Best places to visit in North East India
Best places to visit in North East
Tawang Monastery
The largest monastery in India and perhaps the most superb
tourist attraction in Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang monastery is
precariously perched at 10,000 feet above sea level, near the
border of Bhutan. Appearing like a fort, it has ravines on two
sides. The monastery's prayer hall is magnificently decorated,
and early risers can catch the monks performing prayers at
dawn.
Kaziranga National Park
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Kaziranga
National Park is renowned for having the largest population in
the world of the prehistoric-looking one-horned rhinoceros.
Much of the park's terrain consists of swamp and grasslands,
making it the perfect habitat for these creatures along with
about 40 major mammals. These include wild elephants,
tiger, buffaloes, gaur, monkeys, deer, otters, badgers, leopards,
and wild boar. The birdlife is also impressive. Thousands of
migratory birds arrive at the park every year, from distant
lands as far away as Siberia. Kaziranga is a substantially sized
park, covering approximately 430 square kilometers.
In particular, it stretches for 40 kilometers (25 miles) in
length from east to west, and is 13 kilometers (8 miles) wide.
Majuli Island
A place of unparalleled beauty and tranquility in India, Majuli
Island is not surprisingly one of India's top off the beaten
track destinations. Step back in time where people lived off
the land in tight agrarian communities. This is the world’s
largest river island, nestled amidst the mighty Brahmaputra
River. From its sandy banks, Majuli Island is over 420 square
kilometers in size, although it is shrinking due to erosion.
During the monsoon season, the island shrinks to less than
half its size. And, if the ecological reports are to be believed,
in 20 years this farming community will have given way to
the environment completely and cease to exist.
Living Root Bridges
Possibly Meghalaya's most famous attraction, deep in the
dense tropical forest and shrouded in cloud and rain for much
of the year, are some astonishing man-made natural wonders
known as living root bridges. Inventive members of the Khasi
tribe have trained them to grow from the roots of ancient
rubber trees, native to the northeast region. There are two
places that you can see the bridges: near Cherrapunji and
Mawlynnong.
Mawlynnong Cleanest Village
In addition to having an easily accessible living root bridge
nearby, scenic Mawlynnong was named the "Cleanest Village
in Asia" by a travel magazine. Also dubbed
"God's Own Garden", the village is an outstanding example
of community-based ecotourism. The locals have constructed
a remarkable Sky View platform from bamboo atop the highest
tree in the forest, nearly 80 feet up. It offers a bird's eye view
of the village and panoramic view across to Bangladesh
(the border is just a few kilometers away). Mawlynnong is a
3-hour drive south of Shillong in the East Khasi Hills. It's
possible to stay there in a basic village guesthouse or treehouse
on stilts, also created for tourists by the locals.
Dimapur
Dimapur is the commercial center of Nagaland, and the main
entry point into the state. Nagaland's only airport is located
there, with flights to and from Kolkata, and Guwahati.
Dimapur is also the only city in Nagaland to be connected by
train. There are direct trains to and from Delhi, Kolkata,
Bangalore, and Chennai. Once the capital of the ancient
Kachari tribe, Dimapur has some mysterious 13th century
ruins from the Kachari civilization, which ruled there until the
Nagas came down from the hills and took over. These ruins,
dotted about Rajbari Park, are perhaps the most interesting
attraction in Dimapur although they're sadly neglected.
There's also a Wednesday market close to the ruins, which
provides an insightful look at Nagaland life. Familiar
products such as spices, wicker goods, and vegetables are on
sale. However, you'd best avoid the meat section unless you're
keen on unconventional offerings such as dog meat.
Kohima
Picturesque Khonoma village, home to the Angami tribe, is
located around 20 kilometers from Kohima. The journey is a
bone rattling two hour one because of the terrible condition
of the road, yet the village draws visitors with its soul soothing
vistas. Village homes cascade down hilltops to the valleys
below. Get an intimate taste of village life by staying one of the
rustic homestays there. Meru Homestay is perhaps the best
one. It's popular and recommended. The inhabitants of
Khonoma place a lot of emphasis on wildlife conservation,
and have established The Khonoma Nature Conservation and
Tragopan Sanctuary.
