India Travel
Practicalities to Kohima in the Northeast
Most private buses from Imphal are through services to Dimapur and don’t go into the centre of town - ask the driver to drop you off on the main highway just below the Japfu hotel. State buses arrive and leave from the bus stand in the centre of town.
Taxis and minibuses are the main forms of public transport around the town although the central area is small enough to explore on foot. The tourist office (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm) is on the National Highway,below the japfu.
Kohima has few accommodation choices, though standards aren’t bad. Kohima’s showpiece hotel is the Japfu, on PR Hill at the top end of town, with spacious rooms and a restaurant. The popular Pine, on Phool Bari has decent doubles but no singles. The Valley View next to the bus station is friendly and helpful but fairly basic and the Capital, opposite, has rooms ranging from grim to good.
Naga food is fairly simple — rice, boiled vegetables, chicken and pork, with ginger and chilli the main spices. Chinese food is also widely available at the basic cafes on Main Bazaar and around Centre Point. Most restaurants and dhabas close at 5pm but if you want to eat a bit later, the Abu Hotel, a tiny Indian dhaba 100m from Centre Point on the road to upper town, stays open until 6pm.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Kohima the capital of Nagaland in the Northeast
Founded by the British in the nineteenth century. KOHIMA, the capital of Nagaland, was built alongside the large Angami village of Kohima, solely for administrative purposes. The town continues in this role - for a more intimate glimpse of traditional Naga life you'll need to wander up to the old village, or visit Khonoma. 20km beyond Kohima, the Nagas' once impregnable stronghold, sacked by the British in 1879 and again by the Indian army in 1956. Jakhema, a few kilometres south on the road to Manipur, with terraced fields surrounding the village, is also worth visiting for its traditional feel.
Khonoma northwest from Kohima in the Northeast
The beautiful Angami village of KHONOMA, 20km northwest from Kohima, holds a special place in Naga history as the place where Angami warriors made their final stand against the British in 1879. Magnificent rice terracing surrounds the village, irrigated by a complex system of bamboo water pipes, and twenty different types of rice are grown here, each specifically suited to the elevation, soil and aspect of the terraces. A flight of steps, approached through a traditional carved gate, leads up to the highest point of the village from where excellent views take in the hills and the neighbouring villages of
Dimapur northwest of Kohima in the Northeast
DIMAPUR, the "city of the river people", 74km northwest of Kohima, is Nagaland s largest and most industrialized town - and the only one not located in hill country. It bears little resemblance or affinity to the rest of Nagaland and functions for visitors primarily as a gateway to the state. It's a noisy polluted city and the mushroom-like monuments - fertility symbols dating back to the Kachari Kingdom - are the main point of interest, standing on the riverside edge of town. The sole railhead in Nagaland, Dimapur, is served by trains to Simaluguri (for Sibsagar), Tinsuleia and Dibrugarh in
The Town of the Kohima in the Northeast
Spread loosely over a saddle joining two large hills, Kohima forms a pass that played a strategic role during World War II. The highway from Imphal to Dimapur - the route along which the Japanese hoped to reach the plains of India - crosses the saddle at the foot of the Second World War Cemetery, which dominates the town. Its immaculate gardens stand as memorial to the Allies who died at this very spot during the three-month Battle of Kohima, which ended in April 1944 after claiming the lives of over 10,000 soldiers. Below the cemetery in central Kohima, bustling markets
Travel details in the Northeast
Trains Guwahati to: Calcutta (2-3 daily; 23-24hr); Chennai (6 weekly; 54hr); Delhi (4 daily; 28-41 hr); Dibrugarh (2 daily; 14-15r»rr); Dimapur (2 daily; 6hr); Jorhat (1 daily; 12hr); Mughalsarai (2-3 daily; 23-29 hrs); Mumbai (3 weekly; 43-46 hr). Jorhat to: Guwahati (1 dailly; 12 hours). Buses Agartala to; Guwahati (1 daily; 24hr); Neermahal (every 30min; 2hr); Shillorag (1 daily; 20tir); Silchar (2 daily; 11hr); Udaipur (every 15min; 2hr). Aizawl to: Silchar (2 daily:; 12hr). Guwahati to: Agartala (1 daily; 24hr); Imphal (1daily; 18hr); Itanagar (2 daily; 11 hr); Jorhat (12daily; 6-7hr); Kaziranga (12 daily; 4hr 30min);Kohima (1 daily; 12-14hr>; Shillong (12 daily;3-4hr); Silchar
