Travelling through beautiful North East India is an experience in itself. This was a long pending trip I wished since long. I am a life member of an organisation YHAI – Youth Hostel Association of India which is instrumental in planning treks and tours in India since about 50 years. when I saw their poster of North East India tour on their website https://www.yhaindia.org/, I booked it immediately because i was longing for such trip since long.

Here I am sharing my 12 days long tour of the North East India covering the states of Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The trip was attended by 16 people coming from all around India.

It was 12 days tour and we were going to cover almost 60 percent of North East India including the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh.

Reaching Guwahati

The base camp or the reporting location was at Guwahati, Assam. Guwahati is well connected by airways as well as railways to all the major cities in India. I reached Guwahati at 10am by taking an early morning flight from New Delhi. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city.

Day 1. All the participants reached Guwahati by the morning of the reporting day. There were 16 participants in all. Travelling through beautiful North East India, our first destination was Meghalaya. We started in a 20 seater Tempo Traveller from Guwahati towards Shillong in Meghalaya. Meghalaya is known for the greenery, the rolling hills with beautiful villages in between.

Shillong, Meghalaya, North East India

It took us three hours to cover a distance of 120 kms from Guwahati to Shillong by road. Shillong is a small hill station and is the capital city of Meghalaya. During the British India Rule, this hill station was developed by the British Raj. Shillong is known for its natural beauty and pleasant climate. Although the main town is a bit crowded, the outskirts have the beauty of their own. We stayed in shillong for the night.

Day 2. We Woke up early in the morning as also the sunrise time in North East of India is quite early because of the location. After having breakfast we started again on our journey towards our next destination. The narrow roads of Shillong were full of traffic in the morning and it took us couple of hours to leave the city limits. We were heading towards Dawki, known as the cleanest river of India.

Dawki – The Cleanest River of India, North East India

The distance to Dawki from shillong is about 105 kms and can be covered in about 4 hours by road. The roads are reasonably good. After a drive of about 4 hours on the serpentine roads of the hills, we reached Umngot/ Dawki river, we drove past beautiful old cantilever bridge, the Dawki bridge, to get to the other side of the river. The parking place was full of all kinds of vehicles. We parked the vehicle and headed towards the river bank. We saw rows of boats parked on the bank of the river and we were actually standing at the India – Bangladesh border.

The Indian soldiers were seen on duty here and were quite vigilant about the movement of tourists. There was a ticket counter just on the bank of the river. We hired boat which accommodated three persons at a time and charged about 800 indian rupees. It was an hour long boat ride with break at the mouth of the small waterfall. The water was not that clean when we visited the place. The boatman informed us that the water is clearest during the months of September and October right after the monsoon season.

We enjoyed the boat ride, including the stop at the mouth of the small waterfall. We got back to the river bank and had snacks at the local tea stall and continued our journey again in our vehicle. Our next stop was at the cleanest village of India where our group leader had arranged for lunch also.

Mawlynnong – The Cleanest Village of Asia, North East India

We reached here after three hour long drive and parked the vehicle at the designated parking. There few few shops at the entrance and few clean restaurants. We had good food cooked by local ladies in the restaurant and headed to see the village.

The village was very clean and well maintained. The people living in this village are naturally adhered to the laws of nature. Children were playing on the common areas and adult members of the family were busy in their houses with daily chores. There were small cafes inside the village for the tourists visiting the place. There were signboards for homestays in many of the cottages inside the village. The accommodations seems to be basic but very clean and beautiful. One can stay here to fully immerse in the pleasant surroundings. We spent about an hour there in the village and had a stroll in the village after a sumptuous lunch. We had to leave early as we had to visit another nearby attraction – The single Living Root Bridge in the neighboring village before reaching our hotel.

The Living Root Bridge, Riwai Village, Meghalaya, North East India

The location of the single living root bridge is just a few kilometers from Mawlynnong. After parking the vehicle in the designated parking area, we walked down passing through the village and reached the ticket counter. The ticket costed 150/ indian rupees for each person. After walking for 5-8 minutes we reached the point where this living bridge is located. One can cross the river by simply walking on it and reach the other side of the river. It was quite interesting to see the living root bridge. The view of the river was also mesmerising. We clicked some pictures by the side of the river. The sun had already set and the sky was getting darker, so we left the place and headed towards or hotel in Cherrapunji.

