Culture and Wildlife of Northeast India

CULTURE and WILDLIFE of NORTHEAST INDIA

Tour - 21 days

About Assam and Arunachal Pradesh

Assam is the only state in north-east India that is almost entirely low lying. It consists largely of the flood plains of the Brahmaputra, one of the largest untamed rivers in the world. The climate is ideal for rice cultivation, all kinds of tropical crops, bamboo cultivation and fish farming.

Assam is relatively densely populated. The legal part of the population consists of at least 35 million people on an area of 78,000 square kilometers (similar to Czechia, a bit smaller than Austria), the illegal part at least 5 million.

Region

Assam & Arunachal Pradesh
(India)

Best Time

March/April &
Nov/Dec

No. Of Days

21 days

Trip Character

Jeep tour

Sleeping Altitude

65 - 3000 m

Price

INR XXX/ $ XXX

ABOUT THIS TOUR

On this tour, you explore the two largest states of Northeast India, its wildlife, tea estates and mountain tribes. It starts at Dibrugarh, India’s easternmost city. Here, we stay two days at a very atmospheric nineteenth century bungalow amidst tea plantations.
After visiting the interesting Ahum monuments at Sibsagar, remnants of a 600-year kingdom of Assam, we cross the Brahmaputra to Majuli Island. Here, we walk and bicycle through traditional villages of the Mishmi tribe and witness a unique esoteric dance performed by a community of Vaishnavite (Hindu) monks.

Traveling north into the forest-covered mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, we’ll see the different cultures of the Adi Gallong and Mishmi, Tagin and Apatani, just to name a few. These people live in large bamboo houses on stilts and are still largely self-sufficient. The small hamlets surrounded by fields and forest are quite an idyllic sight, exuding an atmosphere of nature-based prosperity.

YOUR custom-made TRIP

The tour described here, as well as the other ones on our website, are mainly meant as suggestions. We would be happy to offer you a travel proposal that fully meets your personal demands and expectations. That means that you choose where you want to go, what level of accommodation and type of transport you want and what activities you prefer.

Please let yourself be inspired by this and other trips on our website and then drop us a line (or call us) to explain your travel wishes. We will be happy to help you put together the perfect trip. You can reach us over e-mail, Messenger, Whatsapp or mobile phone.

EXTENSIONS & VARIATIONS

Apart from the tour as described here, you could consider the following add-ons and changes:

