The ridge between two countries
The Singalila ridge lies between Limbuwan, the old Limbu homeland to the west, and Sikkim to the east. Herders have long brought cattle and yaks up to its high pastures in summer, and footpaths follow the crest rather than the steep river valleys below. The border between Nepal and Sikkim, and later India, was drawn along the watershed, which is why the frontier today follows the ridge almost exactly, marked by small pillars along the trail.
In the 20th century Sandakphu became famous from the Darjeeling side, where colonial-era walkers and later Indian trekkers came for the view of Kanchenjunga. The Indian side protected its forests as Singalila National Park, and a jeep road along the ridge brought a steady stream of visitors. On the Nepal side, the ridge stayed a farming and herding frontier, reached by footpaths from Ilam and visited mostly by local people, traders and pilgrims to Mai Pokhari below.
That is slowly changing. Since 2017 the ridge villages have formed Sandakpur rural municipality, named after the peak, and the municipality promotes the Nepal-side route with jeep tracks, homestays and viewpoints. Visitor numbers on the Nepal side remain small, and the walk through rhododendron and bamboo forest still feels like a farm trail more than a tourist route. Families who once lived only from cardamom, potatoes and cattle now host guests as well.
