Guwahati to Moreh - Indian Roadie Preferred Route

Guwahati - Nagaon - Kaziranga - Dimapur - Kohima - Imphal - Moreh

Life after sunset in Kohima, Nagaland (by Pooja Akula in October 2019)

I (Pooja Akula) am a person who spends a lot of time in finding cozy cafes. After all, they're my work place on the go. But backpacking in the interiors of Assam and Meghalaya had kept me far away from the mere concept of a cafe; for almost two months now!

However, to my surprise, when I got to Kohima in Nagaland, I learnt that the state capital houses a cafe culture. On my random stroll around the market area, I remember spotting 4. This cafe you see in the pictures - Dream Cafe is apparently the oldest one in the city. While others are equally vibrant and nice.

For a change, I was happy to be in a city. I thought I finally didn't have to worry about getting indoors by sunset and could watch this city lit with mountains in its background. But little did I know that even the busiest city of  Nagaland, the capital goes dead by 7 PM.

With disappearing sun, disappear the people. Shops shut down, the streets go silent and I wonder if the locals quietly go back home?  There are a few hawkers selling street food but by 8 PM latest, all their food is over and they're ready to pull bags to get back home too!

I've been travelling across India, been to so many cities. But never have I experienced a city feel so dead post sunset. Anybody else who's been to Kohima and thinks the same?

Text (narrated in the 1st person) and photos courtesy: Pooja Akula (Travel content curator) in October 2019.
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* Kohima
* Nagaland
* Shetravels India
* Indian Roadie
* Backpacking India On Road

Indian Roadie preferred hotel in Kohima, Nagaland

Hotel Orchid is supposed to be decent.

Aradura Inn is lovely, but tariffs might be a little steep.

Hotel Razhu Pru is also lovely, but again tariffs might be a bit steep.

Hotel Oriental de Grande is a good place to stay. But tariffs are a little on the higher side but really nice.

Drive to Dzukou Valley, the Valley of Flowers in Nagaland via Kohima

Dzukou Valley is located at the border of Manipur and Nagaland. It is referred to as the Valley of Flowers of the East. Visitors need to trek 17 kms to the valley. It was covered with a rare Dzukou Lily found only in this part of the world. Something truly mysterious in the valley are the presence of burnt-out trees strewn all over, however, without any reasons for fire. 
Dzukou Valley is indeed a magical place to visit.

How to reach:
Roadies need to drive to drive/ fly to Kohima, Nagaland.
From Kohima either drive ahead or hire a local cab to Vishema village.
From Vishema village, a SUV is needed to reach upto the starting point of the trek.
The first half of stony stairs are quite tough, but after that it is a horizontal walk through the valley for about 5 kms.

Content courtesy: Manas Nandy who was there in Dzukou Valley in October 2016.

Hornbill Festival at Kisama heritage village, near Kohima, Nagaland visited by a roadie in December 2016

Nagaland, one of the seven sisters (states) of North Eastern region of India {Now called Ashtha Laxmi, including Sikkim}.
The diversity among the tribes is vibrant and the culture of each and every tribe is quite fascinating. During Hornbill festival Nagaland is the best place to visit. Hornbill is also known as ‘festival of festivals’.
The Hornbill festival is named after the state bird which is also respected globally and is an inseparable part of the Naga culture.
Most of the festivals celebrated by the tribal people are limited to their region or tribe, however it’s Hornbill which brings them all together.
Showcasing the rich heritage and culture, the festival is organised every year by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments.



Venue: The seven day fest is held at Heritage Village (also known as Kisama) which is located about 12 kilometres from Kohima on the road that was used by the allied forces during the Second World War.
The venue is significant not only because it is a tourist spot, but it is model village resembling the shape of Nagaland in maps.
What is interesting to know about it is that there are tribal houses (murongs) built to represent each tribe pointing the geographical existence of that particular tribe on the actual location in Nagaland.
The festival: Hornbill festival gives the people of the state an opportunity to tell the world about their uniqueness. It also keeps their tribes bonded to their culture and history.
Starting from the first of December, the weeklong extravaganza not only showcases the Naga lifestyle but also serves as a platform for the locals to interact with the visitors and gives the tourist a chance to explore.
Naga tribals display their traditional art like paintings, wood carvings, hand woven shawls and artefacts for home decor.
The Hornbill festival starts with the opening address of the Tourism Secretary followed by the war cry.
Nagas as mentioned are warriors and hence each tribe have their way to announce the battle. The atmosphere turns electrifying. All the tribe people look stunning dressed in their traditional dress. They armour themselves with shield in their hands and carry a weapons (sphere or dao) with colourful headgear.
The festival is divided into activities like tribal dances, war tactics, local games, greased pole climbing, Naga chilli eating competition, pork fat eating competition etc.
People can also visit the permanent tribal houses (murongs) built around the venue and can interact with the tribal people, taste their cuisines and even dance with them!
As time flies by and dusk turns chilly, the Hornbill Rock Festival at the Indira Gandhi stadium back in Kohima heats up the winter evenings. It is also considered to be the biggest rock fest held in India where around 20 bands from around India and a few from abroad take part in the fest.
During the festival, the seven nights of Kohima‘s market comes alive with The Kohima Night Bazaar. Everything from traditional food to modern Naga music can be found here; from cultural handicrafts to home decor items.
Interesting facts: If you are foodie and love to experiment with food then trying out the local food is a must. The variety served is wide and you can try bizarre food like silkworms, bamboo worms, boiled baby frogs, hornets, dried rats, eel fish and dog meat. There’s a popular joke in Nagaland that goes - “if you see a man walking along with a dog, he could be a vegetarian!”
Usually the last two days are dedicated for North East Cultural Ensemble where other states of North East India showcase their culture and familiarise with tradition and colourful dance forms in turn also promoting tourism.
As every event, Hornbill festival too has a wonderful and a must-not-miss closing ceremony. The day is filled with dance and music where you experience drumbeats and dance steps that race against your heartbeats and rare is the chance where one is not tapping his feet. Not just drums but tribal musical instruments too will cast the joyful magic on you.
As the sun starts to set, huge heap of firewood is gathered in the center and smaller ones in front of every tribe on the ground. With the magical tunes of Naga beats and the final war-cry; all the tribes encircle and dance along the fringe of the festival ground slowly lighting up the fire.



As the sky turns dark, stars appear and beautify the darkness, down here at Kisama the bonfires appear to glorify each tribe not only reminding us how brave they are but pointing out how every tribe is distinctive and yet they stay in harmony.
How to reach: Air (Dimapur): Since Kohima does not have an airport one has to land in Dimapur, but flights are less and are only available from Guwahati and Kolkata. Guwahati is the nearest domestic airport connected by all major cities in India and Kolkata is the nearest international airport.
Rail: Dimapur is Nagaland’s only city connected by Indian Railways, a shared or a private taxi or state transport bus will take you to Kohima. Dimapur to Kohima is a 3 to 4 hour drive depending upon the road conditions.
Road: It is recommended to keep your base in Guwahati (Assam) since it is very well connected by air, rail and road. A road journey to Kohima is of 350 kms via Dimapur on National Highway 37 and 36 it may take upto 8 to 10 hours depending upon traffic, meal breaks and road condition.