Practicalities of Kanchipuram lies 70km southwest of Chennai in Tamil Nadu
Flanked on the south by the River Vegavathi, Kanchipuram lies 70km southwest of Chennai, and about the same distance from the coast. Buses from Chennai, Mamallapuram and Chengalpattu stop at the stand in the town centre on Raja Street. The sleepy railway station in the northeast sees only five daily passenger services from Chengalpattu (one of them, #161, originating in Chennai) and two from Anakkonam. As most of the main roads are wide and traffic rarely unmanageable, the best way to get around Kanchi is by bicycle - available for minimal rates (Rs2/hour) at stalls west and northeast of the bus
Practicalities of Aizawl in the Northeast
Of the minibuses that run between central Aizawl and the suburbs, the most useful head from the top of town near the GPO and Zodin Square to Chandmari in the north - otherwise a tiring two-kilometre walk. The friendly and hospitable staff of the state tourist office, in the Chandmari district (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), provide advice, information and transport, and can book tourist lodges throughout Mizoram - including the one here in Aizawl. The landmark post office is on Treasury Square. The State Bank of India has a foreign exchange counter but is somewhat reticent. Don't bank on ir.
Nagaland on the with Myanmar in the Northeast
On the border with Myanmar, south of Arunachal Pradesh and east of Assam, NAGALAND is physically and conceptually at the very extremity of the subcontinent. Many of its hills and valleys, home to the fiercely independent Nagas, were uncharted until recently, and the eastern regions remain far beyond the reach of the skeletal road network, despite the fact that the forested' mountains rarely exceed 3000m in height. Today this remains the most politically sensitive of the northeastern hill states. The two factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) are locked in battle for independence against the Indian army
Practicalities of Majuli in the Northeast
Although distances are short, public transport is limited to the occasional bus, with taxis and auto-rickshaws more expensive options. For those with plenty of time, the most relaxing way to take in the sattras is on foot over a couple of days. Most visitors stay at the Circuit House in Garamur. In Kamalabari it is possible to stay at the sattra for a donation. Arrangements for food are best made where you are staying. From Majuli there is a morning and afternoon ferry. The journey from Garamur to Jorhat takes around five hours. It is also possible to travel north from Majuli,
Practicalities of Tripura in the Northeast
Arriving by bus, you'll probably be dropped off at one of the private company offices on Laxmi Narayan Bari (LN Bari) Road, or at the state bus depot at Krishna Nagar. If arriving at the airport, buses and taxis ply the 12km to the centre of town. The local tourist office (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 3-5pm) can be found in a wing of the palace, which in theory is the only part of the palace open to the public, but they may be able to get you a visitor's pass for the main part if you're interested. They also organize tours
Sevagram Practicalities in Maharashtra
Half-hourly, jam-packed local buses run from Wardha - on the Central Railway and accessible from Mumbai (759km) - to the crossroads outside the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, from where it's a two-kilometre walk to the ashram. Do yourself a favour and catch a shared taxi (RslO) from outside the chaotic bus stand. There are frequent "express" buses from Nagpurs MSRTC bus stand, 77km northeast, to Wardha (2hr). Accommodation is limited to the ashram's own Yatri Niwas (07125/2172; donations) a basic but spotless hostel for those staying at the ashram - it is not really a hotel, but phone to see what they
Practicalities to the Manipur in the Northeast
State buses arrive at the stand next to the Polo Ground and private buses at their individual offices, most of which are along MG Avenue, 200m north of Khwairamband Bazaar. Manipur's tourist office (Mon-Sat 9.30am—5pm, Oct-March 4.30pm; closed 2nd Sat of month is based at Hotel Imphal north of the palace on the main Dimapur road. The ITDC tourist office, on Jail Road (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm), provides information and maps. The GPO (Mon-Sat 9am—5pm) is on Secretariat Road, at the southern end of the palace complex. Individual travellers can get permits endorsed at the Foreigners Registration Office, along from the GPO.
