North East India is a collection of seven sister states squeezed between the borders of Nepal and Bangladesh. Though under constant tries from China to acquire Indian states these states are still an integral part of India and one of the most beautiful places on earth. Untouched by humans they are one of the best places for tourist and honeymoon destinations. The area of the northeast India is about 8% of the size of India with a population of about 40 million. Largest cities being Guwahati, Agartala, Dimapur, Shillong, Aizawl, and Imphal. Recent Indian Soccer League matches have made it a popular place to visit. Languages spoken here are Assamese, Bengali, Boro, Garo, etc, Nepali, Manipuri etc.
The early settlers of this region were Austro-Asiatic speakers, followed by Tibeto-Burmese and Indo-Aryans. Due to these merger of various civilizations the area of the Northeast is a region of focus for the Archeological Survey. There are several places to visit here. Some of the 11 key places you will find most mesmerizing are mentioned below.
1) Majuli Island, Assam:- The beautiful Majuli Island on the river Brahmaputra is one of the largest river islands of the world. It is the home to millions of migratory birds each year. Some of the rare and endangered species of migratory birds arrive here during the winters. Some of the birds you may find here include the Siberian Crane, Whistling Teal, geese, ducks, Greater Adjutant Stork etc. The island is pollution free due to lack of industries and other polluting human factors in the area apart from this the chronic rain helps in keeping the environment pristine. Majuli is about 20 Kms from Jorhat, the second fastest growing city in the state of Assam. A bus or a hired taxi can take you to the Nimati Steamer Ghat where you can get a ferry service. This distance takes approximately three hours to cover with three bus rides and two ferry rides. On the one side of the island is river Subansiri and on the other side is the Brahmaputra. Some of the places to see here are the Viashnava Satras founded by Sankardeva, the colourful tribes, the nature’s beauty, pottery making, mask making, and more.
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2) Loktak Lake, Manipur:- The Loktak Lake is the largest fresh water lake in North-East India it is known for the floating phumdis which is the soil and organic matter collected in the lake in circular form. They are man made to catch fishes. The lake is rich in habitat and has flora fauna. The length is about 35 Km and width is 13kms at some points. The scenery is breath taking and you will be mesmerized to visit the place with your own eyes.The Loktak Lake is located at Moirang on the National Highway 53 Lake is about 53 kms from Imphal. You can easily find a transport at the national highway. The valley in itself is a place worth looking, surrounded by hills and trees from all sides. The lake is also used to generate Hydro electricity in the region and supplies power to neighbouring states as well.
3) Vantawng Falls, Mizoram:- There are several beautiful water falls in North East but the Vantawang Waterfall in Mizoram is the highest and the most enthralling with a height of the falls is 750 feets. The waterfall is about 5 kms south of Thenzawl and 137 kilometres (85 mi) from Aizawl. The waterfall is surrounded by trees from all sides and just reach the place is not an easy task. You can reach there by air through Shillong airport. Aizawl is the capital of Mizoram and is well connected by flights from major cities like Kolkata. The nearest railway station is in Silchar which is about 335 kilometers from Vantawang. You have to make the final journey to Vantawang via road only. Aizawl is the nearest city which is connected through NH 54 through rest of the nation. Buses and taxis are easily available from Vantawang to Aizwal. Government and private vehicles can be reached all days except Sundays.
4) Champhai, Mizoram:- is located near the Indo-Myanmar border it is one of the most popular shopping destinations in Mizoram. The area is known for its amazing landscape and hills. The pristine beauty of nature untouched from humans is appeasing to mind and soul. Some of the interesting places to see in Champhai are the Murlen National park which is known for its flora and fauna, and has many variety fo rare birds and mammals living in the area. Mura Puk which is situated in the Zote village it is one of the six caves in the area. Rih Dil, which is a lake about 27 kms from Zokhawthar in Myanmar. The lake is one kilometer long and 70 meters wide. It is considered to be the passage of the souls to the eternal abode.Also places to visit are Hnahlan a grape farming area, and Fiara Tui located about 65 km from Champhai and has its source in the Tan Tlang Mountain.You can reach Champhai through helicopter service Pawan Hans, or through road. The distance from Champhai and Aizawl is about 194 kms and is connected via bus and jeep. More details can be found here http://mizoram.nic.in/more/rchamphai.htm
5) Kohima, Nagaland:- Kohima is another place of natural beauty in the North East filled with houses on hill slopes and lavish green trees. It is best known for the annual Hornbill Festival which is held in the month December. People from around the world come here for music, arts and crafts. Kohima is the capital of Nagaland which share its border with Burma. The capital has a long history which goes back to the British Empire when the Naga fighters gave a stiff fight to the Britishers. It took British more than 40 years to conquer 10,000 square kilometer. If you wish to reach Kohima by air you can land in the nearest airport which is at Dimapur 74 kms away. It is also connected by NH 2 and NH29. The nearest railway station is also at Dimapur. If you wish to reach Kohima by air you can land in the nearest airport which is at Dimapur 74 kms away. It is also connected by NH 2 and NH29. The nearest railway station is also at Dimapur. Some of the places to visit in Kohima include Kohima War Cemetery, the cemetery is a place where many 1600 brave men fought the Japanese during the World War 2.
