Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with Imphal as its capital city. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically the Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the southeast. Covering an area of 22,330 square kilometers, the state consists mostly of hilly terrain with the 1813-square-kilometre Imphal Valley inhabited by the Meitei (Manipuri) community, historically a kingdom. Surrounding hills are home to Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, who speak Tibeto-Burman languages. The official language and lingua franca, Meitei (Manipuri), also belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. Manipur sits at an elevation of 790 m and is typically explored in about 3-4 days. The most favourable months to visit are February, November, January, and March, when conditions are best suited for sightseeing. Nearby points of interest include Manipur State Museum, Kangla Fort, and Khwairamband Bazar. Other notable highlights include loktak Lake’s floating phumdi islands and the Sendra viewpoint, kangla Fort, the ancient seat of Manipuri kings, and ima Keithel, Asia’s largest all-women-run market in Imphal. It falls within Wangoi district.
State: Manipur
Ideal Duration: 3-4 Days
February, November, January, March
Loktak Lake’s floating islands, the all-women Ima Keithel market, and its distinct Meitei culture and classical dance traditions.
The main tourist circuit around Imphal and Loktak Lake is generally visited without incident, but it’s worth checking current advisories, as with any north-eastern border state.
Imphal (IMF) is the state’s main airport with direct flights from several major Indian cities.
October to March offers the most comfortable, dry weather for visiting Loktak Lake and Imphal.
Three to four days is enough to cover Imphal, Kangla Fort, Loktak Lake and Keibul Lamjao National Park.