Cherrapunji, North East India

We reached Cherrapunji late in the night and checked into Cordial Resort. It was a beautiful property by the side of the river and just opposite The Seven Sisters waterfall viewpoint.

Day 3. Cherrapunji local Sights

Travelling through beautiful North Eastern India, you will find the cleanest villages, the greenest surroundings and the well maintained roads maintained by Border Road Organisation. We started our day towards our first destination the Mawsmai Caves.

Mawsmai Caves, Meghalaya, North East India

Mawsmai Caves are located in Mawsmai Village, Sohra, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, which are open for tourists from 9:30am till 5:30pm. There is an entry ticket for rupees 20/ per person. There is a small shopping area at the entrance, where we had breakfast in a small but clean eatery run mainly by women. After the breakfast we spent an hour exploring the caves. There are some places in the cave where one has to literally squeeze to get to the other side. This actually adds to the cave exploration experience. Our next destination was Nohkalikai Falls which was also nearby.

Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya, North East India

With height of 340 meters, Nohkalikai is the tallest plunge waterfall in India. The waterfall is located at a beautiful location in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. We reached the location at around 11 in the morning but the place was enveloped in clouds moving all over. The clouds were so dense that we were initially unable to see the waterfall from the view point.

We waited for the clouds to move away and, in the meantime, we explored the shops which were selling local produce like handicrafts, local fish pickle, Black rice, and local spices. We had a steaming cup of tea at a local tea stall and again headed towards the view point. This time we were lucky and clouds suddenly moved and we had partial glimpses of the beautiful and mesmerising waterfall. The water was falling into a small pool which was visible from a distance as sparkling water body. It was deep inside the forest and hence inaccessible. We watched it from a distance and took pictures.

Our next destination was to reach Kaziranga National Park which was 275 kms from Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya. It took us around 8 hours to reach Kaziranga. It was 12 midnight and we checked in to our resort.

Kaziranga National Park, Assam, North East India

Day 4. We woke up early because we had booked tickets for elephant safari in advance. Reached the park gate by 6:00 in the morning and there were already people standing in line at the entry gate. But we did not have to wait too long as the park officials opened the gate on time and after walking and crossing a small bridge we reached the place where elephants were waiting. Each elephant was to carrying 4 persons and we were soon on our elephant ride towards the jungle.

Elephant safari was a nice experience. The elephant took us in between the forest then into swamps where the Rhinoceros were roaming in the lush green meadows. The safari lasted one hour in total and the trip was worth the price. The elephant safari costed 1200/ per person. One has the option of doing the elephant safari in the morning or evening time. The jeep safari is bit inexpensive and can be booked for morning or evening slot as well.

We returned to our resort to have breakfast. After that we left for a nearby attraction, The Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park located 2 kms away from our resort.

The Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park

The entry fee was 150/ per person and the place was worth visiting. As we entered , we were greeted by local women guides and they took us on the orchid greenhouse for a guided tour of about half an hour. There were more than 100 varieties of orchids on display here.

Next to Orchid park was the museum which was also quite interesting. The traditional utensils, agri implements and handicrafts were on display.

A woman busy weaving the traditional handloom.

Next was the indigenous musical instrument museum. This was more interesting because the guide here played traditional tunes on all the instruments kept there.

Next was National Bamboo Park which contained more than 70 varieties of Bamboo grown in their natural habitat.

Besides the bamboo park, there was a Non-Leafy Vegetable Garden, a Medicinal Plants Garden and a nursery. In one of the halls were displayed many of varieties of rice.

There was also a stall where one can wear traditional North Eastern dress and get a photo of themselves clicked

In the middle of the place is an open air theatre where traditional dance performances take place during the evening. Separate ticket for Rs.300/- per person is charged for the evening performance and It is worth watching.

Tezpur

Day 5. We started our journey towards Tezpur, a small town in Assam on our way to Bomdila. This town is located on the banks of Brahmaputra river so one has opportunity here to enjoy boat ride on Brahmaputra. We parked our vehicle after crossing the bridge before reaching Tezpur. There were boats parked at the ghat. We negotiated and paid 300/ per head for the boat ride. The boatman also promised the Dolphin sighting. After about half an hour of ride we sighted a dolphin. It was small in size and needed close watching as it appeared above water for milliseconds only.

Finally after the boat ride we reached our hotel in the market area. We stayed here for the night. In the Evening we visited the park in the middle of the town known by the name Chitralekha Udyan. It was a beautiful small, well maintained park with a small water body in between. Some people were enjoying boating in the small lake, others were sitting lazily in the lush green lawns all around.

