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Brief History |
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The people of the region are mostly Mongoloid in origin, their
racial origins being visibly those of the peoples of Tibet, Burma,
Thailand and Laos. They consequently have little in common with the
rest of India.
Whilst some of the more accessible regions came under British
Administration under the Raj, much of the region, being covered in
mountains and jungles and home to warring tribal groups such as the
notorious 'Naked Naga' headhunters remained off-limits. Although
some tribal people fought with the British and Indian forces in the
decisive battles in Nagaland that turned back the Japanese in WW11,
political unrest continued after Indian Independence, with head
hunting raids persisting in remote areas into the 1960s. The
situation was further exacerbated by the Chinese incursion into
Arunachal Pradesh in1962 when they reached as far as Assam, their
gateway to India, before running out of supplies and being pushed
back to Chinese Occupied Tibet.
Throughout this time, the seven states continued to suffer from
ethnic violence and even today, there are still some freedom
movements from both the Bodos of Assam and the Naga people though
they no longer seem to receive much popular support. There are also
tribal struggles between the Kukis and Nagas of Manipur and similar
unrest in Tripura. Additionally, there are some border incursions,
particularly from Myanmar and an influx of migrants the area can ill
afford, from Bangladesh and Nepal.
Whilst all this sounds enough to put anyone off, I must say that
our journey was problem free throughout. At a time when the world is
paranoid about 9.11. and its global repercussions, it couldn't have
been more peaceful. We were overwhelmed by hospitality. The only
guns we saw were those of the Indian Army present in understandable
abundance on the roads of Arunachal Pradesh where there are strong
memories of pillaging by the Chinese, and on some of the major roads
in Nagaland, key to the area's security. Even the people at the
checkpoints were polite, which made a refreshing change!
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About Northeast of India
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Northeast
of India is the land of Blue Mountains, Green Valleys and Red River.
Nestled in the lesser known Easternmost Himalayas this region is abundant
in natural Beauty, Wild life, Flora & Fauna and its colourful peoples. A
blend of which makes it the most beautiful Eco-Tourism destination in South
Asia.
The land of Majestic Mountains, crowned with peaks of sapphire blue -the
North-East happens to be the region where the sun rises first in the entire
country. With first rays of Dawn in India incidentally falling on Dong, a
pristine small village in the easternmost corner of the North-East we were
heading towards the Sun Rise country.
The region is a tourist heaven beckoning one who needs to relax and unwind.

For
those who yearn for adventure and excitement there are mystique &
romance in exploring wild life in its true forms in their natural habitat,
experiencing gushing streams & waterfalls, picturesque mountain ranges-
all fostered by mother nature. It is the perfect Holiday one could expect
away from the crowd straight into the lap of Nature.
Thinking of going?
Where is it, what is it?
The seven states of North East India (now eight with the inclusion of
Sikkim) are (clockwise) Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,
Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. It is only connected to India by the 22km
wide Siliguri Corridor and is elsewhere bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, China,
Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh.
Permits
Only Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura can be visited without PAP (Protected
Area Permits) (RAP (Restricted Area Permits)). Getting them is possible but
not easy for independent travelers though no problem for groups traveling
with an Indian Tour Operator who will do all the paperwork. Visiting
Arunachal Pradesh will cost you $50/10 days (possibly to be changed to
$50/visit) all other costs are extra.
Indians need Inner line permits to visit the states of Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Area
Over 250,000 sq km.
Population
About 40 million, more than half in Assam.
Currency
Indian Rupees (approx 74/£1)
Languages: Assamese, Hindi and about100 tribal languages. English is
commonly spoken by all.
Religion
Majority of the peoples in Northeast are from plains of Assam, most of
them Hindus and some Muslims.
About the tribal peoples, traditionally the Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh
practice Tibetan Buddhism, whilst the tribal peoples of the east were
animists. However, little of that has survived the influx of Christian
missionaries who, in converting most of the Nagas and other tribes have
destroyed much of the culture. Happily, there is now a genuine desire to
regain that heritage as the tribes have united to form the Naga Nation.
Elsewhere, the new immigrants have brought both Hinduism and Islam into some
areas.
Geography
Apart from Assam, it's all up or down, with almost no flat land! Trapped at
the eastern end of colliding tectonic plates, deluged by monsoon rains,
gouged by great rivers and covered in jungle, travel is not easy! Altitudes
vary from 6800m along the Tibetan border down to less than 100m at Guwahati
on the Brahmaputra River, which cuts through the eastern Himalaya, having
its source at the sacred Mt Kailash in Tibet. Elsewhere, the hills are
mostly around 3 - 4000m in height, divided by steep sided jungle-filled
ravines often 1 - 2000m in depth.
