Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland

Tour - 16 days

ASSAM, MEGHALAYA and NAGALAND

Tour - 16 days

About Assam, Meghalaya & Nagaland

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 fantastic 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, Meghalaya & Nagaland (India)

Best Time

Feb-April &
Nov-Dec

No. Of Days

16 days

Trip Character

Jeep tour with walks

Sleeping Altitude

65 - 1620 m

Price

INR XXX/ $ XXX

ABOUT THIS TOUR

On this tour, we take you to India’s easternmost parts, making a round trip through the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra. Starting off at Guwahati, the capital of Assam, we travel upstream along the majestic Brahmaputra to Kaziranga National Park, home to the largest population of Indian rhinos, as well as elephants, tigers and much more. Then we cross the Brahmaputra to Majuli Island, where 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. Further east still, we reach Dibrugarh, where we stay two days at a very atmospheric nineteenth century bungalow amidst tea plantations.

Then we enter the far-eastern states of Nagaland and Manipur. Both are due outside the tourist circuits, Manipur is even India’s least visited state. That’s not because there is nothing to see. The mountains are lush green, thanks to an abundance of rain, and harbor some very fine subtropical forests and supreme mountain vistas.

If your travel dates are right (roughly between mid-November and mid-December) you can visit one or two of the most colorful and well-organized festivals of the Northeast: the well-known Hornbill Festival in Kohima (Nagaland) and the much less know Sangai Festival in Imphal (Manipur). The latter is named after a rare species of marsh-dwelling deer found only in Manipur.

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:

There are other cultural festivals Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya that take place during the autumn and winter months. Among the best known are the Hornbill Festival in Kohima (Nagaland, December 1 -10) and the Sangay Festival in in Imphal (Manipur, November 21-30). If your travel dates are close to these dates we can work out an itinerary in which you’ll be able to attend one or both of these festivals.
If you’re wild about wildlife one or several extra days at Kaziranga are recommended. There is a lot to see in the six different ranges, and the longer you stay, the better your chances of seeing some of the more elusive species.
The roads to Mon and Longwa are generally quite bad, and the drive is long. To make the time investment and ‘suffering’ more worthwhile, it makes sense to stay longer in this area. Staying two nights (one full day) extra at Longwa is highly recommended.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Delhi / Kolkata ✈︎ Guwahati & car to Shillong
At Guwahati airport you’ll be greeted by our staff. Leaving the Assamese plains, you follow hilly roads to Shillong, the capital of the state of Meghalaya, which means “the abode of the clouds.” Located at an 1500m, Shillong once was the summer capital of British India, and the colonial ambience is still there. Altitude 80 → 1500m.
Day 2: In Shillong
Today you can visit Shillong's sights, such as Shillong Peak (good views), the Elephanta falls, idyllic Ward's Lake, and 19th century Mary’s cathedral. Altitude 1500m.
Day 3: Shillong - Cherrapunjee (4 h)
Traveling south, you'll reach Cherrapunjee, locally known as Sohra, a tiny village which long held the record of receiving the highest rainfall on earth. And you'll take a walk in the well-conserved 'sacred' forest of Mawphlang. Altitude 1500 → 1400.
Day 4: In Cherrapunjee
Today you'll explore the beautiful forested ravines of Cherrapunjee and discover the unique phenomena of its fairy-tale natural root bridges. Altitude 1400m.
Day 5: Cherrapunje - Dawki - Mawlynnong (4 -5 h)
Moving closer to Bangladesh, you'll visit the spectacular Seven Sisters Falls, the Mawsami limestone caves, and a magnificent view point of Bangladesh. After visiting Dawki, on the Indo-Bangladesh border you'll check in to a homestay in India's 'cleanest village' Mawlynnong. Altitude 1400 → 25 → 475m.
Day 6: Mawlynnong - Guwahati (6-7 h)
After visiting another, particularly beautiful living root bridge, we drive to Guwahati, the capital of Assam. Here, the large, 15th century Kamakhya Temple as well a little Shiva temple on a tiny island in the Brahmaputra can be visited. Altitude 475 → 75m.
Day 7: Guwahati - Dimapur – Kohima (5 h train, 2 h drive)
We rise early and board the 06:30 train to Dimapur in the state of Nagaland, ftomwhere we drive up to Kohima, Nagaland’s capital. After lunch we visit the Second World War memorial and the very interesting ethnic local market. Altitude 75 → 1550m.
Day 8: Kohima – Tuophema (2 h)
We drive to Touphema and check into a village guesthouse built in the Angami Naga style. If you have chosen your dates right, today is the first day of the Sekrenyi festival of the Angami Nagas. There will be games and a traditional dance. Altitude 1550 → 1520m.
Day 9: In Tuophema
Today again we’ll attend the festival and visit the small but interesting museum. Altitude 1520m.
Day 10: Tuophema - Khonoma (2.5 h)
We drive back to Kohima on and on to the small town of Khonoma, 20 km from Kohima. This village was never subjugated by anyone, not even by the British. We’ll walk through a nearby bird sanctuary. Altitude 1520 → 1620m.
Day 11: Khonoma - Jorhat (5 h)
We drive down to the plains and continue north to Jorhat. Here we check in to an atmospheric tea chang bungalow on a tea estate.
After a lovely cup of tea in the garden, we explore its origins in a nearby tea garden. Altitude 1620 → 85m.
Day 12: Jorhat - Gibbon Sanctuary - Majuli Island (3 h; 1.5 h ferry)
Early morning we visit Gibbon Sanctuary, about 45 min drive from Jorhat. On a walk in the park with a ranger we hope to spot the rare and endemic Hoolock Gibbons (an ape species) as well as some spectacular birds and maybe wild elephants.
Then we drive to the shore of the Brahmaputra and sail for 1.5 hours to Majuli Island, one of the largest inhabited river islands in the world. Look out for rare Ganges dolphins! Altitude 65 → 65m.
Day 13: 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. You can also go on a very enjoyable bicycle trip, riding over small dikes and passing through many small Mishing villages.
Day 14: Majuli - Kaziranga N.P. (97 km/ 3h)
In the morning we cross the Brahmaputra again and then drive to Kaziranga N.P., where we check into a comfortable lodge with lush gardens. In the afternoon we do our first open-jeep safari. Kaziranga is the best place to view the Indian Big Five: Indian rhino, tiger, leopard, buffalo and elephant. It is and a World Heritage Site for nature. Altitude 95m.
Day 15: 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 16: Kaziranga N.P. - Jorhat & flight Jorhat ✈︎ Delhi/ Kolkata
After breakfast you will be taken to Jorhat Airport for your flight back to Delhi or Kolkata. It depends on your international connection whether you may want an overnight stay here, which we can arrange.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