Amaravati Practicalities
Amaravati Practicalities Theoretically buses run hourly from Vijayawada to Amaravati but the service seems to be unreliable, so it's best to take a bus to Guntur (every 15min; 45min-lhr), where you can pick up a connection to Amaravati (l hr-l hr 30min). Buses return to Guntur every half-hour. Organized boat tours run from the APTDC Knshnaveni Motel, next to the main bridge, on the south bank of the Krishna in Vijiyawada, to Amaravati and back for Rs50 when the river is high enough, not often in recent years. The excavated site and museum are roughly 1km from the bus stand. Trishaws
Practicalities in North Bengal
Bagdogra airport, 12km west of Siliguri and served by flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati, is connected not only with Siliguri itself, but also directly to Darjeeling as well as to Gangtok in Sikkim by helicopter.
The trek to Yamunotri northeast of Rishikesh in Uttaranchal
Cradled in a deep cleft in the lap of Bandarpunch, and thus denied mountain vistas, the temple of Yamunotri (3291m), 223km northeast of Rishikesh, marks the source of the Yamuna, India's second holiest river after the Ganges. The least dramatic but most beautiful of the four dhams (temples) of Garhwal, it's also the most unspoiled and the least commercial, and the undemanding fourteen-kilometre (5hr) trek up to it from Hanuman Chatti is one of the region's most popular short hikes. The trail leads through attractive countryside, following the turbulent ice-blue river as it runs below terraced fields, with snowy peaks
Practicalities of Tezpur in The Northeast
Tezpur's ASTC state bus stand is on Kabarkhana (KK) Road, 500m north from the tourist office (Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm) in the Tourist Lodge on KP Agarwalla Road in the town centre. The GPO (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm) is on Head Post Office Road, parallel to the main road. The State Bank of India does not change foreign currency here. Flights on Indian Airlines and Jet Airways can be booked through Anand travels at the Luit hotel. Tezpur's top hotel, the Luit, a large white building 100m north of die state bus stand on Ranu Singh Road, offers hot showers and a/c rooms
Details of The Northeast
Certainly the least explored and arguably the most beautiful region of India, the NORTHEAST, connected to the rest of India by a very narrow stretch of land between Bhutan and Bangladesh, has long been all but sealed from the outside world. Arunachal Pradesh shares an extremely sensitive northern border with Chinese-occupied Tibet and together with Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, a 1600-kilometre border with Myanmar. Insurgency has plagued the region since Independence, with tribal groups pushing for various degrees of autonomy and independence as well as fighting each other. A huge influx of Bengalis into the region and consequent displacement of
Bindevasani and forest trails northest of Chila at Uttaranchal
Along the Kimsar road, which penetrates the deep sal forests northeast of Chila, visitors have a reasonable chance of glimpsing wild elephant. Elephant herds migrate here seasonally from as far away as Corbett, and can sometimes be seen in the forests behind Swarg Ashram in Rishikesh. The tiny hamlet of BINDEVASANI, 14km northeast of Chila and linked to both' Chila and Haridwar by regular buses, stands at the foot of steep hills. Besides a small dhammshala and a teashop, there's little here to detain travellers, but it's possible to camp in the covered forecourt of the small cliff top Durga
Practicalities to the Chitrakut in Uttar Pradesh
For, the few tourists in this region, Chitrakut serves as a centre for catching connecting buses and trains between Allahabad, Kalingar and Khajuraho. Long-distance transport connections are best made via Karbi. From the main Karbi Bus Stand numerous daily buses run to Allahabad (3-4hr), passing through Serai Akil, 15km from the Buddhist ruins of Kausambi, and also to historic Mahoba, a possible stopoff en route to Khajuraho. The railway station at Karbi has services to Allahabad and Mahoba, as well as Varanasi, 374km northeast (9hr). From the Satna Bus Stand in Chitrakut, buses head south into Madhya Pradesh; connecting buses
Guwahati and around in the Northeast
Once known as Pragjyotishpura (Light of the East), the most striking feature of GUWAHATI (or Gauhati), the capital of Assam, is the Brahmaputra, whose swollen sandy channel is so wide that the far shore is often rendered invisible. Of its many atmospheric temples, Kamakhya and Navagraha both occupy commanding hilltop positions, while Umananda sits on a small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Guwahati's mam business, tea, is booming. The Assam Tea Auction Centre (Tues & Wed 9.30am-lpm & 2.30-6pm) in the outlying suburb of Dispur holds auctions of a scale that previously took place in Calcutta and London. The