NORTH EAST OF INDIA
Northeast India is a paradise unexplored - an enticing destination for the global traveller.
Sharing its borders with Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh the region includes the seven sister states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and the Himalayan state of Sikkim. The unique geographical setting and tribal heritage of the Northeastern states set the region distinctly apart not only from other Indian states, but also from one another.
The people and the places will draw you in, the craft and the cuisine will give you a flavour of the culture and the national parks offer chances to see rare and exotic wildlife of the region. There is something for everyone, just let us know your interests and we will help you experience the true essence of the region.
PLACES
India’s land of the rising sun, the Northeast receives the first glimpse of dawn in Arunachal Pradesh. From this mountainous state in the east to the river deltas in the west this region includes many different geographical terrains, fertile lands and remarkable features. It was at one time a great crossroad linking the Indian subcontinent with East, Southeast and Inner Asia along the Southern Silk route.
A tour through Northeast India can take you to mountainous monasteries, river islands, untamed jungles, sacred forests, colourful tribal villages, charming tea gardens and national parks teaming with wildlife.
PEOPLE
The cultural identity of the Northeast is as diverse as the geography and it's environment. People of Northeast India are simple, warm, welcoming, and gentle.
There are over 160 tribes and sub tribes who maintain their distinct indigenous heritage, many with strong cultural ties with neighbouring South East Asian countries. Tree worshiping Bodos, matrilineal Khasis, headhunting Nagas, lamaistic Monpas and river people of Mishing tribes, to name just a few. This rich ethnic tapestry is an anthropologist’s delight that has attracted many scholars and research groups to the region.
CRAFT
The Northeast has a rich craft culture, blessed with an abundant supply of raw materials from bamboo and cane, to clay, stone and various metals to indigenous natural fibres. The rare and exclusive muga silk of Assam is woven into a shimmering cloth of “liquid gold". Eri silk and cotton are cultivated and woven in villages across the region and some remote tribes work with nettle or bark fibre. Back-strap weaving is common in all states, from the bold tribal weaves of Nagaland, to floral and geometric weaves of Mizoram.
Native Northeast specialises in craft and textile tours bringing in depth knowledge through interactions and workshops with village artisans and local experts.
WILDLIFE
The sub-tropical climates and heavy monsoon rains of Northeast India have made it one of the last remaining resources of wilderness. Kaziranga National Park is one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries, a famous UNESCO world heritage site home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros and Royal Bengal tiger.
A visit to Kaziranga, Manas, Namdhapa, or other national parks will give you an opportunity to spot Asian elephants, water buffaloes, hoolock gibbon, barking deer, swamp deer, leopards, bears, pigmy hogs, giant squirrels, river dolphins and an outstanding array of native and migrating birds.
CULINARY
Good food is an integral part of people's life in Northeast India. Their flavors and dishes are as unique as their colourful way of life. Although rice is a common to all the diets each tribe has its unique way of using meat, fresh water fish, wild herbs and homegrown plants to make a hearty meal full of aroma and nutrition. Ingredients used for these delicacies also adds medicinal qualities and flavours to dishes.
Spending time in a tribal kitchen during a culinary tour of Northeast India will introduce you to unusual ethnic recipes and help you understand the warm hospitality and generosity of the people.