Destination: India
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Northeast States
ONE MONTH
After checking the current safety situation and obtaining any necessary permits, give yourself a month to ramble around India's remote northeast states, a region containing an incredible range of cultures and landscapes, yet which sees just a sprinkling of tourists.
If you're longing to step off the tourist treadmill, consider India's northeast states, however first ascertain the latest safety situation and allow sufficient time to obtain permits.
Kick off with a day or two in Guwahati, gateway to the northeast, before heading up to Tezpur, jumping-off point to the Orang Wildlife Sanctuary and Nameri National Park. For more wildlife spotting, don't miss nearby Kaziranga National Park, one of the last refuges of the one-horned rhino. With a restricted-area permit, you can travel north to Arunachal Pradesh, heading east to the Apatani tribal villages around Ziro, or west to Tawang, site of the phenomenal Tawang Gompa. Make your way to Jorhat and cross the mighty Brahmaputra River to Majuli Island, the world's biggest river island. With the necessary permits, you can head south to Kohima, capital of Nagaland, and on to Imphal in Manipur. Continue south to Aizawl, capital of Mizoram, to rub shoulders with hill tribes at the Bara Bazaar market and imbibe Mizo culture at the Mizoram State Museum. Cut west to Agartala, capital of Tripura and just 4km from the Bangladesh border. From Agartala, visit the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Water Palace of Neermahal and Udaipur, all to the south. Adventurous types can detour to Unakoti en route to Shillong, capital of Meghalaya, stopping overnight at Kailashahar if necessary. Attractions near Shillong include the glorious waterfalls of Cherrapunjee (Sohra) and tribal relics in the Jaintia and Garo Hills.
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