Original article on www.gonomad.com
If you want to completely immerse yourself in the culture of India, the Tribal Tours offered by Travel Station India are sure to give you what you'd like, and much, much more. These tours offer the opportunity for you to see numerous North East Indian tribes and experience their culture, traditions, and not to mention food.
The trips take travelers to the states of Arunachal and Nagaland, these tours allow you to experience ways of life vastly different from your own, as well as other parts of India.
These tours have a bit of everything to offer, whether you’re an experienced traveler or it’s your first time out. You will meet new people, learn their ways of life, discover their religions and beliefs, as well as see amazing wildlife (ride on the back of an elephant!), unique architecture, and cultural festivals.
These Tribal Tours take you to many different locations, and to visit numerous tribes. While Travel Station has premade itineraries, ranging anywhere from around ten to twenty five days, you can make one to your own liking to suit your travels or interests. Whether you'd like to see wildlife, culture, nature or civilization, you can see it on these tours.
Places You Can Visit
Ziro and the Apatani Tribe: Ziro, situated in a valley, is home to many villages populated by the Apatani tribe. This tribe is known for its colorful clothing, tattoos, and crafts, as well as the unique practice of paddy fish cultivation on their flat lands. Ziro lies near the lower Himalayas, surrounded by hills that make it great for hiking.
Daporijo and the Hill Miri, Tagin, and Adi-Gallong tribes: Daporijo, located along the river Subansiri, gives you the chance to experience beautiful nature and explore suspension bridges made by the tribes in the area, who are skilled weavers. The Meghna Cave Temple is also a popular tourist attraction of Daporijo.
Along and the Adi tribe: Along is situated on the bank of the Siang River and home of one of the largest tribes in the Arunachal area, the Adis, which contains smaller tribal subgroups. Your itinerary may include visits to various Adi villiages, as well as the chance to trek their own suspension bridges along the river and see nature and wildlife. You may also get to see Indian Bison, as Along is home to bison and cow breeding farms.
Pasighat: Also home of the Adi Tribe, Pasighat is the oldest town in Arunachal. There are beautiful views of the Siang and Siyom rivers, as well as a chance to see tigers, wild buffalo, ducks and other wildlife at the Lali Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mon and the Konyak Tribe: Mon is an exceptional place to experience on your tour, home of the Konyaks and their rich history and culture. Once deadly hunters, their craftsmanship extend beyond artilarry to things such as jewelry, headgear and woodcarvings, and in the Shangnyu Village you can see an eight foot tall wooden monument, believed to have been built by angels.
Mon is also home to the Aoling festival, celebrated during the first week of April, which celebrates the coming of a new spring and consists of feasts, music, folklore and culture.
Mokokchung and the Ao tribe: Mokokchung is also home to festivals, such as the Moatsu festival celebrated in May and the Tsungrem Mong harvesting festival in August. Here, you get to visit various Ao tribe villages and experience their rich culture and traditions.
Touphema and the Angami tribe: a developed tourist village, you will experience all the culture the Angami tribe has to offer and get an deep look into their traditions, food, and celebrations. Sekrenyi, the festival of purification, is celebrated in February.
Kohima and Khonoma: The capital of the Nagaland, Kohima offers a lot of history. Known for stopping Japanese forces during World War II, the town offers a World War II memorial cemetery. Khonoma is home to abundant nature and wildlife, and has been called the ‘Green Village’ due to it’s conservation efforts.
These tours offer everything you could hope to find in North East India, and while these places may seem non-stop, itineraries include ample leisure time and opportunities to explore these villages and communities on your own. You can also take time to trek along the Indian landscape and experience the unique nature and wildlife these places have to offer.
The many festivals that take place in these locations are also an exciting and unique opportunity. Like any cultural festival, you get to experience a tribe’s music, their food, their dance, their clothing, religion and traditions.
You have the chance to go to many festivals during your tour, and can go to particular festivals by planning your tour during a specific time of year. The most famous festival, the Hornbill festival in Kohima, takes place in winter from December 1st to the 7th. This festival is a celebration of all Nagaland tribes in one place, an exceptional festival of culture, food, parades, dancing, religious ceremonies, and so much more.
There truly is nothing more to want from these Tribal Tours. You'll get culture, nature, wildlife, and a peek into how a different part of the world lives. These tours make sure to give you the best experience as possible, as well as the highest service.
Copyright © 2014 by Go Nomad. This article was written by Stephanie DiCarlo and originally published on www.gonomad.com
*Image of Arunachal Pradesh via Shutterstock
