Frontiers of India - Overland Trip

Itineraries

Arrive in Kolkata, India's second largest city. Right at its chaotic heart is the Maidan, quite literally the lungs of the city   a huge green expanse with gardens, monuments and sporting facilities. At its southern end stands the Victoria Memorial, an enormous white marble building which provides one of the best insights into British rule in India. 

Leaving Kolkata behind, we fly to Dibrugarh in eastern Assam. Much of the old town of Dibrugarh was destroyed during the 1950 earthquake. The new town on the Bhrahmaputra river is surrounded by tea estates. We stay for two nights in a centrally located small hotel. (B)

We visit Digboi and also the British Second World War cemetery, the result of a tumultuous battle with the Japanese. Nearby lies Nam-Phake, an ethnic tribal village of huge historical significance, whose ancestors migrated from Thailand and who still maintain their age-old culture. (B)

We follow the road to Sivsagar which was once the capital of the Ahom Kings who had migrated from Thailand and ruled Assam from the 13th to 19th Centuries. The Shiva Temple, built by the Ahoms, is one of the tallest Shiva temples in India. After lunch we drive into the hill state of Nagaland and on to Mon in the north of the state. We stay here for two nights in a private guesthouse. (B)

We have a full day to explore villages around Mon. This area is home to the Konyak tribe who live in villages of communal longhouses decorated with the skulls of mithun (wild buffalo). Each village is ruled by an aung, or chieftain, and young men share a morung (dormitory) until they get married. The older men have elaborate tattoos and they wear feathered headgear and traditional dresses. The Konyaks are skilled craftsmen who make excellent wood carvings, daos (machetes), guns, gun powder, head brushes, headgear and necklaces. (B)

We continue to the pretty town of Mokukchung. The Ao Nagas, once known for the practice of headhunting, live in this area. The prowess of the Ao warriors is reflected in gorgeous red and black shawls with the white decorated band that signified their victory over their enemies. We visit the nearby Ao villages of Ungma and Longkhum and stay overnight at a village guest house in Mopunchukit village or the Government Circuit House in Mokukchung. (B)

After visiting further Ao Naga villages we drive back into Assam to Jorhat. Jorhat was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom and with 135 tea gardens, is one of Assam’s major tea centres. (B)

We take a boat cruise on the mighty Brahmaputra River from Neematighat to Majuli, the largest inhabited river island in the world. In the afternoon we cruise back to the mainland. En route there is the possibility of sighting flocks of migratory water birds and the Gangetic River Dolphin. We end the day in Kaziranga. (BD)

Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site where more than 75% of the world’s total population of the great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros can be found. Besides rhinos, water buffalo, elephants, tigers, swamp deer, barking deer and hog deer can be seen as well as four hundred species of birds. We explore the park on elephant-back and by jeep. (BLD)

We drive into Meghalaya to Shillong, the state capital and known as ‘the abode of clouds’. Meghalaya is one of India’s prettiest states nearly half of which is coverd in subtropical forests which are considered among the richest botanical habitats in Asia.  Shillong has to be one of the world’s most picturesque capitals,  spread out on hills covered with English style country houses. We have two days at leisure to explore the town and surrounding area which is full of waterfalls and lakes set in pine forests and green mountains. It was once one of Britain’s most popular hill stations. (B)

Today we visit nearby Cherapunjee, a pleasant and picturesque quiet town with spectacular views of deep gorges, awesome waterfalls and luxuriant rain forests. The walking options here are endless. We return to Shillong for the night, stopping en route to visit the Sacred Forest section of the David Scott Trail which follows an old mule trail from Assam to Bangladesh. (B)

We drive back into Assam one last time to Guwahati, the state capital, strikingly located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river. Situated between the picturesque hills of the eastern flanks of the Himalayas, Guwahati is home to numerous important shrines and temples which can be visited during our time here. Highly recommended is a visit to the Bhubaneshwari Temple which provides a panoramic view of the city and its famous Kamakhya Temple. (B)

We transfer to Guwahati airport to board the flight to Kolkata.

The tour finishes after breakfast. (B)