Northeast India: A Journey Through Tripura, Mizoram & Meghalaya 2024
Important Information | |
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Tour Dates | |
Tour Price (Per Person) | Price to be announced |
Spaces Available | Spaces available |
This is one of the least-traveled areas in all of Asia, and therefore a region of the world where time has largely stood still for the many unique and varied tribal cultures. This tour will be very busy and active, but those intrepid traveled will be rewarded and guaranteed a truly electrifying and unforgettable journey in one of the planet’s most unknown, fascinating and obscure regions.
Highlights
- Enjoy the architecture heritage, stone carvings and rock cuts of Tripura.
- In Mizoram, visit Reiek and meet one of the largest families in the world at Baktwang.
- Cross the mighty Brahmaputra River by boat, one of Asia’s major rivers.
- Trek to the mindblowing, double-decker root bridges of Cherrapunjee.
Tour Includes
- Full services of an Out of Bounds Tours leader with local guides and drivers.
- All meals from arrival until departure.
- Drinking water provided.
- All transport within the itinerary.
- All accommodations.
- All entrance fees, sightseeing, excursions and activities as per the itinerary.
Tour Fact Sheet | |
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Max Group Size | 12 with 1 Out of Bounds leader |
Day 01: Agartala
Arrive into Agartala, the capital and largest city in Tripura, where you will be met and transferred to the hotel. After settling in and lunch, we will visit the Ujjayanta (Agartala) Palace, a stunning former royal palace compound established in 1901 that also houses Northeast India’s largest museum; the historic Fourteen Goddess Temple; Rabindra Kanan, a sprawling park nestled among an abundance of flowers; and the Portuguese church (Shantir Rani Catholic Church). In the evening we will take a stroll in the colorful local market. Overnight in Agartala.
Day 02: Agartala — Udaipur
After breakfast drive to Udaipur, where en route we will visit the majestic Neermahal, which means water palace and was constructed by King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as a summer resort in 1930. Located in the middle of a lake, this water palace has a fine combination of architectural design among Muslim and Hindu.
Later on we will visit one of the most popular temples of Udaipur, the Tripura Sundari, which is also known as Matabari, and is the earliest holy place of Hinduism in this part of Tripura state. In the evening return to Agartala and overnight.
Day 03: Kailasahar via Unakoti
This morning we will drive to Unakoti. On the slope of the hills, you can see rock cut and stone images belonging to 7th to 9th century. The pebbly walls, the enormous Siva’s head, and the thirty feet tall statue of Ganesha are of special interest along the way. Overnight in Kailasahar.
Day 04: Silchar (160 kms / 6 hrs)
A long and scenic day driving is ahead today as we spend several hours navigating our way north to Silchar in Assam. On arrival, we will take a walk around the town before having dinner and resting for the evening after an eventful day on the road. Overnight in Silchar.
Day 05: Aizawl (170 Kms / 6 hrs)
Today we will have another full and interesting day driving throughout Assam to the lively and pretty town of Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, located just north of the Tropic of Cancer. We will enjoy some time stretching our legs on a walk around the compact city center. Overnight in Aizwal.
Day 06: Reiek
We will have breakfast in our hotel and then take a short drive to Reiek Hill, which sprawls along a prominent mountain 5110 feet above sea level on which Reiek village is located. The mountain itself, though appearing to be of gentle slopes on its eastern sides, has spectacular rocky cliffs filled with caves and caverns on the northern and western sides. The mountain road will take us through the lush green hills, crosses the Tlawng River as it gushes through a narrow rocky gorge, and then climbs up the hills winding up gradually, making for a comfortable drive. We will spend some time walking around a Mizo village and make a soft trek to the peak of the mountain (about 30 minutes uphill trek at leisure), where we will enjoy 360 degree views. Overnight in Aizwal.