Spend a few days at a tea estate in Tezpur, to fully unwind and relax before you start on the trek.
If you’re interested in wildlife, consider adding a few days at Kaziranga National Park, home to a large population of Indian rhinos, wild buffalos, wil elephants, deer and almost 500 species of birds. It is only 4.5 hours drive from Guwahati and 3.5 hours drive from Tezpur/Nameri.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Delhi / Kolkata ✈︎ Dibrugarh
At Dibrugarh airport you’ll be greeted by our staff and then transferred to an extremely atmospheric former tea bungalow. Once, this was the home of the tea estate manager, now it is a luxurious hotel. This 19th century wooden structure was built on stilts to give protection against wildlife. Afternoon walk through the tea gardens around the lodge. Altitude 110m.
Day 2: In Dibrugarh
A relaxed day. You can see how tea picking works and/or take a walk on the beach of the majestic Brahmaputra. Or you can visit a small Thai Buddhist village (2 hours driving). The local monks and laymen preserve their original culture very well. Altitude 110m.
Day 3: Dibrugarh - Majuli Island (3.5 h)
Our first stop is at the famous 16th century Ahum monuments of Sibsagar and at the largest Shiva temple of India. Believers go in and out of the temple, which is a fascinating sight in its own. By ferry we cross the Brahmaputra to quiet Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world. Overnight is in simple but rustic and clean cottages. Altitude 65m.
Day 4: On Majuli Island
Majuli is a paradise for water birds, but it is best known for its Satras. These are kibbutz-like monasteries where Hindu monks who belong to Vaishnavism live. We will witness monks performing dances, which have acquired UNESCO World Heritage status. Options in the afternoon are: visit of mask factory or the museum of another Satra. Or you can go for a very enjoyable bicycle trip, riding over small dikes and passing through many small Mishing villages. Altitude 65m.
Day 5: Majuli – Along (8h)
We drive north for 50 km and then turn east at the town of North Lakhimpur and continue on to Silapathar, a small, bust town near the Arunachal Pradesh border. Here the special Potected Area Permist for Arunachal Pradesh are checked. Then you drive up through over a narrow, winding road up between wooded mountains and past idyllic villages of bamboo houses, to Along. Altitude 85 -> 620m.
Day 6: In Along
Short ride to the picturesque village of Kabu. After visiting the village we cross the river and do a wonderful hike of about 13 km to Paya village. Pick up by car and return to hotel. Altitude 620m.
Day 7: Along - Daporijo (6 h)
Today you’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful routes in Arunachal Pradesh. The road leads through a great variety of forested mountains speckled with traditional villages with houses made entirely of bamboo and rattan. You’ll visit one or more villages inhabited by the Tagin tribe. The Tagin are usually followers of Donyi Polo, the god of the moon and the sun, who is worshipped by most animistic tribes of Arunachal. Altitude 620 → 600mm.
Day 8: In Daporijo
The day will be spent on walks through a beautiful archaic landscape with forests, bamboo groves, meadows and small Tagin villages, and in the afternoon a visit to a local market. Altitude 600m.
Day 9: Daporijo - Ziro (7 h)
Todays route, again, passes through small traditional villages against the backdrop of densely wooded mountains. Tagins and Nyisi live here. The Nyishi are the largest tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. Polygamy is common among them. In the evening you can visit the local marke tat Ziro. Here, at 1700 m, it can be surprisingly cold at night. Altitude 600 → 1690m.
Day 10: In Ziro
The pictureasque valley of Ziro is one of the most traditional areas in Arunachal Pradesh and home to the Apatani tribe. The older Apatani men tie their hair in a roll and tattoo their faces. The older Apatani women wear wooden nose plugs and face tattoos. However, the younger generations of Apatani have stopped this practice. Altitude 1690m.
Day 11: Ziro - Nameri N.P.
Today’s drive is a long one. First, we descend to the plains of Assam, then pass the tea town of Tezpur, and then head up again into the foothills of the Himalayas. Overnight is in a tented accommodation with beds and own shower, directly outside beautiful Nameri National Park. Altitude 1690 → 100m.
Day 12: In Nameri
In the morning we hike along the northern shore of the Borelli River to a small lake where we hopefully can observe the very rare White-winged Wood Duck. In the afternoon we make another tour, deeper into the park, which may brings us up-close with wild elephants. Altitude 100m.
Day 13: Nameri - Dirang (6-7 h)
We continue north and that means into the Himalayas. The landscape changes dramatically again. Overnight is near the small town of Dirang. Altitude 100 → 1560m
Day 14: Dirang - Tawang (7 h)
Another long trip brings us to Tawang at 3000 m. Half way we cross the 4140 m high Sela Pass. After the pass you enter a region with its own landscape and culture. The region is inhabited by the Sherdukphen and Monpa, both groups of Tibetan origin. Altitude 1560 → 3000m.
Day 15 & 16: In Tawang
Two days will be spent exploring Tawang and its surroundings. Beside the monastery there are several smaller gompa's in the area. We can also visit the Stupa of Gorsam and Urgelling, the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, as well as the border area where the present Dalai Lama entered India after fleeing Tibet in 1959. Altitude 3000m.
Day 17: Tawang - Bomdila (6 - 7 h)
Today you drive south to Bomdilla. On the way you will be crossing the Sela Pass, at 4170 m the highest motorable pass in the Northeast. At Bomdila you can do an evening visit to Bomdilla town and its Buddhist monasteries. Altitude 3000 → 4170 → 2415m.
Day 18: Bomdilla - Nameri N.P. (4 - 5 h)
Going further south you’ll reach the foothills of the Himalayas near Tezpur. Here you’ll veer east onto a small road that leads to Namri National park. Altitude 2415 → 100m.
Day 19: Nameri - Kaziranga (3.5 h)
We descend to the Brahmaputra and cross it by a long bridge. On the other side is famous Kaziranga, where we check in for 3 nights at an attractive resort very near the park. Altitude 100 → 65m.
Day 20: In Kaziranga N.P.
Again you’ll do two jeep rides, each in different parts of the park. The park has seven different ranges, each with its own landscape and different chances of seeing particular species. Altitude 95m.
Day 21: Kaziranga - Guwahati & flight Guwahati ✈︎ Delhi (5 h drive, 2 h flight)
Early morning you leave for Guwahati, the capital of Assam. Here, you take the afternoon flight back to Delhi. It depends on the timing of your international flight whether you will need an overnight stay in Delhi. In the latter case we can arrange this for you.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