ChitraLekha Park was established in the historic town of Tezpur in 1906 in memory of the past Deputy Commissioner Captain H.W.G. Cole, later renovated in the year 1996 and was given its present form and the new name. This park has varied flora and fauna with numerous archeological remains from on and around Tezpur. This makes it an open museum worth visiting.

District Museum, Sonitpur, Tezpur

Day 6.

Early in the morning we woke up and went for a walk in the city area. Everything was very clean and calm all around. There are a couple of natural as well as man made water bodies near the market.

We also saw the Beautiful Museum building near the market but it was closed at the early hours of the morning.

We had a nice breakfast at the local sweet shop by the name ‘Madhuban’ in the market and left for our next destination.

On the way we visited Dul-Dul Tharpa Ling, a small but beautiful Buddhist Temple. It was built on a hill top and was situated right on the highway at Jamri Point, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.

It was a 5 minute stair journey uphill and you will witness a beautiful prayer hall and a 360 degree view around.

After spending about half an hour here, we resumed our journey towards Bomdila.

Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh

Reached Bomdila around evening and checked into Green View Hotel near the market area. Bomdila is a transit town while going towards Tawang. It is the headquarter of the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. We had a evening walk in the market and tasted momos and thukpa in the local cafe.

Bomdila Monastery

Day 7. After having breakfast at the hotel itself, we visited the Bomdila Monastery, a few kilometers away from the market area. It was busy with tourists and monks as well. Bomdila Monastery was established in the year 1965 and it represents the spiritual essence of Buddhism. Followers of Mahayana Buddhism consider this place sacred.

The main prayer hall of the Monastery was extremely beautiful and one can feel the calm vibes sitting inside the temple. Huge installation of Buddhist silk prayer flags adorned the ceiling of the main prayer hall.

After spending about half an hour, we left for our journey towards Tawang. Distance from Bomdila to Tawang is about 175 kilometers which can be covered in about 5-6 hours. On our way towards Tawang we stopped at Dirang which was 40 kms from Bomdila. We visited another monastery known by the name TDL Buddhist Monastery, Dirang. Just a walking distance from the market area, the monastery was located at a beautiful location on top of a small hill surrounded by other such green hills. The campus had a parking ground near the gate of the monastery.

The place was so calm and beautiful that we spent almost an hour in the Monastery Campus and then resumed our journey towards Tawang again.

Sela tunnel and Sela pass

Passing through the Sela Tunnel which was located at 13000 feet above sea level, we reached the Sela Pass (13700 feet asl)

Sela Pass is an high altitude mountain pass located on the border between Tawang District and West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. The place remains covered with snow during most part of the year. A beautiful lake adorns the place which is frozen during the winter months.

The Pass at an elevation of 13700 feet (4176 meters) is the gateway to Tawang from rest of India. Tawang shares international border with China and Bhutan, is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage centre. There are about 101 glacial lakes in and around Sela Pass. Tourists as well as Buddhist pilgrims visit this area in large numbers especially during the Tawang festival held in October every year.

Jaswantgarh War Memorial

We continued our journey from here towards Tawang. Took a tea break at Jaswantgarh War Memorial on the way. The memorial pays homage to rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Mahavir Chakra of 4 Garhwal Rifles, who laid down his life resisting the Chinese army’s march at Jang during the 1962 war.

The traditional gate constructed here and the main memorial sanctorum is a tribute to the local population who had contributed immensely to the war effort in 1962 war.

There are replica bunkers of 1962 war to get the actual feeling of the bunker in the war zone.

We headed towards Tawang which was 52 kms away from here. It took us one and a half hours from here to reach Tawang. Checked in Hotel in the old market area for the night. It is the seat of 400 years old Tawang Monastery, one of the oldest and the largest monasteries in India and the biggest outside Lhasa.

Tawang

Located at a height of about 10,000 feet, Tawang is a small beautiful hill town lying on the north west extremity of Arunachal Pradesh, North East India. Because of its natural beauty, It is the most popular tourist destination of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang is famous for its 400 years old Tawang Monastery. The sixth dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso was born here in Tawang.

Day 8. We left hotel after breakfast for the day tour in Tawang. Our first stop was at Buddha park where large statue of Buddha is seated on a small hill top. This statue of Buddha is visible from anywhere in Tawang Town.

