Armke Waterfall: Tourism Opportunities and Challenges

April 8, Myagdi. The Armke Waterfall, located in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4, remains largely overlooked. Situated near Bagar Jeltung, the last human settlement along the Dhaulagiri circuit trail, this waterfall is hidden from the attention of many tourists due to lack of management, infrastructure, and promotion. The Armke Waterfall is beautiful and captivating, where water cascades down two tiers from the foothills of a high mountain into the Myagdi River. At the base of the waterfall is a pond approximately 200 meters deep, adjacent to a natural hot spring pool.

Tourists often observe and photograph the waterfall from a distance, but the area remains quiet and under-visited. Hariprasad Tilija, a ward member of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4, has expressed interest in developing the Armke Waterfall and the hot spring pool as tourist destinations. He stated, “Recently, a road was constructed near the Armke Waterfall as part of the access route for the Myagdi River Hydropower Project. With improved road facilities, an increase in tourist activity at Armke Waterfall is expected.”

Currently, during the winter season, visitors can reach the base of the waterfall and the hot spring pool via a temporary wooden bridge and a diversion road. However, during the monsoon season, the waterfall’s water spray causes wooden structures around the pool to become wet and rot. It takes about a 10-minute walk and a 5-minute vehicle ride from Jeltung to reach the Armke Waterfall and hot spring pool. The hot spring, with a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius emerging from underground, is believed to provide relief from various health issues through bathing. Visitors trekking the Dhaulagiri mountain and the Dhaulagiri circuit trail through Bagar are likely to visit the hot spring and waterfall, which is expected to support and benefit their stay in the area.