shillong

Shillong is the capital of the state of Meghalaya. It is located at an altitude of about 1500m on the edge of the Meghalaya plateau. The mountainous terrain translates into winding roads that are also often clogged. But Shillong is a pleasant and interesting place. Once this was the summer capital of British India. This was at the time when Calcutta was the actual capital (before it was moved to Delhi in 1907). In the scorching hot summers the British moved with their entire civil service to Shillong, where the cooler and rainy climate undoubtedly made them feel at home. Nowadays, many “colonial” buildings remind us of this time.

Cherrapunjee

Cherrapunjee, also known as Sohra, is a small town is the south of Meghalaya. It is kbnown for it beautifully forested gorges, tall waterfalls and crystal-clear streams. Sohra once had the honour to be selected by the British for their new summer capital, because Shillong was found to be too hilly and even then had little room for expansion. However, the British ovewrlooked the fact that this gets a lot more rain in the summer than Shillong. It is in fact the wettest place on earth. More than 24 meters of rain has been recorded here. This is 40 times the average rainfall in London. Even for the homesick British, who probably longed for their cool, misty hills, this was too much, and the plan was abandoned. Nowadays, Cherrapunjee is a tiny village with a nice old church and some houses from the British era.

LIVING BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA

The living bridges of Meghalaya are a world-wide unique phenomena. They are naturally grown with the help of a native tree species that is related to the rubber tree. Being adapted to an environment where fast-flowing streams can erode soils and thereby the tree’s foothold, its long, rapidly growing aerial roots can travel long distances before rooting in stable soil. The local Khasi tribal people have found out how to lead the roots over rivers and ravines using available natural materials and turning the roots into a bridge. It can take upto 100 years to get a full-grown bridge, but the result is generally both very strong and picturesque. There are even a few ‘double-deckers’ that can accommodate unusually heavy traffic.

Mawlynnong & Dawki

P.M.