ANCIENT TEA BUNGALOWS

The Mancotta Tea Bungalow is a so-called chang bungalow, a stately, rustic building of massive wooden bars and cottage-style masonry on stilts. The word chang is Assamese and refers to the fact that it is built on stilts. This served the purpose of avoiding flooding as well as avoiding in-door encounters with the wild animals that would regularly cross the tea estates, such as elephants, tigers leopards and king cobras. The building’s well-kept appearance belies an impressive 160 years of age. Once upon a time the manager of the Mancotta Tea Estate lived here, now it is a hotel. Its owners have taken utmost care to preserve the erstwhile style and atmosphere. It is considered one of the top-five accommodations of the Northeast.

Tea Gardens of Assam

If there is one legacy of the Brits in India it is tea. Tea estates, tea processing and exporting, and tea drinking. It was long believed that wild tea, Camelia sinensis, only grew in China, but this small woody brush was ‘rediscovered’ by the British in the early 19th century in the jungle of Assam. Camelia sinensis var. assamica had long been used by indigenous people. Large tracts of land were converted into tea gardens and these days Assam (and Darjeeling) tea are known worldwide. There are two kinds of preparation. The black tea that is being dunked in water that just has been boiled is called orthodox. In Indian households and tea stalls the tea is generally boiled for some time with milk and sugar, and sometimes spices. This is called CTC tea. The two kinds of tea require different factory handling, but both have the same Camelia leaves as the starting point.

Sibsagar

The small city of Sibsagar (or Sivasagar) lies halfway between Jorhat and Dibrugarh. It used to be the capital of the Ahum kingdom, which ruled over Assam between 1228 and 1826. During this time, the Ahums managed to resist invasion attempts by the Burmese, the Moghuls and the British. A series of relatively well preserved palaces and temples remains outside Sibsagar. The Ahums hailed from Thailand and brought many Thai influences to Assam, such as language, arts and architecture. Although originally Buddhists, they became eventually Hindus. Sibsagar also boasts of a Shiva temple with the largest dome (shiv dol) in India. Shiva is, among other things, the god of virility and fertility. A steady stream of believers flows in and out to worship, but also to sacrifice in the hope of good school results, a prosperous marriage, etc.

Brahmaputra CROSSING

The Brahmaputra is the boon and bane of Assam. It originates near holy Mt. Kailash in Southwest Tibet, then travels XXXkm east along the Himalayan Range until it finally finds a gorge that provides a passage through the mountains to the south. Emerging on the eastern tip of the Assamese plains, it spreads its waters wide and far. Uninhibited by any civil engineering, it wildly braids, forming new channel and islands while abandoning others all the time. It brings water to the rice fields and fish to the nets, but commercial shipping has never taken off. Because being so wide and slow flowing, the Brahmaputra is very shallow. Wild elephants cross it regularly. Local ferries and tourist cruise boats are equipped with flat bottoms – to prevent capsizing – and often side propellers for getting unstuck as well.

