Imagine waking up in the middle of a lake, floating islands scattered around you and your breakfast is sourced from just outside your homestay – sounds too good to be real right? But that’s exactly what travel influencer Sayan Nath experienced in Manipur, and he documented the whole thing for his followers. His latest reel takes viewers into a floating homestay on Loktak Lake, and he explains about the formation of phumdis and how Manipurians believe god left this piece of heaven in Manipur while he was making the world.

Loktak Lake, near Moirang, is where Nath spends the night. The lake is famous for its phumdis – floating clumps of vegetation, soil and organic matter that drift across the water and, from far away, they almost look like little islands scattered across the surface. When viewed from above, these phumdis look even more surreal. Nath even jokes about how people think that “aliens have made something like this” but it is, without any doubt, human made formations.

What makes the homestay special is that you are not just visiting the lake for an hour or 2, you are actually staying on it, which is honestly, a pretty rare experience to have. Nath explains that even the food, be it vegetables or fish, comes from around the lake. If you are tired of the usual hotel stays, this is genuinely one of the most memorable things you can experience.

Right next to Loktak you will find Keibul Lamjao National Park, and skipping it would be a grave mistake. It holds the title of World’s only Floating National Park and it is spread across the lake’s floating phumdis. Additionally, it is also home to the Sangai, an endangered brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.

This place in Manipur is one of those places that are hard to imagine until you have actually seen it with your own eyes. There are so many things to note here – the lake, the deer and the fact that the whole park literally floats. Try to stay overnight at the homestay and you get to experience 2 completely different sides of the same lake.

Nath’s list doesn’t stop at Loktak since Manipur has much more to offer. He mentions some other spots in his reel’s caption that are located in the capital city Imphal that shows a completely different side of the state. They are:

Nath’s reel shows how Manipur isn’t just another place. The accommodation, the nature, the history and the culture all blend into each other here in a way that’s hard to find elsewhere. Another beautiful element from his reel was not just the scenery, it was how locals collectively believe that “when God created this beautiful world, he gave a small piece of heaven to the people of Manipur.” Sometimes the best travel experience is not the famous landscapes and expensive stays – it is when you get to see and experience beautiful and surreal things yourself from ground zero.

Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Sayan Nath (@sayannath). While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of ‘intent’ remain those of the creator. This content is for educational purposes and does not substitute professional medical/nutritional advice.

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