Travel tips for your first visit to the Northeast India

India’s north eastern region is one of the most culturally rich and diverse regions in the country. With eight states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim – located in close proximity to one another, it is very easy to explore the Northeast.

Also read: Exploring best places of North India via trains​

If you are planning to visit the region, here are some travel tips that might help you.

Though all of the eight states have air connectivity, not all of them are directly connected to all metro cities. Guwahati and Kolkata are the two airports that will connect you to other smaller airports in the region. Guwahati, however, is your smartest option because not only it has air connectivity, it is centrally located and you have road access to all of the places. It’s not called the Gateway to the Northeast for no reason.

Whole of the northeast receives pretty heavy rainfall; some even more than the rest. So you should ideally avoid the peak monsoon season. Assam has annual floods, it rains relentlessly for several weeks in Meghalaya, most roads in Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are inaccessible due to landslides.

The winter months are the best. October to February is almost a dry season, except for a rogue case or two of light showers. Spring is early in that side of the country. March and April will give you the freshest look, naturewise.

If you are planning to travel to the far-off villages, take the local transportation (mostly TATA Sumo and local buses) instead of hiring a vehicle. They are economical and will take you to even the remotest of locations.

You can leave the dream of staying in posh hotels behind you. Here, you will find budget hotels and plenty of homestays. Capital cities will still have 3-4 star hotels. If you have plans to explore villages, find panchayat guest houses or guest houses run by churches. Book rooms in advance. Many villages also have homestays.

The phrase “early to bed and early to rise” is made for the Northeast. Here, since the sunrise is very early in the morning, the normal day starts at 5 AM. If you plan to sleep in, there’s a good chance that you will fall behind for most of the day. Not a very good thing if you plan to explore a new place.

You will need to have Inner-Line Permits to visit Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. This is because these states are tribal-populated hilly areas and are protected by the Government of India.

Majority of the places in the northeast have local rules and regulations put in place by the local village authorities for the welfare of village areas and natural resources. While exploring the forested areas, always go with a local guide and take prior permission from the forest department and village authority (whenever required).