Mon: Land of Konyak Headhunters
The Mon district of Nagaland, land of the Konyaks
(infamous for being former headhunters), offers the best
opportunity for finding semi-traditional villages and tattooed
warriors in loincloths. The main attraction in Mon is the
remote geographical location, and the opportunity it affords
to get a glimpse of a life far removed from ours.
The Mon landscape has the densest landscape in Nagaland,
and the plains of Assam can be delightfully viewed from high
up in the hills. The district's largest village, Longwa, is
situated right on the Myanmar border. In fact, the
chief's house is bisected longitudinally by the border.
Visitors to the village, who
must stop by his house, will have the strange experience of
sitting near the hearth with half their body in Myanmar and
the other half still in India. It's not the only unusual thing
-- the chief also has dozens of wives! The chief's house,
filled with dubious trophies
of various animal skulls, is also quite a sight. If you visit
Mon during the beginning of April, you'll be able to witness
Konyaks all over Mon celebrating the Aoleong Monyu festival.
Undertaken to welcome spring and pray for bountiful
harvests, this happy week-long festival has plenty of
feasting and sacrifices to appease
the divine forces that watch over the farms. There are two
ways of getting to Mon -- from Kohima along the eastern
extreme of Nagaland, and via Jorhat in Assam. The latter
route is longer, but it has excellent roads. However, those
with a thirst for adventure should be sure to travel via
Naginimora in Mon and Wakching in the Tuesang district of
Nagaland. There road changes from monotonous concrete to
a tyer-marked trail. However, due to its remoteness,
the best way to see Mon is on a tour.
Barkha Negi Nagee
Tawang Monastery
The largest monastery in India and perhaps the most superb
tourist attraction in Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang monastery is
precariously perched at 10,000 feet above sea level, near the
border of Bhutan. Appearing like a fort, it has ravines on two
sides. The monastery's prayer hall is magnificently decorated,
and early risers can catch the monks performing prayers at
dawn.
Kaziranga National Park
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Kaziranga
National Park is renowned for having the largest population in
the world of the prehistoric-looking one-horned rhinoceros.
Much of the park's terrain consists of swamp and grasslands,
making it the perfect habitat for these creatures along with
about 40 major mammals. These include wild elephants,
tiger, buffaloes, gaur, monkeys, deer, otters, badgers, leopards,
and wild boar. The birdlife is also impressive. Thousands of
migratory birds arrive at the park every year, from distant
lands as far away as Siberia. Kaziranga is a substantially sized
park, covering approximately 430 square kilometers.
In particular, it stretches for 40 kilometers (25 miles) in
length from east to west, and is 13 kilometers (8 miles) wide.
Majuli Island
A place of unparalleled beauty and tranquility in India, Majuli
Island is not surprisingly one of India's top off the beaten
track destinations. Step back in time where people lived off
the land in tight agrarian communities. This is the world’s
largest river island, nestled amidst the mighty Brahmaputra
River. From its sandy banks, Majuli Island is over 420 square
kilometers in size, although it is shrinking due to erosion.
During the monsoon season, the island shrinks to less than
half its size. And, if the ecological reports are to be believed,
in 20 years this farming community will have given way to
the environment completely and cease to exist.
Living Root Bridges
Possibly Meghalaya's most famous attraction, deep in the
dense tropical forest and shrouded in cloud and rain for much
of the year, are some astonishing man-made natural wonders
known as living root bridges. Inventive members of the Khasi
tribe have trained them to grow from the roots of ancient
rubber trees, native to the northeast region. There are two
places that you can see the bridges: near Cherrapunji and
Mawlynnong.
Mawlynnong Cleanest Village
In addition to having an easily accessible living root bridge
nearby, scenic Mawlynnong was named the "Cleanest Village
in Asia" by a travel magazine. Also dubbed
"God's Own Garden", the village is an outstanding example
of community-based ecotourism. The locals have constructed
a remarkable Sky View platform from bamboo atop the highest
tree in the forest, nearly 80 feet up. It offers a bird's eye view
of the village and panoramic view across to Bangladesh
(the border is just a few kilometers away). Mawlynnong is a
3-hour drive south of Shillong in the East Khasi Hills. It's
possible to stay there in a basic village guesthouse or treehouse
on stilts, also created for tourists by the locals.
