Ethnic journey in Arunachal Pradesh

€1200 per person

A 14-day ethnic trip in the wilder part of India with a stop in Kaziranga (Assam) to visit its rhinoceros sanctuary and to Mon (Nagaland) to meet the latest Konyak warriors.

This ethnic trip begins in Assam, where we will visit the Kaziranga Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to two-thirds of the world’s single-horned rhinos.

We will then drive to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh and explore the region of Ziro and its villages inhabited by the Apatanis peoples whose elderly women with tattooed faces still wear ‘dat’, nose plugs.

We will continue to Daporijo with several stops in villages inhabited by the Hill Miri and Tagin people. Then at Along, we will discover the indigenous Adi Gallong people.

We will then travel to Mechuka, a beautiful valley adorned with sparkling lakes, snow-capped mountains and green hills and visit the monastery, Samten Yongcha, that is over 400 years old. Mechuka is also home to many Adivasi communities such as Ramo, Memba, Bokar, Tagin and Libo.

We will cross the river Brahmaputra to reach Dibrugarh in Assam. From there, we will head to the neighbouring state of Nagaland to meet the last Konyak warriors. The trip will culminate in Assam, Sivanagar, which was the capital of the Ahom kingdom from 1699 to 1788.

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After breakfast, we will explore the Kaziranga Park. The sanctuary, home to two-thirds of the world's great single-horned rhinos, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has about 1600 adult rhinos and many other protected species such as tigers and Asian elephants. The visit lasts about 2 hours. After lunch in the reserve, we will drive to Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Overnight in Itanagar.

Day 3

Itanagar - Ziro

In the morning, we leave for the picturesque town of Ziro located on the Apatani plateau. Along the way, we will stop in several villages inhabited by the Nyishi community. During the ceremonies, the nyishis men wear a sort of braided cap surmounted by the upper part of the beack of the Hornbill bird. As this tradition has greatly affected the population of Hornbill, artificial materials have been introduced as an alternative to the hornbill beack. Overnight in Ziro.

Day 4

Ziro and apatani people

This day is entirely dedicated to the visit of the Ziro region and its villages inhabited by the Apatani people. The old apatani women wear 'dat', nose plugs in their nostrils and facial tattoos. This secular tradition was observed until the 1970s, when the Indian government banned those nose plugs. At present, only the older apatani women have these facial emblems. Overnight in Ziro

Day 5

Ziro - Dapojiro

In the morning we drive to Daporijo with several stops in villages inhabited by the hill miri and tagin communities. Overnight in Daporijo.

Day 6

Dapojiro - Along

The day is dedicated to the visit of the Along region and the indigenous people adi gallong. Overnight in Along.

Day 7

Mechuka - Along

We leave for the beautiful Mechuka Valley and visit its ancient Buddhist monastery. Return to Along. Depending on the time of arrival, visit local markets. Overnight in Along.

Day 8

Along

Early in the morning, we take the road to Pasighat. After lunch, we will explore the villages of the adi minyong community. Overnight in Pasighat.

Day 9

Along - Pasighat - Dibrugarh (Assam)

After breakfast, we take a ferry to cross the Brahmaputra River and we reach Dibrugarh in Assam. Night in Dibrugarh.

Day 10

Dibrugarh - Mon (Nagaland)

We leave for Mon in Nagaland. Mon is the northernmost of all the districts of Nagaland. It is home to the Konyak Nagas, the most impressive ethnic group in terms of appearance. The Konyaks used to be headhunters and would collect the skulls of their enemies. The leaders of the tribe (now very old) still wear brass skull necklaces showing that they once cut off heads during clan battles. Night at Mon.

Day 11

Mon - Shangnyu - Longwa - Mon

During the second day in the Mon district, we leave for two picturesque villages inhabited by the Konyak tribe: Shangnyu and Longwa. The road leading to these villages is absolutely beautiful. In Shangnyu, we visit the house of the chief which is over 500 years old. Then after a few photos, we continue to Longwa. Longwa has a peculiarity, its inhabitants of the village have a dual nationality, Indian and Burmese. The Indo-Burma border passes into this very village dividing the chief's house into two halves, one Indian and one Burmese. Night at Mon.

Day 12

Mon - Sivanagar - Jorhat

We leave to Johrat in Assam with a stop in the city of Sivasagar, which was once the capital of the Ahom kingdom (from 1699 to 1788). The Ahoms ruled Assam during six centuries, until their kingdom falls into the hands of the Burmese in 1819 and that their ruling class was practically destroyed. The Ahoms kings left behind several interesting monuments. Overnight in Johrat and end of the trip. Looking forward to meeting you again. Namaste.