10 Best Reasons Why you should visit North East India once in your lifetime

[Travel Mantra]

With ultimate diversity in culture, people, religion, food and festivals, North East India happens to be one of the most exciting travel destinations of India. The seven sisters, along with Sikkim have plenty of wonders to soothe your exhausted heart and soul. Whether you have been waiting for a really rejuvenating solo trip or you are looking for an exciting and happening vacation with the childhood buddies, booking a North East Package Tour would be your best option. Be it trekking to the living root bridges, exploring the Kaziranga National Park in search of one-horned rhinoceroses or experiencing silence on the Dawki or in the Majuli island – the list of wonders seems to be never-ending.

While planning the trip to North East India, don’t forget to check out the North East Tour Package, offered by different tour operators and based on your convenience and preference choose a package that suits you best. Let’s take a look at what could be the 10 best reasons to visit the North East –

• 1. Visiting the Kamakhya temple – Located in Guwahati, this temple is one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimages of India. Since Guwahati is the gateway to North-East India, most likely, you would start the journey from here only, and while doing that, you have to pay a visit to this world-famous temple. Being one of the oldest of the 51 shakti piths of India, this temple was built in honor of the deity Kamakhya. This temple doesn’t have an idol, but a yoni (vagina) to worship, as the legend indicates that this is the site where Sati's womb fell. Thus, the temple celebrates a woman’s power to conceive and attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year. There are traditions of goats being sacrificed to the goddess at frequent intervals. So if you are amongst the faint-hearted ones, or detest the idea altogether, avoid the incident cautiously.
  
  
• 2. Trying out the North East Cuisine– Whether you are a foodie or not, checking out the local cuisine is one of the must-dos while you are traveling, and you have to do this in your North East India tour. Right from the sumptuous thali that consists of a significant amount of rice, along with 3-4 types of curries, fries, along with chutney and dessert to the mouth-watering veg and chicken momos with a hot and spicy chutney – you can treat your taste buds whichever way you want. By the way, a plate of steaming momos or a bowl of hot Maggi are surely going to be the savior in most of the difficult trips – be it the trek to double-decker living root bridge or climbing up to the Gurudongmar lake. Well, if you are traveling anywhere near to Nagaland, don’t forget to try out the bamboo steamed fish or smoked pork.
  
  
• 3. Trekking to the double-decker root bridge – If you are on a mission to do things that can be tagged as “lifetime experiences”, you just can’t afford to miss the trek to the double-decker root bridge in Nongriat. This world-famous bridge is a must stop in Meghalaya and it’s a trek of around 3500 steps going through which you will get to witness something really fascinating. If you can manage a day’s time in the itinerary, consider staying at the local village of Nongriat as this will allow you to experience natural wonders like Rainbow falls.
  
  
• 4. Exploring the wonder-land of Cherrapunji – Apart from the double-decker root bridge, there are many other living root bridges in Meghalaya and each of them is beautiful in its unique way. While taking the trails and treks in the natural paradise of Cherrapunji, you will come across gorgeous cliffs, the seven sister waterfalls, and crystal clear jasmine lakes. You can also spend an idle vacation while staring at the plains of Bangladesh or embracing emerald lands of Cherrapunji.
  
  
• 5. Boating on the crystal clear Dawki–Have you ever imagined how it would feel like to be on a boat and looking down at the riverbed? Well, that’s exactly what you can experience while boating on the crystal clear Dawki river. Simply head to the Bangladesh border near Dawki, and take a boat ride – the next feeling would be like the boats are floating on air – and this is due to the absolutely clear water. You can reach this point through a shared car or private taxi either from Cherrapunji or Shillong. However, you need to avoid the monsoon season to experience this as the riverbed is not clearly visible during this time due to heavy rainfall.
  
  
• 6. Exploring the picturesque Shillong – Shillong is one of the oldest and most popular travel destinations of North East India and is fondly referred to as the ‘Scotland of the East’. Try to plan the trip around the middle of November as it’s the blossom season, and all the trees and roads will be full of pink blossoms, making the entire city worth capturing. While in Shillong, also don’t forget to explore the police bazaar area which is the most famous market area of Shillong and attracts hundreds of footfalls every day. Right from local handicrafts, stylish woolen garments to mouth-watering kebabs and other delicacies at the roadside eateries – you would enjoy the evening for sure.
  
  
• 7. Exploring the Majuli island – While in Assam, you just can’t afford to miss the largest river island of the world – the Majuli island that lies within the Brahmaputra river. This one place is probably in the bucket list of everyone who is traveling to North-East India as the island might not be here for long. Due to the strong floods that occur every year, the island is rapidly eroding, and hence, it’s a must-visit for everyone. It is also called Assam’s capital of culture as this is probably the only place that retains the traditional values and heritage of Assam. While in the island, you will come across mud pits where clay potteries are made, bamboo huts with looms to make dresses, and people who make fishing nets, wooden boats and traditional masks by hand.
  
  
• 8. Attending the Hornbill Festival – Hornbill is one of the most famous tourist festivals of Nagaland that is held from 1-10 December, every year, and it should be in your itinerary if you are traveling to Nagaland during that time of the year. The primary reason to conduct this festival is to promote tourism in Nagaland, and you can closely meet the 17 tribes, watch them singing, dancing, and taking part in a tug of war. You can also play with the traditional instruments, drink rice beer, try out the local Naga cuisine, and get cozy by the campfire after the sun goes down. Altogether, you can be a part of a vibrant festival that celebrates the tribal people and their lifestyle.
  
  
• 9. Roaming around Bomdilla&Dirang – Bomdilla is the Himalayan village that serves as the starting point of any Arunachal Pradesh tour and it’s also treated as a perfect stop-off point. Located high up in the hill, this town can be accessed only through a Sumo jeep or a private car. While exploring this quaint little town, you will come across a couple of Buddhist monasteries and exciting market places. Next, you can check out Dirang, which is a little village in Arunachal Pradesh, and considered to be India’s heaven on earth. With a lot of clean fresh air, traditional houses, fresh flowing rivers, and tall mountains, Dirang will surely amaze you with its charms. While in this place, don’t forget to check out the DirangDzong, the Dirang Chu river and the oldest monastery in Arunachal Pradesh.
  
  
• 10. Visiting the mighty Tawang and the Sela Pass–While heading to Tawang, you’ll have to pass through the mighty Sela Pass, located at the height of 13,500 ft. Although you might have to make repeated attempts to reach to the top due to landslides or heavy snow – but once you reach, take a deep breath and look around – the surrounding would be simply stunning. Even while racing through the winding, bumpy roads, you would be spellbound by the amazing Himalayan views. After that, once you reach Tawang, make sure you visit the monasteries. The main monastery was built as a shelter to more than 600 monks, making it a small citadel in Tawang. You can explore the main temple, kitchens, classrooms, libraries and try to understand the lifestyle of the residents. This Himalayan heaven is an amazing mix of different religions, cultures, people, food, and temples.
  
  

Well, narrowing down to a list of 10 is really tricky when it comes to finding the reasons to visit North East India at least once in your life; after all the entire region is amazing in its own charm, and you don’t really have to find reasons. Make sure you choose the best possible North East Package Tour based on your requirements. If you are traveling with the right tour operator, you can rest assured of every single arrangement – right from the accommodation to the permits to the transport. All you have to do is sit back, take a deep breath and experience the trip of your lifetime!