North East of India
-Nagaland & Manipur-
17 Days Tour in the heart of the less known India
Starting from € 1, 400
per person
6 people max
17 days
Inclusions: all accommodations, breakfasts, ground transportation, sightseeing, local guides, tour leader, workshops…
Nagaland, Manipur
These two ‘sisters’ lie close to each other and border Myanmar. So close and so different, from the lush hills and fields of Nagaland to the colorful plains of Manipur, from the lands of headhunters to the cultural unique harmonious melting pot of Manipur with its traditional dances, bazaar, flavors, and languages.
This is a trip that will bring you to places you never heard of before, and learn of cultures, traditions, and uses, unknown anywhere else. You will question yourself many times in which country you are, absorbing the beauty of the diversity of little-known areas which has been kept intact from the Western world. Land of headhunters showing proudly their tattooed faces, bazaars where only women deal and work, Sino-Tibetan languages, animism, Christianity, dances and costumes of South Asian memories, flavors borrowed from different regions and countries, welcoming friendly locals and some of the most scenic and bumpy roads you will ever drive on!
Highlights
Traveling through Nagaland is always an adventure! If you want to experience how it feels traveling away from the mass tourism routes this is the trip for you! We will be driving through scenic roads, down to canyons and valleys, and up to lush hills, in the depths of the Naga people's land. We will meet locals from different tribes, people with tattoos on their faces and bright colorful beads jewellery, and school kids in elegant uniforms, we will see catholic churches and head hunters’ houses. We will trek through the untouched nature of Dzoukou Valley, we will try the local cuisine, and learn how to make some dishes. We will explore Manipur and its traditions, stopping by ancient temples, majestic forts, women's bazaars, etc…
Some of the included highlights:
Get a dip into the tribal life of the Naga people and find out more about the headhunter’s culture
Trek and camp in the serenity of Dzoukou Valley
Shop in the women's market in Imphal
paddles around Loktok Lake
Use the local public transports
Visit artisans and workshops
Learn how to make some of the local dishes
stay in local houses
Visit the ancient pilgrimage site of Bishnupur
Tour cost and what’s included
The cost of the tour varies depending on the number of participants.
It starts from € 1400 (per person) in a six people group.
The Tour cost includes:
16 Breakfasts, 10 Dinners
public buses and local transport where included
private cars with local drivers (3-4 pp per car)
Local guides
Entrances to monuments/ museums/ activities when included
night accommodations included in homestays/ small guesthouse
Tour leader 24/24 with the group
The following aren’t included:
Flight tickets
Personal travel insurance (required)
Not-included meals
Entrances and activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Souvenirs
Airport transfers
Tipping kitty to collect at the start of the trip
Day by day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Driburgar and meet with Ali and the rest of the group before going to try some local Assamese cuisine
Day 2
Today we leave the city and drive South, entering the state of Nagaland. We spend the night in Mon
Inclusions: B, D, private car,
Day 3- 4
We drive a couple of hours to Longwa on the border with Myanmar through a scenic, winding road. We will spend two nights in the tribal area getting to know more about the local people and spending time with them
Inclusions: B, D, LG full-day, private car
Day 5
Today we derive back to Mon and we spend the afternoon discovering the capital of this district with our local guide
Inclusions: B, D, LG half-day, private car
Day 6
Mokokchung is a busy town in the very heart of Nagaland, this is a land of a different tribe and the landscape will start changing. It is only 200 km away from Mon but it will take us a full day drive
Inclusions: B, private car
Day 7- 8
On the road again to reach Kohima, the capital of the state founded in 1878 as a British headquarters. There we will spend two nights learning about the intriguing history of the past 150 years and its British and Christian colonisation.
Inclusions: B, LG Full day (day 8), entrances when included
Day 9
A few km out of the centre of Kohima lies one of the gems of the North East of India. Dzouku valley and its peace and quiet will wrap and comfort us for a couple of days. We will trek around the hills learning the sacrality of this valley for the local people for the past centuries. We will spend the night in the valley camping.
Inclusions: B, D, LG full day
Day 1'0
By midday, we will be backing Kohima and we will have the afternoon to chill, visit some local cafes, try the famous Naga spicy pork and get ready for the next part of the trip!
Inclusions: B
Day 11
We will enter Manipur on a public bus! We will drive through the rice fields and lush green plains for around 140 km to reach Imphal. We will head to our homestay and have a first look of this colourful, laid back city in the afternoon with our local guide
Inclusions: B, public transport, entrances when included, LG half day
Day 12- 13
We will dedicate the next two days to discovering Imphal and its surroundings: Asia’s biggest women-run bazaar, the majestic Kangla fort in the centre, we will be learning about the unique textile traditions, the local dances, we will try the popular Manipuri Thali (a delicious local dish) and learn to cook it ourselves! We will drive out of the centre to discover the rural areas and get away from the buzzing city.
Inclusions: B, LG full-day, Private transport and public, entrances when included
Day 14
Loktok lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in India. It is a pulsating lake (meaning the level of the water almost double during the rainy season) with a unique, delicate ecosystem that has been gifting natural resources to the locals for centuries. We will take a short drive there stopping at the beautiful archaeological site of Bishupur and finally arrive at our homestay on the shore of the lake.
Inclusions: B, LG full-day, public transport and entrances where included
Day 15
Possibly one of my favourite places in the entire North East (so far), I can hardly imagine a better place to relax, soak up the quiet atmosphere, stroll around admiring the local gardens, take a paddleboat to learn more about the ecosystem of the area and simply spend time with ur local hosts at our homestay.
Inclusions: BD, LG full day,
Day 16
Today we will go back to Imphal and enjoy our last day and dinner altogether!
Inclusions: B, public transport
Day 17
Time to say goodbye to the rest of the group!
Inclusions: B
Why this Tour
The eastmost states of India are extremely different from anywhere else you can think of India or South East Asia, every region or even district is home to different tribes with different cultures, languages, and religions. Some of them managed to keep their lifestyle intact thanks to environmental isolation. Arts, cultures, and traditions are still proudly shown despite the fast modernization.
This is a place where not many tourists choose to go, especially foreigners, locals are still not used to seeing many visitors. because of this, our responsible way of travelling is the best way to make a very little impact on local people and the environment allowing us to discover areas left still unspoiled.
I designed this tour with responsible tourism in mind. This is why we will…
Stay in family-run guesthouses and homestay
eat at family houses and traditional, local cafes
buy local products and artifacts from local masters after meeting them
use local transports where it is possible in order to reduce our emissions
Spend time with different local guides
Use filtering bottles and reusable dishes in order to reduce our waste