Dimapur
Dimapur is the commercial center of Nagaland, and the main
entry point into the state. Nagaland's only airport is located
there, with flights to and from Kolkata, and Guwahati.
Dimapur is also the only city in Nagaland to be connected by
train. There are direct trains to and from Delhi, Kolkata,
Bangalore, and Chennai. Once the capital of the ancient
Kachari tribe, Dimapur has some mysterious 13th century
ruins from the Kachari civilization, which ruled there until the
Nagas came down from the hills and took over. These ruins,
dotted about Rajbari Park, are perhaps the most interesting
attraction in Dimapur although they're sadly neglected.
There's also a Wednesday market close to the ruins, which
provides an insightful look at Nagaland life. Familiar
products such as spices, wicker goods, and vegetables are on
sale. However, you'd best avoid the meat section unless you're
keen on unconventional offerings such as dog meat.
Kohima
Picturesque Khonoma village, home to the Angami tribe, is
located around 20 kilometers from Kohima. The journey is a
bone rattling two hour one because of the terrible condition
of the road, yet the village draws visitors with its soul soothing
vistas. Village homes cascade down hilltops to the valleys
below. Get an intimate taste of village life by staying one of the
rustic homestays there. Meru Homestay is perhaps the best
one. It's popular and recommended. The inhabitants of
Khonoma place a lot of emphasis on wildlife conservation,
and have established The Khonoma Nature Conservation and
Tragopan Sanctuary.
Mon: Land of Konyak Headhunters
The Mon district of Nagaland, land of the Konyaks
(infamous for being former headhunters), offers the best
opportunity for finding semi-traditional villages and tattooed
warriors in loincloths. The main attraction in Mon is the
remote geographical location, and the opportunity it affords
to get a glimpse of a life far removed from ours.
The Mon landscape has the densest landscape in Nagaland,
and the plains of Assam can be delightfully viewed from high
up in the hills. The district's largest village, Longwa, is
situated right on the Myanmar border. In fact, the
chief's house is bisected longitudinally by the border.
Visitors to the village, who
must stop by his house, will have the strange experience of
sitting near the hearth with half their body in Myanmar and
the other half still in India. It's not the only unusual thing
-- the chief also has dozens of wives! The chief's house,
filled with dubious trophies
of various animal skulls, is also quite a sight. If you visit
Mon during the beginning of April, you'll be able to witness
Konyaks all over Mon celebrating the Aoleong Monyu festival.
Undertaken to welcome spring and pray for bountiful
harvests, this happy week-long festival has plenty of
feasting and sacrifices to appease
the divine forces that watch over the farms. There are two
ways of getting to Mon -- from Kohima along the eastern
extreme of Nagaland, and via Jorhat in Assam. The latter
route is longer, but it has excellent roads. However, those
with a thirst for adventure should be sure to travel via
Naginimora in Mon and Wakching in the Tuesang district of
Nagaland. There road changes from monotonous concrete to
a tyer-marked trail. However, due to its remoteness,
the best way to see Mon is on a tour.
Barkha Negi Nagee
Co-Founder
Alfa Tours And Travels
G3-Nagee Palace, Sai Baba Nagar, Navghar Road,
Bhayandar [East], Thane 401105 India
+91 77188 09030
Barkha@alfatravelblog.com
www.AlfaTravelBlog.com
https://www.facebook.com/barkha.nagee
https://twitter.com/NageeNegi?s=08
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barkha-nagee-484a01197
https://www.instagram.com/barkhaneginagee/
https://www.portrait-business-woman.com/2019/11/barkha-negi-nagee.html
Alfa Tours And Travels
G3-Nagee Palace, Sai Baba Nagar, Navghar Road,
Bhayandar [East], Thane 401105 India
+91 77188 09030
Barkha@alfatravelblog.com
www.AlfaTravelBlog.com
https://www.facebook.com/barkha.nagee
https://twitter.com/NageeNegi?s=08
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barkha-nagee-484a01197
https://www.instagram.com/barkhaneginagee/
https://www.portrait-business-woman.com/2019/11/barkha-negi-nagee.html
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