Day 07: Chana Pawl and Baktawng
This morning we will depart for Baktawng and visit Chana Pawl along the way, which is a religious sect settled in Baktawng village. The members of the sect do not mind being called a religious sect because they take pride in nurturing the legacy of “Lalpa Kohhran” (God’s church) founded by their ‘godfather’ Chana in 1966. Chana, who was said to have married over 20 women, died in 1997; after him the legacy of “Lalpa Kohhran” was carried on by his eldest son, Ziona. Ziona, married to 47 wives and father to over 100 children, is responsible for the spiritual, social and economic welfare of all his family members.
Later we will drive back to Aizawl and visit Martarte Thlan en route, which is a striking martyr’s memorial constructed in the memory of volunteers of the Mizo National Army, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Mizos and Mizoram freedom movement between 1956 and 1986. Overnight in Aizawl.
Day 08: Guwahati (Flight)
After a leisurely breakfast, we will head to Aizawl airport and take a short flight to Guwahati. We will visit the Kamakhya Temple, famous for its religious and archaeological heritage, as well as Nabagraha, an ancient center of astrological and astronomical research.
In the evening we will take a one-hour evening cruise on the River Brahmaputra, one of the major rivers of Asia.
Day 09: Cherrapunjee via Shillong
After breakfast drive to Shillong to visit Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, which provides a look into the many cultures of Northeast India. Then, after lunch, drive towards Cherrapunjee, where we will stop along the way at Shillong Peak for panoramic views, and Elephant Falls, a two-tier waterfall set in the dingles of the rocks on the outskirts of Shillong.
Cherrapunjee, locally and officially known as Sohra, and apart from being the record holder for the heaviest rainfall, was the headquarters of the Khasi/Jaintia province during British rule, and later shifted to Shillong in 1864, due to the inconvenience caused by excessive rain during the monsoon months. The average rainfall is 12,000 mm a year and the record for a single day was 2455 mm recorded in 1974 confirming it as the “Wettest place on Earth”. Overnight at the Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort in Cherrapunjee.
Day 10: Trek to visit Living Root Bridge (8 hrs)
After a filling breakfast, we will embark on what must be one of the most spectacular hikes in the world. We will walk along the meandering edge of the cliff face and then start the descent downwards, trekking through the lush green vegetation. Passing small villages on the way, you will be awestruck by the phenomenal Living Root Bridge.
In order to make a rubber tree’s roots grow in the right direction – such as over a river – the Khasi people use betel nut trunks sliced down the middle and hollowed out to create root-guidance systems. The thin tender roots of the rubber tree prevented from fanning out by the betel nut trunks grow straight out. When they reach the other side of the river they’re allowed to take root in the soil. Given enough time, a sturdy living bridge is produced.
The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional but they’re extraordinarily strong – strong enough that some of them can support the weight of fifty or more people at a time. Because they are alive and still growing the bridges actually gain strength over time – and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji are well over five hundred years old.
After a picnic lunch, we will start the climb back up, stopping off at one of the natural pools for a swim. Wander back through the villages dotted along the hillside back to the Cherrapunjee Resort.
*NOTE: This trek requires a high level of fitness. Alternative, less arduous treks can be arranged to other living root bridges.
Day 11: Cherrapunjee and Shillong
This morning we will explore around Cherrapunjee, visiting the Thankharang Park (from where one can see the plains of Bangladesh), Mawsmai Cave, where we will admire the low passages of the 150m-long natural limestone formation, and the Nohkalikai Falls, which is set among the lush green hills and is the tallest plunge waterfall in India at 1115 feet.
Later we will drive back to Shillong, and in the afternoon, walk around Barra Bazar, or Lewduh. The name of this marketplace means ‘the market of common people’ in local parlance, which is justified by the huge presence of natives. A special thing about this market is that most of the shopkeepers are women from local villages. Overnight in Shillong.
Day 12: Guwahati and departure
Drive to Guwahai this morning and be transferred to the airport for your onward connections.
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