Satras of Majuli island

Majuli Island is known to be one of the largest islands in the world. This is a bit of stretch as the river that bounds it at the north is not part of the Brahmaputra, but a different river and quite a small one at that. Anyhow, the area does have a clear boundary defined by waterways and dit is definitely shaped by water as well. Having lost almost half of its erstwhile area to the raging Brahmaputra, it’s future is not very certain. That goes also for the unique Hindu monasteries called satras. These monasteries adhere to Vaishnavism, a sect founded by Sankar Dev in the 15th and 16th centuries. As Hindu priests and ascetics rarely if ever live together, this is a phenomenon in itself. The monks work, pray and dance together. The dances are enactments of the ancient Hindu scriptures, choreographed by Sankar Dev. They are very graceful and esoteric, and have also been declared a Unesco World Heritage.

The Adis of Eastern Arunachal

The Adi people are one of the larger groups Arunachal Pradesh. There are several subtribes, such as the Adi Gallong and Adi Mynyong, inhabiting different regions and generally not inter-marrying. “Adi” means “hill,” which is an apt description of these people who generally live in the Lower (subtropical) and medium-level (temporate) mountain areas of A.P., Tibet and Yunnan (China). The Adi live in small villages of bamboo houses raised on stilts. They are self-supporting agriculturalists who still engage in gathering and hunting. Apart from the usual domesticated animals such as pigs and chicken, they keep gayal or mithun, a very large and muscular bovine that roams freely. The Adi still largely worship the sun-moon god Donyi-Polo, along with other animistic entities.

The Jungle of Arunachal Pradesh

P.M. Henk: deze doe ik wel.

The Tagin of Central Arunachal

The Tagin are one of the major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, and speak a Tibeto-Burmese dialect. One concentration of Tagins is found around the town of Daporijo (600m). The Tagins practice shifting slash-and-burn cultivation, with rice, maize and millet as main crops, complemented by fishing, hunting, and gathering. Monogamy is the general rule, but polygamy is also widely practiced. The Tagins used to be followers of Donyi Polo, the worship of Sun and Moon, which includes many shamanistic practices. In the 18th century some Tagins came under the influence of Tibetan Buddhism. Recent decades have seen mass conversions into Christianity. Tagin live in stilted bamboo dwellings with verandas, which are accessible by a notched wooden ladder.

The Mithun

When traveling in Arunachal Pradesh sooner or later you will see a strange kind of ‘cow’ by the side of the road. This is the mithun or gayal, a cross-breed between domesticated buffalo and wild gaur. The latter is a large and exceptionally muscular wild bovine that roams the last undisturbed forests of India. The gaur is a browser, adapted to foraging in the forest and eating leaves. Crossing the wild, hard to domesticate gaur with the easier to handle buffalos – that require grass, which is less available in forested areas – made a lot of sense for the forest-dwelling Idu. As the mithuns are mainly kept for meat, they can roam freely in the forest till it is time to face the music. The latter happens mainly in the form of sacrificing to the gods at one of the many festive occasions, such as religious festivals, marriages and funerals.

The Nyishi of Central Arunachal

The Nyishi, with a population of around 300.000, are the most numerous tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. The Nyishi are agriculturalists using a form of shifting cultivation. The main crops are rice, maize and millet. In the past the Nyishi used a barter system and they still greatly value reciprocity. Polygamy. although now diminishing, used to be prevalent. It signifies one’s social status and economical stability and also proved handy during clan wars. Many Nyishis have been converted to Christianity by missionaries in the 1970s. Some still adhere to Donyi Polo, worshipping the Sun and Moon. This institutionalized indigenous religion was developed at the same time to counter the inroads of Christianity. It is based on the ancient animistic beliefs of the Tibeto-Birmese peoples of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Apatani of Ziro

The town of Ziro lies at 1600-2400m in a very fertile and extremely picturesque valley. Ziro is home to the Apatani tribes. They are of Tibetan descendance and their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. Their wet rice cultivation, including farming fish in irrigated paddies, is very productive even without the use of farm animals or machinery. So is their sustainable social forestry system. The older men used to tie their hair in a roll, women wore wooden nose plugs and both sexes tattooed their faces. However, new generations of Apatani have stopped this practice. Apatani tend to be skilled crafts(wo)men producing intricate handloom designs, handicrafts, etc. Villages consist of clusters of wooden stilt houses. Their spiritual life is a mixture of Donyi-Polo, worship of Moon and Sun, and Christianity.

