SUMMER SPECIAL tours in Northeast India
Oriah is the principal annual agricultural and cultural festival of the Wancho tribe. Traditionally, the celebration is directly tied to the Jhum (shifting) cultivation cycle. The primary purpose is to invoke the blessings of the Almighty deities, Rang and Baurang, for a prosperous harvest, good health, and the socio-cultural well-being of humanity. Oriah also serves to renew ancient alliance pacts between different Wancho villages and clans. A central highlight is the ceremonial erection of the Zangvaan, a long, sacred bamboo pole. It is planted at a holy platform where villagers gather to dance and pray. Dressed in elaborate traditional attire, heavy bead jewellery, and striking headgears, Wancho men perform their famous traditional war dance around the Zangvaan. Historically known as fierce warriors, their dance involves rhythmic drum beats, folk songs, and the display of traditional weapons.
Delhi/ Kolkata - Dibrugarh – Khonsa – Wakka – Longding - Charaideo – Majuli Island – Ziro – Tezpur – Kaziranga – Guwahati
Day 01 (12 Feb 2027): Arrive Dibrugarh
Meet & assist and transfer to hotel. If time permits we will walk on the dyke along the Brahmaputra River that allows one to have a good view of the river and also life along its banks – from the dyke you can come down and walk to a bustling market selling everything from shoes to clothes to vegetable and fruits.
Day 02 (13 Feb 2027): Drive Dibrugarh – Khonsa, 110 KM/ 3.5 hours
After breakfast we drive to Khonsa in the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. Check into your homestay. Early lunch upon arrival. In the afternoon drive to Lazu, about 40 KM from Khonsa. It is inhabited by the Nocte tribe. You will experience rural tribal culture and tradition and learn about the Nocte way of life. On our return, we will drop in at the Kheti village, again of the Nocte tribe.
Day 03 (14 Feb 2027) - Start of the Oriah Festival: Day trip to Wakka village
Wakka, being the seat of power controlling nearby villages and settlements of the Wancho community, plays an important role in all Wancho tribal affairs. We will witness the festival being celebrated by the villagers in the community ground and go over to the village king’s house where village elders and other community leaders converge to pay their respects to the king. A part of the village is on a hill slope with closely clustered bamboo and palm roofed houses. Taking a walk in the village is like going back in time. We will try to communicate with the village folk with the help of our local guide and also visit a Morung (traditional male dormitory). Return to Khonsa. Overnight.
Oriah Festival
Day 04 (15 Feb 2027): Drive to Longding, 54 KM/ 1.5 hours
Drive to Longding, the administrative town under which most of the Wancho villages fall. We head directly to the central festival ground. Witness the rituals of the festival - Zangvaan (the grand ceremonial bamboo pole) erected for the festival, priests and village elders praying for a good harvest and the young and the old performing traditional dances and erecting war games.
We go further south to the village of Pangchao for another immersive tribal experience. Pangchao is close to the Myanmar and Nagaland border. Overnight at a homestay.
Oriah Festival
Day 04 (15 Feb 2027): Drive to Longding, 54 KM/ 1.5 hours
Drive to Longding, the administrative town under which most of the Wancho villages fall. We head directly to the central festival ground. Witness the rituals of the festival - Zangvaan (the grand ceremonial bamboo pole) erected for the festival, priests and village elders praying for a good harvest and the young and the old performing traditional dances and erecting war games.
We go further south to the village of Pangchao for another immersive tribal experience. Pangchao is close to the Myanmar and Nagaland border. Overnight at a homestay.
Oriah Festival
Day 05 (16 Feb 2027): At Longding
This is the peak day of the Oriah Festival. We will head to the festival ground to witness the synchronized, high-energy Wancho War Dances performed by men dressed in full warrior regalia, headgears, and carrying traditional weapons. You have the option to taste the traditional cuisine in the grand community feast featuring local delicacies and accept the symbolic exchange of freshly brewed rice beer served in traditional bamboo tubes. Overnight at Longding.
Day 06 (17 Feb 2027): Drive to Jorhat via World Heritage Site Charaideo Moidams, 170 KM/ 5 hours
Today we drive down from the Tirap hills to the Assam plains passing through tea gardens and towns and villages. We will stop at the Charaideo Moidams, the UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture) for the unique burial site of the Ahom dynasty (1228 to 1826 CE). The Ahoms practiced a tradition where they constructed large earthen mounds to honour their deceased kings and nobles. Each mound contains the remains of an individual, along with valuable artefacts. Moidams represent the Ahom belief in the afterlife and the continuity of the soul. The structures were not only tombs but also symbols of power, lineage, and social hierarchy. Continue to Jorhat. Check into hotel.
