Ancient Tribes of the Hidden Northeast: Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam

Day 1-2: Arrival in Calcutta

Our tour begins with a visit to the fascinating city of Calcutta (Kolkata).

Day 3-9: NAGALAND

The tour group visits various tribal villages of the Naga tribes. The tour in February will attend Sekrenyi Festival; the December tour attends the Hornbill Festival.

Day 10: Tribal Villages of Assam

Tour members meet Assamese families and stay at a beautiful tea estate.

Day 11-15: Tribal Villages of Arunachal

We cross the Brahmaputra River by ferry and climb up the lower Himalaya through thick tropical forest to Along where we visit the Bokar, Ramo and Gallong tribal villages. We continue over the next five days to Daporizio and Ziro where our guided tour group interacts with Adis, Tagins, Hill Miris and the Tamens tribal members.

Day 16-17: Assam Tribals and Wildlife

Our guide leads us to numerous diverse ethnic villages including Majuli Island, the world's largest river island.

Day 18: Kaziranga National Park

Our group tour enjoys two safaris through the pristine natural beauty of UNESCO Heritage listed Kaziranga National Park. Famous for its population of the Great One-Horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tigers are also present in sizable numbers in this Tiger Reserve. A wide variety of bird species native to India can also be seen as you travel from tall elephant grass to marshland and then dense tropical broadleaf forests.

Day 19: Guwahati

Early morning elephant safari. This is a thrilling highlight! The one-horned rhinoceros are startling. After breakfast drive to Guwahati, the largest city of Assam and a main river port city located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River.

This afternoon, we'll visit Umananda Temple, located beautifully in the riverine of Peacock Island and Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra which houses a cultural museum where we attend a dance performance.

Day 20: Guwahati-Calcutta - Home

This morning we visit Nabagraha, an ancient center of astrological and astronomical research. The temple is enshrined with nine Shivalingams, representing the nine Celestial bodies and a Shivaligam in the center symbolizing the Sun. Then we drive to the top of Nilachal Hill to visit Kamakhya Temple, be the most revered among the tantric shrines of Shakti worship. Animal sacrifice is a common practice here.

Next, a brief visit to the Assam State Museum well-known for its varied collection of antiques of the prehistoric times, archeological displays of the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Transfer to the airport for flight to Calcutta, Delhi or Mumbai for your flight home.

Trip Length

20-day trip begins and ends in Calcutta

Dates

February 22-March 13, 2023 with Sekrenyi Festival
December 2-21, 2023 with Hornbill Festival

Land Cost

February 2023 $6025 per person based on min 2 people; $5820 based on min 4 people; Single Room Supplement: $1270
December 2023: $6153 per person based on min of 4 people; Single Room Supplement: $1464
Two Single Room Supplement at 50% discount based on minimum group size of 6. First Come Basis

Accommodations

4-star hotels in Calcutta, best available guesthouses in tribal region, five star at Kaziranga National Park

Group Size

4-12 guests

Included Meals

All breakfasts, all meals days 2-18

Duration

20 Days

Reading List

Suggested Reading