Behind the statue is a free service of tea and lunch known by the name ‘Buddh ki Rasoi’.

Our next stop was at the Tawang Monastery. It was located a few minutes drive from the Buddha Park.

Tawang Monastery

The Tawang Monastery is beautifully located on top of a mountain with a view of the Tawang Chu valley. The Monastery was founded by Merek Lama Lodre Gyamtso in 1680-81.

Tawang Monastery is the largest monastery in India. Situated in the valley of Tawang Chu, Tawang Monastery is in close proximity to Bhutanese and Chinese Border.

It has a residential campus within and contains a museum and a library in addition to the main prayer hall.

The museum has a entry ticket and is worth visiting if one is interested in knowing the history and culture related to Tawang Monastery and Buddhism in this part of the world. There is a collection of old artifacts, photographs, utensils and other items of historical importance. There is a well curated photo gallery on the first floor of the museum.

The main prayer hall appears very simple from outside but is beautifully decorated form inside with colorful silk flags of varied colours.

The Buddha statue in the main prayer hall is lighted in the most impressive manner. There are other small and big statues and art work of all sorts adorning the walls of the prayer hall.

The residential campus within the Monastery is very clean and feels like a fairy tale village.

There is a small beautiful cafe and bakery right outside the Monastery, at the parking area where one can enjoy traditional Butter Tea and some cakes too.

The cafe’s interiors are quite impressive and sitting area faces the green mountains all around.

We browsed through some books kept here and tasted the traditional butter tea. Then we left for the hotel for lunch.

Tawang War Memorial

In the evening, we visited the Tawang War Memorial, located only 2 kilometers from the market area. It is a must visit place in Tawang.

Tawang Memorial has been constructed to pay homage to the 2420 brave soldiers of the country who sacrificed their lives in the 1962 Sino- Indian war. The war memorial stands 40 feet tall and has a stupa design, purposefully chosen to respect the local architecture and local religious sentiments.

In the evening there is light and sound show depicting the role of Indian Army in safeguarding this strategic part of India. The tickets for Amphitheatre light and sound show costs rupees 50/.

The Tawang War Memorial is beautifully lighted in the evening and one can walk down the galleries on both side of the memorial to get the feel of how Indian Soldiers played a crucial role in protecting our international boundaries.

Day 9. Day Trip to Bumla Pass and Madhuri Lake

Bum La Pass | Bumla pass

Bumla pass is a border pass between Tibet, China and India’s Tawang District in Arunachal Pradesh. Located at a distance of 37 kilometers from the Tawang Town. It is an agreed Border personnel meeting point for the security forces of China and India in the North East.

The one hour drive to Bumla pass is very picturesque. Even in the summer months, you can find snow here with a few lakes on the way to Bumla pass.

A special permit is required to visit the Bumla pass which can be arranged by the taxi driver one is accompanying with.

On the way we visited the Sangestar Tso Lake also known by the name ‘Madhuri Lake’

Sangestar Tso lake

Sangestar Tso lake is a beautiful lake, created by falling rocks, boulders and trees in an earthquake. The lake was featured in a Madhuri Dixit film ‘koyla’ after which it has come to be called the madhuri lake.

Bumla Pass

Finally we reached Bumla pass. This is among the highest passes in the whole of North East India. The ID details are submitted through the driver to the army personnel at the desk. The army personnel then arranges the guided tour at the border post in small groups. There is a large waiting lounge where tourists and visitors can buy maggi (instant noodles), soup and coffee while waiting for their turn to visit the border post.

After about half an hour of waiting, we got to visit the border post and it was an experience in itself. The Chinese soldier was standing on the other side of the barricade. Indian soldier on our side was candidly talking and having a conversation with the Chinese soldier. After a brief session the group returned to have photographs with the tricolour and dispersed thereafter.

What to buy from Tawang

Situated about 2 kilometers from the main city of Tawang is the Craft Centre from where one can buy local handicrafts like Thankas, Carpets, masks, wooden bowls, carved tables known as Chok-Tse and many other items.

Day 10. Next day in the morning we left Tawang for our return journey towards Guwahati via Dirang. Distance from Tawang to Dirang is about 135 kilometers and can be covered in 4 hours time by road. But we planned to visit the Jang waterfall on the way.