Nameri National park

Nameri is a beautiful national park located between the Jia Bhorelli river and the foothills of the eastern Himalayas. The vegetation consists of moist deciduous forests with epiphytes and lianas, sections of cane and bamboo, and some open grasslands along the rivers. The park is very popular with bird enthusiasts, but also non-birders will greatly enjoy its pleasant atmosphere. Birds to look for are merganser, Pallas’s fish eagle, lapwings, cormorants, ruddy shell duck, kingfishers and perhaps the elusive white-winged wood duck and the great Indian Hornbill. In 2000 part of the park was declared a tiger reserve. Accommodation is in Nameri Eco-Camp with comfortable tents under thatched roofs with attached bathrooms and in lush forest surroundings.

Tawang

Tawang Gompa (17th century) is considered to be the largest lamaist Buddhist monastery outside Tibet. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa school, the sect the Dalai Lama presides over. The elongated monastery sits on a hillock overseeing Tawang town at an elevation of 3300m. Up to 400 monks live here. Buddhist monasteries like this often have a rather complex set-up with many congregation halls, smaller temples dedicated to different forms of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings), and monks’ quarters and classrooms. The three-storey Dukhang, or main assembly hall, houses, among other things, an 8.3 m high golden statue of the Buddha Maitreya. The Parkhang library, has a collection of 400-year-old scriptures.

The Monpa people of Tawang

The Monpa make up 97% of the population in the Tawang area. This nomadic tribe migrated here thousands of years ago. Once they settled in the Tawang area, they made great efforts to terrace the mountain slopes in order to prevent soil erosion. The area Increasingly came under Tibetan political and cultural influence, but many elements of pre-Buddhist Bon faith are still present. Tawang Monastery plays a central role in Monpa culture. Traditional Monpas can be recognised by their hats made of yakhair with long tassels. Their houses, made of stone and wood, often have beautifully carved doors and window frames. Limited numbers of Monpas can also be found in other parts of Arunachal Pradesh, in Tibet and in Bhutan.

Surroundings of Tawang

The main options outside Tawang are visiting lakes near the Tibetan border, as well as a small temple dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava. Closer to Bhutan you can visit Zemithang, with the largest stupa in India, made as a replica of the famous Swayambunath Stupa in Kathmandu (Nepal). Zemithang is also very close to the place where the Dalai Lama entered India on his exile in 1959. Please note that the Tawang area is army-controlled. We can ask for permission to visit Ptsho lake and a little beyond, and this is most likely granted, but not guaranteed. You can also visit a Monpa village and in the evening the market of Tawang itself.

Bomdila

Bomdila at 2415m is a small hillside town, surrounded by apple orchards and orchid farms, and a pleasant stop between Tawang and Tezpur. Just as in Tawang Monpa is the dominant tribe. The large Buddhist monastery Gaden Rabgye Ling, located above the town, dominates the townscape. Other interesting places to visit are the market, the Buddha Park and the Guru Rinpoche statue. From the Bomdila helipad one can enjoy nice views of the whole town.

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga N.P. is one of the crown jewels of Indian conservation. It is set for the protection of the Indian (unicorn) rhino. In 1908, when Kaziranga was first declared a Reserved Forest, less than 15 animals of it were still alive, now there are more than 2400. This is due to a for India unusually strict protection, in which a real war was – and is -fought with poachers who target the horn. This has worked out well, and not only for the rhinos. Nowadays Kaziranga is home to the largest populations of wild buffalos, wild elephants and swamp deer of Asia , as well as around 500 bird species. And the tiger… ? Kaziranga also has the highest density of tigers in Asia (largest number per 100 km2). Seeing rhinos in Kaziranga is easy, the tiger is a different matter. From our own experience, your chances of seeing one on a jeep drive are around 10%.