North East India

Northeast of India is the land of Blue Mountains, Green Valleys and Red River.
Nestled in the lesser known Easternmost Himalayas this region is abundant in natural Beauty, Wild life, Flora & Fauna and its colourful peoples. A blend of which makes it the most beautiful Eco-Tourism destination in South Asia.
The land of Majestic Mountains, crowned with peaks of sapphire blue -the North-East happens to be the region where the sun rises first in the entire country. With first rays of Dawn in India incidentally falling on Dong, a pristine small village in the easternmost corner of the North-East we were heading towards the Sun Rise country.

The region is a tourist heaven beckoning one who needs to relax and unwind.

For those who yearn for adventure and excitement there are mystique & romance in exploring wild life in its true forms in their natural habitat, experiencing gushing streams & waterfalls, picturesque mountain ranges- all fostered by mother nature. It is the perfect Holiday one could expect away from the crowd straight into the lap of Nature.

Where is it, what is it?
The seven states of North East India (now eight with the inclusion of Sikkim) are (clockwise) Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. It is only connected to India by the 22km wide Siliguri Corridor and is elsewhere bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, China, Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh.

Permits
Only Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura can be visited without PAP (Protected Area Permits) (RAP (Restricted Area Permits)). Getting them is possible but not easy for independent travelers though no problem for groups traveling with an Indian Tour Operator who will do all the paperwork. Visiting Arunachal Pradesh will cost you $50/10 days (possibly to be changed to $50/visit) all other costs are extra.
Indians need Inner line permits to visit the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Area
Over 250,000 sq km.

Population
About 40 million, more than half in Assam.

Currency
Indian Rupees (approx 74/£1)
Languages: Assamese, Hindi and about100 tribal languages. English is commonly spoken by all.

Religion
Majority of the peoples in Northeast are from plains of Assam, most of them Hindus and some Muslims.
About the tribal peoples, traditionally the Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh practice Tibetan Buddhism, whilst the tribal peoples of the east were animists. However, little of that has survived the influx of Christian missionaries who, in converting most of the Nagas and other tribes have destroyed much of the culture. Happily, there is now a genuine desire to regain that heritage as the tribes have united to form the Naga Nation. Elsewhere, the new immigrants have brought both Hinduism and Islam into some areas.

Geography
Apart from Assam, it's all up or down, with almost no flat land! Trapped at the eastern end of colliding tectonic plates, deluged by monsoon rains, gouged by great rivers and covered in jungle, travel is not easy! Altitudes vary from 6800m along the Tibetan border down to less than 100m at Guwahati on the Brahmaputra River, which cuts through the eastern Himalaya, having its source at the sacred Mt Kailash in Tibet. Elsewhere, the hills are mostly around 3 - 4000m in height, divided by steep sided jungle-filled ravines often 1 - 2000m in depth.

Wildlife
In the numerous National Parks, you will see elephants, one-horned rhinos, various deer, wild boar, otters and a variety of birds. Tigers, clouded leopards and snow leopards are also there but very elusive.

Adventure activities
Climbing, trekking, rafting, caving and paragliding.

How to get there
Numerous airlines fly to India. First choice might seem Air India and it's internal connections. Gateway to the northeast of India is the eastern city of light Guwahati. Guwahati has an international Airport connected to Bangkok by a weekly Air India flight. Apart from this it is well connected by domestic flights to the Metros of Kolkata and Delhi form where one can take a convenient domestic flight.

Once in Guwahati there are smaller airports in the Northeast well connected to Guwahati by helicopter and smaller aircrafts. You will need to take to the road if you are going to take in a mixture of venue. Though there are local buses, you will really need your own transport (4 wheel drive). Even then, due to the narrow, steep and winding roads you'll be lucky to average 30kph once you've left the horizontal luxury of Assam!

Value for money
If you travel with an organised tour you won't actually need to spend anything as all costs will be included at around £2000 or $ 2800 for 2 weeks, give or take £500 - including your Airfare! If you really do want to spend some money, beer is about R70 a bottle, meals are incredibly cheap - and excellent (if you like 'em hot and spicy) and local crafts - basketwork, weaving, silks, jewellery, tribal artefacts etc are also inexpensive (rarely more than R1000 unless you want something very special).

Clothing and equipment
That's a tricky one! If you go everywhere and do everything, you have to took summer wear, winter wear and waterproofs. Rafting gear will be supplied by all reputable rafting organizations. Caving gear can all be hired at the Cherrapunjee Resort (which also has a drying room, invaluable for caving). Climbing gear is obviously essential if you are heading for the big Himalayan peaks. A good sleeping bag is invaluable in Arunachal Pradesh, and a head torch (even if you only stay in hotels, power cuts happen frequently). And if you are going trekking, consider taking a compact, lightweight tent to save your porters some weight.

Health
Chloroquine and Proguanil are recommended against malaria. Rabies can be a problem with cave bats, but not so much with dogs - the Nagas have eaten most of them! Water purifiers are useful, if not essential if drinking from streams. Insect repellents and after-bite creams are worth considering in jungle terrain. If going above 4 - 5000m take appropriate altitude precautions.

Best time to go
It all depends what you are into. September to April avoids the monsoon and is the best time for most activities. September is generally the best time for flowers, following the rains. October - November is harvest time. The rivers are at their lowest by springtime but still have enough Himalayan run-off to guarantee a good rafting trip. Festivals happen in all states throughout the year. The Naga Hornbill Festival in early December is excellent though no doubt others such as the Budha Mahotsava Festival in Tawang in mid October is equally remarkable - or you may just bump into some travelling troubadors as we did.