Jang Fall, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India

Infact, whole of North east India is full of waterfalls be it in Meghalaya or in Arunachal Pradesh. Jang waterfall is one hour drive from Tawang and is a worth visiting place in North East India. Nuranang or Jang fall is featured in some bollywood movies also.

One has to step down few stairs to reach the fall site. The place is very clean but there are no eateries here. There is a small parking place for 8-10 vehicles. One has to park the vehicle and walk down steps for few minutes to reach the spot.

After spending an hour here at this beautiful location, we resumed our journey towards Dirang. The road uptill now has been reasonably good with few food stops in the form of small dhabas which serve local dishes and maggie (instant noodles), of course.

Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh

Dirang is a small but beautiful village by the side of a river in the west Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. We reached Dirang in the evening and checked in to Wangdi’s homestay by the side of the flowing river.

Wangdi’s homestay was very clean and large rooms and they served hygienic homemade food. We enjoyed the dinner and slept comfortably.

Next day in the morning we went for a walk to nearby buddhist temple. It was walking distance from our guest house.

Day 11. After breakfast ,we left for Guwahati which was 375 kms away from this place (8-10 hours driving by road). On our way, we also visited the Bhutan Border Gate located just outside the Arunachal Border.

Reached Guwahati at night, stayed at Guwahati to catch flight next day from the Guwahati Airport.

Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam

Day 12. Next day early in the morning we reached Kamakhya Temple. The temple located at Nilachal Hills in Guwahati is one of the oldest and most revered centres of tantric practices, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. It is among the oldest four of the 51 pithas in the Shakta tradition. Built originally in 8-9 th century.

The temple is the site of the annual festival, Ambubachi Mela that celebrates the menstruation of the goddess.

The passage to temple was adorned with shops selling Puja Samagri and flowers.

It was crowded and took us 2 hours to have darshan even after having rupees 500/ ticket.

In the afternoon after returning from Kamakhya Temple we packed our bags, had lunch and left for the airport to catch flight to Delhi. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati is located in the outskirts of Guwahati City. This was the end of our 12 day long trip to the North East India.

How many days are enough for travelling North East India

While travelling, North East India can be divided into different regions. One region can be Sikkim, Gangtok and around, which can be reached via Jalpaiguri station or the Bagdogra airport. Sikkim can be covered in 3-5 days.

Another region can be Meghalaya. Visiting Shillong, Cherrapunji and surrounding area including Dawki river, cleanest village of Asia, and couple of living root bridges and some beautiful waterfalls. Meghalaya can be covered in 2-4 days.

Third region can be Assam including Kaziranga National Park, Kaziranga Orchid Garden upto river Brahmaputra etc. Assam can be covered in 3-4 days. From here one can visit Arunachal Pradesh to visit Bomdila, Dirang, Tawang and surrounding area including Bomla pass. Arunachal Pradesh can be covered in 5-7 days ideally.

In fact, Guwahati can be the base point for travelling to Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

What to Buy from Arunachal Pradesh

Travelling through north east of India, one can buy local hand woven woolen products from the local market. Buddhist Prayer flags and related items can be bought from the local gift shops. People also buy T shirts and caps etc from the army stores. In fact there are whole lot of options if you visit the market and see for yourself.

What to buy from Assam

Assam Tea, Handicraft products and handloom products. Assam is also famous for its silk. The white Gamcha with red embroidery is very common in Assam and people also buy it as souvenir.

Best time to visit North East India

The best time to visit North east India is during the summers when the snow has melted from the high reches and the waterfalls and rivers are in their full bloom. There is greenery all around.

Backpacking tips for the North East Tour

It is recommended to carry some woolen jacket as you will be visiting some mountain passes. The temperature may drop to below zero degrees at some places even in summer time, so be careful especially when you are planning to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Carrying an umbrella or Poncho can be useful in case there is downpour.

Travel Agencies offering North East Tour Packages

Ease my trip – https://www.easemytrip.com/holidays/

Thomas Cook – https://www.thomascook.in/holidays/india-tour-packages/north-east-tour-packages

Make my trip – https://www.makemytrip.com/holidays-india/north_east-family-packages.html

Other organisations offering North East Tour Packages

Youth Hostels Association of India – https://www.yhaindia.org/Progames/Type/National_Program

How to use google street view

How to use google street view while travelling – https://muddyshoe.in/google-street-view-amazing-360-degree-street-photos/

Thanks for reading this article. Your queries and suggestions are welcome in the comment section.