6) Nilachal Hills, Assam:- The Nilachal Hills in Assam is the abode of the famous Kamakhya Temple it is hence commonly known as the Kamkhya Hills as well. It is dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya and is one of the 51 Shakti Piths. It is situated on the western part of the Guwahati city. Surrounded by the lush green grass lands and trees it is also one of the most beautiful places to visit in Assam.
7) Yuksom Sikkim:- One of the most untouched places in India is Sikkim situated on the northern part of India and enclosed by mountains all around. Yuksom is a historical town in Geyzing West Sikkim. It was the capital of Sikkim in 1642 AD. One of the popular monasteries in Dubdi Monestry established in 1701 by Chogyal (religious king of Sikkim). It is a calm and enthralling place. A place for those tourists who wish to stay away from the crowd the computers. Wooden houses and lakes flow in the place. You can reach from Gezing in 5 hours from a car or public transport, the closest railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) which is 150 kms from Yuksom. You can book at taxi from New Jalpaiguri to Yuskom the trip can take 6-7 hours to be sure to reach early in the morning as traveling in hills at night can be difficult. The nearest airport is Bagdogra which is 12 kms west of Siliguri and about 170 kms away from Yuksom.
8) Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh:– Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh is a snow covered area with a population of 5000. Foreign tourists in a group of 2 or more need to take PAP (Protected Area Permit) for 30 days from Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. The Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Phone: 011-230113915/23013956/26880901 and pay around 50 USD. People can reach there by bus from Bomdila, it is an 11 hour journey. You can reach Bomdila from Guwahati by bus which takes around 11 hours. If you have a car it takes about 16 hours to drive from Guwahati. It is best to hire a Tata Sumo or SUV from Tezpur in Assam (4 hours from Guwahati). Places to visit in Tawang are Tawang Monastery, War Memorial, Emporium etc. You can also visit the P T So lake, Shungetsar (Madhuri) lake and visit to India-China border at Bumla.
Copyright Kothanda Srinivasan
9) Unakoti, Tripura:- Unakoti hills in North East is a state of Tripura is historic as well as sacred. The place is famous for its huge rock-cut images of Lord Shiva and other gods. The Shaiba pilgrimage dates back upto the 7th century to 9th century BC. According to the stories when lord Shiva was going back to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddess he made a night halt at this location. He asked them to wake up early in the morning but the gods did not wake up. Raged by this Shiva cursed them to become stones and as a result they all have become stone carvings at Unakoti. It is said there is one less than a crore images on the place. The place is also famous for its beautiful landscape. There are two types of images at Unakoti one is the rock carved figure while the other is sone image. It is recommended that you visit this place in the dry season. Unakoti is about 178 kms from Agartala which has an airport. The nearest railway station is at Kumarghat which is 20 kms from the place.
10) Shillong Meghalay:- Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and a popular tourist attraction this hill station like others is filled with amazing natural landscapes. Shillong has a population of about 143007 according to 2011 census. It is popularly said that the rolling hills in the region reminded the early European settlers of Scotland hence this is also called the Scotland of the East. You can reach their by air or by bus, Shillong has no rail connection. Umroi Airport has limited flights. The National Highway 40 connects it to Guwahati and the National Highway 44 connects it to Tripura and Mizoram (NH 44A).
Some of the popular places to visit in Shillong include the Elephant Falls, it is 12 kms away from the city and there are two successive falls set in dells of fern covered rocks.
Another place of interest is the Lady Hydari park which is about a kilometer long and has a mini zoo. There is also Wards Lake which is locally called Nan-Polok, it is an artificial lake with garden and boating facility. Shillong Peak and Shillong Golf Course are some other places which might interest you.
Though there are some of the most amazing places to visit in the north east still it is best recommended that you follow blogs like TripAdvisor for more details before you create a plan, always have a backup option as mobile phones, train and road connectivity is very limited in these untouched places of India.