The Northeast India Travel Blog

North East India, located in the eastern part of the Himalayan hills, in the NE side of India, is a region that is inhabited by over 40 million people which are mainly divided into various tribes. Every tribe has its unique culture and traditions, and the differences are clearly seen if you check out the diverse festivals that are organized in the area.

Below is a list of 3 destinations we recommended visiting in February:

Tea Gardens of Assam

Tea gardens of Assam are one place you should visit while in India. In fact, Assam is well known in the entire world due to the tea that is produced there. Cultivating tea has a 2,000 years long history in the region; at the very beginning, the tea was drunk only as a medicine. Nevertheless, when the world found out about it and more and more people were coming to get the marvelous drink, many wild forests were transformed into wonderful tea gardens, where a singular layer of continuous carpeted greenery of tea leaves stretch till far away in the horizon.

India is nowadays a major tea producer, and about 400 million kilograms / 882 million pounds of tea come only from the Assam region. Indians living in Assam start their day with a hot cup of tea and continue like this all day long. If you decide to visit India, you can choose these tea gardens as your future holiday destination: the gardens occupy vast regions, where the silence is almost perfect and the landscape is wonderfully relaxing. The best part of such a trip are the accommodations, as you get an option to stay in the comfort of luxurious heritage bungalows which are as old as the British Raj. Located midst the greens and sweet aroma of tea gardens, the bungalow provide an almost zen like experience.

Kaziranga National Park

The state of Assam is also the home of Kaziranga National Park, a place visited by many people, especially between November and April. The Park is located on the banks of the huge Brahmaputra River and is inhabited by the largest population (almost one-third) of one horned rhinoceroses. The geography of the park is similar to the grasslands of Africa, though in Kaziranga the grass grow very tall after the rainy season. Though the main attraction of these grasslands are the rhinos, there are many other species of both birds and mammals which have made the national park their home, such as tigers, elephants, panthers, leopards, deer and bears. Many exotic and endangered birds also nest in Kaziranga such as Hornbill, Vultures and Adjutant Storks.

Proper accommodation and good tourist infrastructure is available close to the reserve, at Kohora and Baguri. You will also have the possibility of choosing between forest rest houses, bungalows, lodges and hotels. As numerous tourists come to the area, booking the room in advance is wise, in order to make sure the room will be waiting for your arrival. February and March are the best time to visit for spotting wildlife as during this time, the forest department burn the tall grasses, making it easier for tourists to see Kaziranga’s majestic display of wildlife.

Sikkim

Sikkim is also located in the NE of India, a region which only recently was added as a part of Northeast India. Tourists are advised to visit between mid February to the end of May and from Mid September to December. It is an area where the weather is cold in the winter and very pleasant during summer. The state has a glorious past, an impressive culture and traditions that are intertwined with ancient Buddhist beliefs. It is a land which many believe to be Shangri La, a land of simple happy people who are also progressive.

Trekking in Sikkim is an activity that attracts a lot of people due to waterfalls, high mountains of the majestic Himalayas , the remote villages and the soft easy going trek routes. Numerous luxury and budget stays have opened throughout the region, a result of the many tourists who have a love for the region. The view from these hotels and guest houses is unique indeed, as you have plenty of time to admire the third highest mountain peak in the world, the miajestic Kanchenjunga.

The Sikkim area is rich in monasteries that can be visited as well. These places act as a refuge to practitioners of Buddhism, who have found peace and sanctity in these mountains. Lake Khecheopalri is also located in this region. It is considered to be a sacred lake by the Hindus and Buddhists, and every year, a great festival of Buddhist ancient sounds is celebrated near the lake.

Author:
Irina Kirilov, the author of this article, works for Thrifty Romania, a rent a car agency in Bucharest, Romania.