Wildlife
In the numerous National Parks, you will see elephants, one-horned rhinos,
various deer, wild boar, otters and a variety of birds. Tigers, clouded
leopards and snow leopards are also there but very elusive.
Adventure activities
Climbing, trekking, rafting, caving and paragliding.
How to get there
Numerous airlines fly to India. First choice might seem Air India and it's
internal connections. Gateway to the northeast of India is the eastern city
of light Guwahati. Guwahati has an international Airport connected to
Bangkok by a weekly Air India flight. Apart from this it is well connected
by domestic flights to the Metros of Kolkata and Delhi form where one can
take a convenient domestic flight.
Once in Guwahati there are smaller airports in the Northeast well connected
to Guwahati by helicopter and smaller aircrafts. You will need to take to
the road if you are going to take in a mixture of venue. Though there are
local buses, you will really need your own transport (4 wheel drive). Even
then, due to the narrow, steep and winding roads you'll be lucky to average
30kph once you've left the horizontal luxury of Assam!
To go there, we recommend that you contact:
Ashoka Holidays
Sanmati Plaza, GS Road,
Guwahati, Assam
India-781005
Tel: + 91-(0361)-2457600
Fax: + 91-(0361)-2457994
Email: Manager, Partha Pratim Das:
info@northeastindiadiary.com
Value for money
If you travel with an organised tour you won't actually need to spend
anything as all costs will be included at around £2000 or $ 2800 for 2
weeks, give or take £500 - including your Airfare! If you really do
want to spend some money, beer is about R70 a bottle, meals are incredibly
cheap - and excellent (if you like 'em hot and spicy) and local crafts -
basketwork, weaving, silks, jewellery, tribal artefacts etc are also
inexpensive (rarely more than R1000 unless you want something very special).
Clothing and equipment
That's a tricky one! If you go everywhere and do everything, you have to
took summer wear, winter wear and waterproofs. Rafting gear will be supplied
by all reputable rafting organizations. Caving gear can all be hired at the
Cherrapunjee Resort (which also has a drying room, invaluable for caving).
Climbing gear is obviously essential if you are heading for the big
Himalayan peaks. A good sleeping bag is invaluable in Arunachal Pradesh, and
a head torch (even if you only stay in hotels, power cuts happen
frequently). And if you are going trekking, consider taking a compact,
lightweight tent to save your porters some weight.
Health
Chloroquine and Proguanil are recommended against malaria. Rabies can be a
problem with cave bats, but not so much with dogs - the Nagas have eaten
most of them! Water purifiers are useful, if not essential if drinking from
streams. Insect repellents and after-bite creams are worth considering in
jungle terrain. If going above 4 - 5000m take appropriate altitude
precautions.
Best time to go
It all depends what you are into. September to April avoids the monsoon and
is the best time for most activities. September is generally the best time
for flowers, following the rains. October - November is harvest time. The
rivers are at their lowest by springtime but still have enough Himalayan
run-off to guarantee a good rafting trip. Festivals happen in all states
throughout the year. The Naga Hornbill Festival in early December is
excellent though no doubt others such as the Budha Mahotsava Festival in
Tawang in mid October is equally remarkable - or you may just bump into some
travelling troubadors as we did.
Books, maps and websites
Maps are in short supply: all we found was Nelles map to NE India and
Bangladesh, which covers the whole area so you know where you are and where
the roads go, but that's about it. As for books, in addition to Lonely
Planet and Rough Guide, check out:
The Naked Nagas. Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, Methuen & Co Ltd,
London 1939
Naga Path. Ursula Graham Bower. Readers Union. John Murray 1952
Return to the Naked Nagas. Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf. John Murray
1976
The Nagas, Hill peoples of NE India. Julian Jacobs. Thames & Hudson
1990
A Pilgrimage to the Nagas. Milada Ganguli. Oxford & IBH Publishing 1984
And, covering the exploration of the rivers flowing from Mt Kailash in
Tibet into northern India including Arunachal Pradesh and Assam:
A Mountain in Tibet. Charles Allen, Futura Publications
River Dog. Mark Shand. Abacus books. Inspired by Charles Allen's book on A
Mountain in Tibet, a tale of adventure along the Brahmaputra from Tibet,
through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Bangladesh.
The Seven Sisters of India. Aglaja Stirn & Peter van Ham. Prestel.
Tribal Worlds between Tibet & Burma.