North Eastern Mystery Tour

Traditional welcome by our executive on your arrival at Delhi’s airport followed by transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at hotel in Delhi.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today morning explore and experience the capital of Muslim India between the 12th and 20th centuries, the Old Delhi. We shall stop at the Red Fort for a photo shoot and then take a Rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of the Old Delhi up to the nearby Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest in India, has a courtyard that can hold 25,000 worshippers. The pay a poignant visit to Rajghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation and a memorial to this humble man who so changed the world.

In the afternoon we explore India’s bustling capital city the New Delhi visiting the Vijay Chowk, “Victory Square”, stopover at the Presidential Palace with its intriguing combination of classical and Indian design elements and the India Gate memorializing Indian soldiers who died in World War I. Then travel far back in time at Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating from 1570 AD and the first garden-tomb on the Indian sub-continent and lastly visit the Qutab Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world.

Overnight at hotel in Delhi.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning transfer to airport to board the flight for Dibrugarh. Arrive Dibrugarh and transfer to Tea bungalow. After lunch go for a tea tour. In the evening, enjoy a cultural program performed by an ethnic Assamese dance group.

A tea tour through a 157 years old heritage tea garden gives an insight into the different activities that vary from season to season. It teaches us all about tea- its origin, how it is grown, tea tasting and its quality. During the winter months the dormant bushes are pruned to ensure vigorous growth during the warmer months. Once the rains begin, and the temperature rises, the gardens come alive with teams of colourfully dressed tea pluckers, predominantly ladies as they are said to be better able to pluck the delicate buds and leaves. The harvest, which goes continuously from March to November, is taken everyday to the factory where it undergoes an age old process of being turned into the finished product. All stages of the process are carefully controlled to ensure that the tea that leaves the factory is only of the highest quality, a quality that has made Assam tea world famous (N.B.-Tea factories are functional from March to December only).

Overnight at the Tea Bungalow.

Early morning drive on to the river front and take a BOAT CRUISE on the mighty Brahmaputra River in a country boat. Cruise upto a beach island in the midst of the river. En route there is a possibility of your sighting flocks of migratory water birds and the elusive Gangetic River Dolphin. Enjoy the view of the Eastern Himalayas and take a nature walk in the vast expanse of grasslands surrounding the island.

After breakfast drive to Digboi (90Kms/2hrs). A beautiful and famous oil-town, also being Asia’s oldest and continuously producing oilfield at the extreme north-eastern corner of India. History was created here in the adjoining dense jungles with the discovery of oil. Visit the Oil Museum which was set up to mark the100th Anniversary of the Digboi Oil Refinery. Some of the very old, original machines are on display here.

Visit Digboi War Cemetery that lies about two miles east of the Assam Oil Company Campus. It has 200 graves of different Allied Forces personnel from UK, India, West Africa, Burma, Belgium, USA and Italy who sacrificed their lives during the 1939-1945 War II. It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (N.B:- Digboi Centenary Oil Museum remains close on every Monday and Friday).

Also visit an ethnic tribal villages like TAI-PHAKIAL - an ethnic village whose kith and kin date back to the Ahom period. The villagers still maintain their age-old culture - a village worth exploring. It is situated near the River Buri-Dihing with plenty of green vegetation. A Buddhist Monastery dots the village which belongs to the Hinayana sects. The monks in the monastery offers a warm welcome to the visitors and are always eager to explain their scriptures. Tai translation of the Ramayana written on handmade paper has been newly discovered in this village. The structures of the houses are unique as the walls are made of bamboo and the roof is of palm leaves (Toko), mounted over a Chang or stilt. Each family has one or two big Chang houses with a large court yard. Cattle are kept below the Chang. Their main occupation is paddy cultivation. The people of the village speak Assamese and are very loyal.

Return to Dibrugarh by evening.

Overnight at the Tea Bungalow.

After breakfast, drive on to Jorhat stopping by at Sivsagar. Arrive Jorhat and check in at Tea Bungalow. Evening enjoy a Satriya dance performance.

