While Sandakpur, the highest point in Ilam at 3,570m, has been popular locally and in Eastern region of Nepal, it is yet to find prominence among the larger Nepali travelling crowd. Two things may change the equation in favor of this beautiful hill station.

One is the presence of a walking trail that goes from Maipokhari near Ilam Bazaar all the way up to Sandakpur, and another is of course the popularity of the movie 'Un ko Sweater' which was shot in this periphery.

Sandakpur, called Sandakphu in India, lies just in the border of Nepal and India. While more than a hundred thousand trekkers visit from India each year, the route in Nepal, whether road or walking trail, remains much quieter.

To trek here, we start from a drive up to Maipokhari (2100m), which is around an hour drive away from Ilam Bazar. This Ramsar site deserves some of our time due to its beauty, ecological and religious significance.

As we move up from Maipokhari, the tall coniferous forest gives way to bamboo bushes and other alpine vegetation. Fog is our constant companion as it drifts in and out, revealing the surrounding landscape and vistas as if giving us a teaser of the vast beauty. After 2-3 hours of this hide and seek, we will reach Hile (2320m), a hamlet perched in a hill top alongside terrace farms, to rest for the night.

On the second day, we have a rigorous hike from Hile to Chintapu (3400m), the second highest peak of Ilam district. This day is challenging as there are no settlements or tea houses until the final stop, so make sure to carry packed lunches or food. There are resting points and shelters throughout the trail where we can take a respite and recharge. It is prudent to take note of one's health and climb slowly as the altitude here is above 3000m. While thick deciduous forest provides us ample freshness and air, its nonetheless wise to be alert.

Dhan Bahadur Rai, our guide for the trek, explained that Chhintapu was originally known as Chhantalung  meaning ‘a stone locked on top of the rocky hill’, which then became Chhintapu over time. This places borders Panchthar and Ilam district and is part of the Phalgunanda trail named after Mahaguru Phalgunanda Lingden, a revered spiritual leader born in Ilam.

From Chhintapu top, we descend close to 500m to Goruaahle, where we finally call it a day.

On the third day, it’s a steep uphill walk for around 5 hours through mostly white rhododendron forest. There is a tea house at Dhuppitar (3100m) offering a break before tackling the last ascent. The final stretch is again a steep climb. The interesting part is that this stretch is just at Nepal-India border so we will find ourselves constantly hopping between Nepal and India's Singalila National Park area before finally reaching Sandakpur.

Our team resided at Sherpa Chalet, the first hotel in this area that opened some 45 years ago. Back then, it was mostly religious tourism but today, more and more tourists come for nature and adventure.

Sandakpur overlooks the majestic Kanchenjunga range and offers a 270 degree panoramic view of the Himalayas, green hills and the villages below. There are also a few important religious sites nearby which offers solace for the spiritually inclined ones.  There is Shree Mai Bhagwati Temple very near Sandakpur followed by Kaalpokhari, a pond with inky black water, about half an hour away. For those seeking thrill, there are small caves spread around Kaalpokhari like Bhalu Dhunga. If time and weather allows, we can also go up to Chandu (3536m), another viewpoint just 3 km away from Sandakpur.

After Sandakpur, the next leg of the trip is towards Phalelung - or as we found out the much loved 'Unko Sweater' movie tour. This section has the potential to turn into Nepal's premiere movie tour trek because the movie has been really popular and the landscape is breathtaking.

We first hike up to Charrate (3450m) from Sandakpur, which falls in Phalelung Rural Municipality of Panchthar district.

For those who have seen the movie, this trail will be familiar as we will be retracing the steps of Dharanidhar Kafle, the male protagonist. In the story, the shy and reserved Kafle makes this journey to meet the female protagonist Phool Gurung at her shed and finally confess his love for her.  This shed where Phool lived with her little step-brother in the movie, taking care of her goats and yaks is a real one which we is still there.

Charrate is part of scenic Thokum valley, which has stunning views of Kanchenjunga and Kumbhakarna range. The wide alpine meadows, the gently undulating hill panorama, the ever present fog that plays hide-and-seek all throughout the day, and the somewhat mystical element of the whole place -it is easy for us to slip into the world created by the movie. We can find every landmark such as where Kafle and Phool took turns looking after the herd, where they walked side by side carrying firewood, or where they shyly flirted with each other.

From here, we can make our way towards Phalelung (3600m), another popular tourism destination. Since the path is along a ridgeline, it is really a beautiful and calming walk which boasts of the Mahabharata Himalayan range in the horizon along with hillocks stretched as far as the eyes can see. The trail is dotted with ancient rhododendron trees, while grazing horses and yaks provides a picturesque Ghibli like vibe.

The trek from Sandakpur to Phalelung is a walk above the clouds which will heal our soul and body, and even our romantic and cinematic bone if one is so inclined.

As we got deeper into Panchthar, the trail followed a ridge called Gorkhe Pani, with Sikkim, India on one side and Panchthar, Nepal on the other. On our particular trip, we had clear skies from this point on. We could not help but think of the local belief that Ilam and Panchthar are like bride and groom, the shy bride always veiled in mist and the groom open and teasing. Although interestingly, in the movie it’s quite the opposite.

Phalelung is the last stop of this trek. Here, we can once again enjoy the mountain view, the wide blue sky as sunlight plays constantly with the rolling hillocks that stretch as far as the eyes can see.
We can spend a day here hiking through the gentle hills or just sit there while gazing at the horizon or enjoy the cloud play. Interacting with locals can also be a pleasant experience.

Sandakpur-Phalelung trek is a moderate trekking trail with surprising reward for our modest effort. We also get to enjoy the local culture and flavour of East Nepal. If you have fallen in love with the scenes of the movie Unko Sweater, the reality is even better.

In February 2026, Ghumante Nepal, a travel storytelling collective, has published a travel video of the trail. Watch the video of their adventure below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT6gU-goEtw