Day 07 (18 Feb 2027): Jorhat – Majuli, 15 KM drive + 1 hour ferry
Drive to Neematighat, take a ferry across the Brahmaputra River to Majuli Island, the culture center of Assam. Visit Hindu monasteries or ‘satras’. Interact with the ‘bhakats’ or monks, know about their practices and way of living. Overnight at a comfortable homestay.
Day 08 (19 Feb 2027): Majuli
Whole day in the island – we first take a walk along a stream early morning before breakfast, a walk that will rejuvenate you in the clear, crisp and unpolluted air – you will come across fishing nets, water birds and the overall experience is surreal. Return to the lodge for breakfast and then we go to a ‘Satra’ or manastery to witness traditional mask making. Drive to another Satra to witness an enthralling monastic dance before visiting a tribal village. Return to your lodge.
Day 09 (20 Feb 2027): Majuli – Ziro, 240 km/ 7 hour drive
Today we cross over to the north bank of the Brahmaputra River and drive up to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh. Late afternoon after checking into our hotel, we will walk around the local market.
Day 10 (21 Feb 2027): Ziro
Whole day at Ziro visiting Apatani tribal villages. Ziro is one of the most traditional areas in Arunachal Pradesh. It is home to the Apatani tribe located on a plateau surrounded by pine-covered mountains. The Apatani tribes themselves are Ziro's greatest attraction. The older men-folk tie the hair in top-knots and tattoo the faces. Apatani women wears wooden nose plugs and also tattoo their faces. The Apatanis are good cultivators and practice both wet and terrace cultivation. Paddy with fish farming is a unique practice seen only in Ziro. We will take out time to visit the Crafts Centre to see handlooms and handicrafts and also the small but interesting museum (closed on government holidays).
Day 11 (22 Feb 2027): Ziro – Tezpur, 220 KM/ 5 hours
Drive down to Tezpur. Check into hotel. Late afternoon visit Agnigarh Hillock overlooking the Brahmaputra River. The sunset over the great river is breath-taking. Agnigarh features a local legend depicted in exquisitely carved stones. You can go round the hillock walking and looking at the mastery of the carvings. Return to your hotel. Spend some time in the local bazar if you are up to it.
Day 12 (23 Feb 2027): Tezpur – Kaziranga, 90 KM/ 3 hours
Continue on to Kaziranga National Park. Check into hotel. Afternoon jeep safari in the central range.
Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World eritage Site, is spread over 430 sq kms as its core area. The largest number of one-horned rhinoceros in the world roams its swamps, grasslands with tall thickets of elephant grass and areas of mixed deciduous and tropical semi-evergreen forest making it the world's best place to spot these majestic beasts.
INDIA'S BIG 5 ARE FOUND IN KAZIRANGA ALONE - RHINO, ELEPHANT, ASIATIC WATER BUFFALO, SAMBAR DEER AND THE TIGER.
There are numerous other mammals and birds, including the rare greater adjutant stork, Bengal florican, eagles, hornbills and many more besides thousands of migratory birds seasonally attracted to the park.
Day 13 (24 Feb 2027): Kaziranga
Morning jeep safari in the eastern range. Return to resort. Afternoon jeep safari in the western range of the park.
Day 14 (25 Feb 2027): Kaziranga – Guwahati, 220 KM/ 5 hours
Drive to Guwahati. Check into hotel. We will visit the famous ‘Shakti temple of Ma Kamakhya and then drive to the Brahmaputra River front in the city to take a motorised boat to the Peacock Island and visit the Umananda Temple. Return to your hotel.
Day 15 (26 Feb 2027): Airport transfer
Transfer to Guwahati airport to board outgoing flight.
Tour ends
Summer is upon us and we invite you to escape the heat and the prices. Explore hill stations and remote villages in the Himalayas availing discounted summer rates. Stay at tea garden bungalows experiencing plantation and factory visits, jump into pools created by waterfalls or just spend your days in a heritage villa taking leisurely walks in the cool mornings and evenings in the neighbourhood.
Prices last till summer lasts. June to end September.