Sivasagar (80 Km from Dibrugarh) was once the capital of the Ahom Kings. The Shans who came from Thailand through Northern Myanmar to this area in early 13th century, ruled for 600 years. The Siva Temple, built by the Ahoms, situated here is believed to be the tallest of all existing Hindu temples. The ruins of the Ahom palaces and monuments dot the landscape around this historical town. In the town of Sivasagar, one can still see the remaining well preserved relics Ahom kingdom. Palaces, tanks, forts, places of worship and burial sites (vaults) at Charaideo present the richness of this highly evolved and advanced civilization. The largest and the oldest amphitheatre of Asia (Rang Ghar) is also another remarkable landmark in the history of Sivsagar. The Tai- Ahom Museum of Sivsagar contains the some of the relics of the Ahom period, like – swords, clothes, manuscripts and sundry artifacts.

Overnight at the Tea Bungalow.

Morning excursion to Majuli Island and afternoon drive to Kaziranga (both this sites are World Heritage Sites).

Drive a short distance to Neematighat (12kms/20mints) for ferry crossing (2hrs upstream boat cruise- the time depends upon the water level of the river) to Majuli - the largest inhabited river island in the world and famous for the Vaishnavite Satras or monasteries (Kamalabari Satra, Auniati Satra, Benganti satra, and many more) and culture. It is nestled between the confluence of the Subansiri and the Brahmaputra Rivers. Visit the monasteries and interface with tribes in the island. Majuli Island - is located in the Brahmaputra River and is the largest inhabited riverine island in the world. The island has long served as a monastic retreat for the Vaishnavite community and is noted for its beautiful rural setting and the traditional Assamese and Mishing tribal architecture. On arrival, you will be transfer by road to a monastery, en route pass through both Assamese and Mishing Villages. At the monastery you will be given an orientation tour by one of the monks of the monastic cells and temple - you will be expected to remove your shoes when entering the Vaishnavite monasteries. These Satras were set up Srimanta Shankerdev, the leader of Vaishnavite revivalism in the 16th Century. These are active and nurture the traditional dance form ‘Satriya’.

Arrive Kaziranga and check in at jungle lodge.

Overnight at the Jungle lodge.

Early morning, go for an elephant safari to the central range of the park followed by a jeep safari after breakfast to the western range of the park. Post lunch, visit the eastern range of the park by jeep. Evening at leisure.

Kaziranga National Park – harbors more than 75% of the world’s total population of the great Indian One horned Rhinoceros. It lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River and is one of the oldest parks of Assam. Besides Rhinos, you can also see the Asiatic Water Buffalo, Elephants, Tigers, Swamp deer, Barking deer and Hog deer. A large number of Bird Species are also found in Kaziranga National Park. Sighting is excellent and is always a great experience.

Overnight at jungle lodge.

Morning depart Kaziranga for Shillong. Arrive Shillong and check in at hotel.

Rest of the day at leisure or free for optional activities. Meghalaya, swaddled amidst wraith-like mists is aptly called “the abode of clouds”. It is one of India’s prettiest states inhabited by the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos. It is known for its matrilineal society, which governs lineage and ancestral inheritance through the female line. It stands out for its traditional and natural beauty among the other states. Its historical strengths have been irreversibly linked with its superlative natural setting.

Overnight at hotel in Shillong.

Morning proceed on a day return excursion to Cherrapunjee (55kms/2hrs/1300mt) – the place which once received the heaviest rainfall in the world. The drive gives a spectacular view of deep gorges and the rolling hills with rich tropical vegetation that boast an innumerable variety of ferns, moss and orchids. Cherrapunjee’s numerous falls are most impressive during the steamy monsoon season when awesome torrents of water plunge down to the plains of Bangladesh. At Cherrapunjee, explore the lime- stone caves. Return to Shillong in the evening. En route visit David Scott’s Trail, popularly known as the ‘Sacred Forest’.

Overnight at hotel in Shillong.

Morning depart Shillong for Guwahati. Arrive Guwahati and check in at hotel.

Afternoon visit The Kamakshya temple, believed to be an ancient Khasi sacrificial site, which is dedicated to the goddess Kamakshya and has been a well-known centre for Tantric Hinduism worshippers of Sakti. Situated on the sacred Nilachal Hill it also commands a panoramic view of the Brahmaputra and the surrounding region.

Overnight at hotel in Shillong.

Today after breakfast free till check out. Afternoon in time transfer to the airport to connect flight to Delhi.

On reaching Delhi you will change the terminal at the airport to connect for your late night flight back home.