Guwahati

Guwahati, with almost 1 million inhabitants, is the capital of Assam and serves for many as the gateway to the Northeast States. It lies at the southern bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river and although modern buildings and heavy traffic dominate major parts of the city, there is still a wooded area near the river with traditional houses and colonial-era mansions. One can visit the Kalakshetra, a sprawling enclosure depicting cultures and traditions of Northeast India, the worthwhile Assam State Museum, and/or the famous and colourful Kamakhya Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shakti. Or one can take a short boat ride to Peacock Island. The island has a small Shiva temple and is home to a small population of the rare golden langur.

The Naga Culture

The Naga people originated in South East Asia and are distributed all along the India Myanmar border. The nagas speak a lingua franca known as Nagamese, which is a smart combination of English, Hindi and Assamese. Naga villages are generally located on the top of a hill, guarded by ceremonial gates with strong wooden or stone doors. Security was an important issue as in the 19th and 20th century there there were regular tribal wars between various tribes and khels (neighbourhoods). The gates are often designed with moon, sun, mithuns and female breasts (sign of fertility). The richness of the Naga culture is expressed in the very colourful attire which is shown at the many festivals that happen during the winter season.

Kohima

Kohima, situated on wooded hilltops at about 1450m, is the capital of Nagaland. Visiting the city is worthwhile for several reasons. Its main claim to fame are the fierce battles which took place in 1944 during World War II between Japanese troups invading from Burma (Myanmar) and Allied British-Indian troops. The latter eventually gained the upper hand. The battle is often referred to as the ‘Stalingrad of the East,’ because Kohima is the point of the furthest Japanese advance into British India. Kohima’s well-kept War Cemetery with the graves of 1400 Allied soldiers is a sobering place. A very well appointed war museum in Kisama, outside Kohima, brings this defining point in Indian history to life. It is situated on the same grounds where each year in December the spectacular Hornbill Festival is held (see next highlight).

Sekrenyi Festival

The Sekrenyi Festival is a vibrant cultural celebration observed by the Angami Naga tribe in Nagaland, India. Held in February, it is a time for the community to honor ancestors, seek blessings, and foster unity. Participants wear traditional attire and engage in ceremonial cleansing rituals. The festival features traditional dances, songs, and indigenous music. The “Feast of Merit” brings families and friends together to share a sumptuous meal, strengthening social bonds. Traditional games, sports, and cultural competitions add to the festivities. The Sekrenyi Festival is a beautiful display of the Angami Naga tribe’s cultural heritage and provides a platform for younger generations to learn and appreciate their ancestral customs.

Khonoma

The small village of Khonoma is peculiar in many ways. Home to the fierse Angami tribals, it managed to repel attacks by the British in 1847 and 1879. Thus, its main claim to fame is that it was never conquered. These days, its main draw is the beautiful traditional looking village with its green terraced rice fields, herbal trees, flowers, pomelo trees, squash gourd vines and megaliths, against the back-drop of densely forested hills. The inhabitants of Khonoma predominantly live of agriculture and, like all Nagas, used to be passionate hunters. However, in a rare case of communal ecological awareness, in 2001 they gave up all hunting and declared an area of 2000 hectares near the village a conservation area. Now known as the Tragopan Sanctuary, bird watchers often visit this forest to spot the Blyth’s Tragopan (a rare pheasant) and 200 other bird species.

The Mithun

When traveling in Nagaland and Manipur, sooner or later, you will notice 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.

Chameli Memsaab BUNGALOW

The Chameli Memsaab 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 more than a century of age. Once upon a time the manager of the tea estate lived here, now it is a hotel. Its owners have taken utmost care to preserve the erstwhile style and atmosphere.

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.

Gibbon Sanctuary

Less than an hour’s drive from Jorhat is the Gibbon Sanctuary. This is a relatively small but beautiful protected area where the very rare Hoolock gibbons live, along with wild elephants and many species of forest birds. The Hoolock gibbons belongs to the great apes and only occurs in Assam and Bhutan. Chances to see the Hoolocks here, as they swing from branch to branch, are very good, especially early morning. You can visit the park on foot, accompanied by a park ranger. You’ll see many birds as well, and if you are lucky, a heard of wild elephants will cross your path!

Brahmaputra CROSSING

The Brahmaputra is the boon and bane of Assam. It originates near holy Mt. Kailash in Southwest Tibet, then travels 1250km 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 best nown for its satras. These are monasteries where Hindu monks live who 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 live in kibbutz-like monasteries where they 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.

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%.