentilla Makaluensis, Swertia Barunesis are only found in the valley. Furthermore, there are several other rare animals like clouded leopards, snow leopards, red panda, wild boars, and musk deer. The place is also very suitable for bird watching.
To cut a long story short, if you explore Barun Valley, you can encounter the untouched and unspoiled beauty of mother-nature. You can have your own set of adventures in the beautiful landscapes, amazing waterfalls, rare wildlife, and a lot more. Therefore, if you are looking for a beautiful and calm destination away from hazardous human settlements to sooth your mind and heal yourself, then you should visit Barun Valley.
:Text By: Rebika Bishwokarma
